11 THINGS to DO in SAN TELMO, Buenos Aires

Things to do in San Telmo, the central neighborhood of Buenos Aires that maintains its customs with tango and markets as main points.

Sal Telmo is one of the first neighborhoods of Buenos Aires and that is why there is a special air there. It smells of colonial architecture, cobblestone streets, squares full of everyday life.

Let’s discover the places you can’t miss to visit in the mythical neighborhood of San Telmo.

🔝 Check out these recommendations on things to do in Buenos Aires, the must-sees.

Map of things to do in San Telmo in Buenos Aires

Things to do in San Telmo in Buenos Aires

1) Dorrego Square and San Telmo Fair

It is the heart and meeting point for those who want to visit the San Telmo neighborhood. In addition, around it there are bars, cafes and restaurants of the most traditional, with their tables in the square and surrounded by historic buildings that maintain their original style.

This square is of historical importance because it was here that the people of Argentina were informed of their independence.

In Plaza Dorrego you can witness the Feria de San Telmo, which is another of the things to do in San Telmo on a Sunday morning (it only operates on this day). The stalls selling handicrafts and antiques not only occupy part of the square but also the surrounding streets, which are closed to traffic. It is also common to see tango street shows, artists’ ateliers and antique stores in the area.

2) San Telmo Flea Market

In the San Telmo Market, located in a late 19th century building with an iron structure and metal and glass roofs that maintain their original structure, you will find a little bit of everything.

Originally conceived to supply the large number of immigrants who settled in the city, today it retains its essence with fruit and vegetable stands, souvenir stores and even a beer garden.

3) Churches

Being a traditional area of Buenos Aires, there is no shortage of churches to visit. The main one is the Church of San Pedro González Telmo, one of the first in the city, inside of which there is a museum that exhibits valuable pieces dating from the 19th and 20th centuries. Its exterior facade with the two towers is a real beauty.

Walking through the neighborhood we will find the Russian Orthodox Church of the Holy Trinity whose blue domes stand out in the skyline. The interior features a large mosaic brought from St. Petersburg with the Holy Trinity.

The Danish Church, with its neo-Gothic style and brick facade, is also a site worth visiting.

4) Museum of Modern Art

The large building with its beautiful brick facade and large windows, represents the modern art of the city with the exhibition of works of art by Argentine artists. For information on opening hours and tickets, please visit the official website of the Museum of Modern Art.

5) National Historical Museum

Ideal to learn about the history of the country, the National Historical Museum covers different historical processes of Argentina, from the indigenous people who inhabited these lands, through the time of the Spanish colony to the country’s independence.

Among the thousands of objects and paintings on display, the corvo saber used by José de San Martín or the historic flag flown by Manuel Belgrano in the battles of Upper Peru stand out. Not to be missed!

6) Lezama Park

The largest square in the neighborhood is Parque Lezama, a former private garden, and where another of San Telmo’s hot spots is concentrated.

In the central part of the park is the monument of Pedro de Mendoza, founder of the city. Beyond being a green space with many sculptures, the beauty of the place is also given by the historical buildings that surround it, such as the National Historical Museum or the Orthodox Church.

📷 A good option to tour the main attractions of the city is to do it on the tourist bus. Reserve your seat here.

7) Casa Mínima, a must-see in San Telmo

With its scarce 2.50 meters wide and 13 meters deep, it is considered the narrowest house in the city of Buenos Aires. Located at 380 San Lorenzo Street, it dates from the mid-19th century and served to house the slaves who served their masters who resided in the house next door. It is a very instagrammable and fashionable place to take pictures.

8) Comic Strip Walk and the Museum of Humor

In the Monserrat, San Telmo and Puerto Madero neighborhoods, a street circuit was designed to pay tribute to Argentina’s main cartoon characters through sculptures.

The photo that everyone wants to take is located at the intersection of Defensa and Chile streets and represents the famous Mafalda with Susanita and Manolito. On the tour you can also meet Patoruzú, Hijitus, Clemente, among others. It is an excellent activity to do in San Telmo with children.

9) Things to do in San Telmo, the Zanjón de Granados

Another place to see in San Telmo is the Zanjón de Granados. Of great archaeological importance, today you can see tunnels, water wells and foundations dating back to the 18th century that were discovered almost by chance. The name “zanjón” (ditch) refers to the fact that an old watercourse used to run through this area, over which houses were built.

10) French Solar Gallery

The narrow Galeria Solar de French preserves the white facades of colonial style and was the residence of Domingo French, one of the characters who fought for Argentina’s independence.

Located next to Plaza Dorrego, today it stands out for its multicolored umbrellas that are suspended at the top, where tourists stop to take the photo of rigor, and the restaurant overlooking the square.

11) The bars, things to do in San Telmo by night

San Telmo is a neighborhood with a great bar and nightlife scene, especially in the vicinity of Plaza Dorrego. Today the area is full of breweries and small cultural centers that give life to the place.

At the intersection of Independencia and Balcarce is El Viejo Almacén, a building dating from the late 18th century that served as a general store. Today it is a well-known restaurant with tango show, which you can book here.

On Estados Unidos and Balcarce streets is one of the oldest bars in the city, the Sur bar. Inside, the antique furniture has been preserved and one seems to go back to past times. It is an excellent place to see tango.

On one of the corners of Parque Lezama, another of the emblematic bars of the neighborhood is the British bar, a place that maintains its old style and ideal for a stop for lunch or coffee if you visit the park.

As you will see there are so many things to do in San Telmo in Buenos Aires that you should surely dedicate at least two days to the neighborhood.