Mataderos Fair: A Gaucho Market on the Outskirts of Buenos Aires

Just outside the capital, only a few blocks away from where the city ends and the province of Buenos Aires begins, rural culture comes alive at the weekly Feria de Mataderos. Argentine cowboys known as gauchos show off their horsemanship, dancers and musicians cavort to Argentine folk tunes, and food stands offer various regional dishes.

In Spanish, mataderos means slaughterhouses. The neighborhood was once home to the region’s largest livestock market and meat processing plants. Nowadays the neighborhood is a quiet residential area, and the Sunday outdoor market is its biggest — and only — tourist attraction.

Horsing Around: Carrera de Sortijas

Gauchos perform horseback riding demonstrations and games in full cowboy garb from 2 p.m. onward at the edge of the market along Lisandro del Torre Avenue. The corrida de sortija, or ring race, dates back to the 1800s. A metal bar is strapped between two upright poles. In the center hangs a small ring, about the size of a wedding band. Players gallop from one end of the course, brandishing a small twig, and attempt to place it inside the ring. Watching giant horses gallop through parked cars creates a startling juxtaposition, a testament to traditional and modern Argentina existing side by side.

Food at the Feria

Mataderos offers cuisine ranging from classics such as chorípan and empanadas; locro, a pampa stew of maiz, beans and potatoes; tamales, corn-based flour wrapped in a corn husk, and Paraguayan specialties. In addition to lunch options, the market offers an impressive selection of high quality homemade foods to take home including cheeses, olives oils and vinegars, charcuterie, breads, wines, liqueurs, and candies, at lower prices than can be found in Buenos Aires’ central markets.

Traditional Crafts and Souvenirs

Traditional crafts on offer include steak knives, wine holders, silver jewelry and handcrafted toys. There are also many quirky souvenirs available, such as boxes made out of orange peels, origami, 3D paintings and Pope Francis memorabilia.

Live Music at the Feria De Mataderos

After the shopping is over, visitors grab a seat — or a dance partner — and enjoy the live Argentine folklore bands that perform from the early afternoons onward. Argentine folklore, including Cumbia, Zamba and Chacarera, are uplifting rural alternatives to the more famous tango. Every week a different band is invited to play, and crowds gather to listen, dance, and watch. Chacarera is the favorite here and local schools also often show off their moves in traditional costumes.

Other Sites of Interest in Mataderos

• Museo de Criollo de los Corrales

Hidden in a nook between the food stalls lies the Museo Criollo de los Corrales, a small museum that shows a slice of country life and history in the province of Buenos Aires. Cheap and worth the detour for those already in the area, the museum includes examples of traditional outfits and gaucho artifacts such as matés and horseback riding equipment. La Pulperia inside the museum offers drinks, food, and a shaded patio away from the bustle of the fair.

• Bar Oviedo

The Bar Oviedo sits on the corner of Avenida Lissandro del Torre and Avenida de los Corrales, has been an institution in central Mataderos since 1900. They serve beer, wine, the best locro in town and offer a great place to people-watch and take in the entire scene the market offers: the gauchos and folklore dancers, dressed in colorful costumes; the crowds of mostly Argentine tourists and families; and the sellers at their booths, waiting patiently for customers to ask about their products.

• The Mataderos Skate Park

Skaters and those who enjoy their gravity-defying moves won’t want to miss the Mataderos skate park at Lisandro de la Torre and Av. De Los Corrales. It’s got a street skating area, two bowls and there’s lots of action around the park with dancing and local ladies selling homemade cakes and pies. Open everyday from 9 a.m. until 7 p.m.

• Folklore Peñas

If you snoop around Mataderos you will come across other peñas – or folk music parties, aside from the one in the main plaza. There is often an open-air peña right outside the skate park. If it’s raining, check out the Federación Gaucho Porteña (Buenos Aires Cowboy Federation) at Lisandro de la Torre 2406.

How to get to Mataderos

The Mataderos Fair takes place every Sunday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., mid-March through mid-December.In the summer months of January and February the feria runs on Saturday nights from 6 p.m. instead of during the day. There are no horse games when the fair is at night.

Mataderos is located on Avenida Lisandro de la Torre and Avenida de los Corrales. To get there, take the 36, 55, 92, 63, 80, 92, 97, 103, 117, 126, 141, 155, 180 or 185 bus lines. The trip takes over an hour by bus. To save time you can also take a taxi or take Subte line E to Plaza de Virreyes and take a taxi from there. Alternately make a day of it and discover the secret gems of Mataderos Fair by taking our private guided Mataderos tour. — by Sam Harrison (photos: Ande Wanderer)

The Teatro Colón: Argentina’s Most Resplendent Theater

One of Buenos Aires’ finest landmarks, the grand Teatro Colón occupies an entire city block and an even larger space in the hearts and minds of Argentines.

The theater is rated as one of the best five opera houses in the world for acoustics and overall comes in at number three, after La Scala in Milan and Teatro di San Carlo in Naples, according to National Geographic. Since it opened over a hundred years ago, the Colón is celebrated for its countless world-class operas, ballets and classical music acts. Among the luminaries who have performed here are María Callas, Astor Piazzola, Richard Strauss, Igor Stravinsky, Plácido Domingo and Luciano Pavarotti, who commented that the acoustics were so perfect here that it made him nervous to perform because any mistake was amplified.

Early History of the Teatro Colón

The Teatro Colón was originally in the Plaza de Mayo, now the site of the National Bank. The old theater functioned between 1857 and 1888, but it wasn’t as popular as anticipated, and didn’t break even.

Since moving to its new location, an air of the unknown has always lurked around the illustrious Colón. Italian architect Francesco Tamburin laid the first stone of the new building in 1890 before dying unexpectedly a year later. His partner Victor Meano took over, though the project had to stop in 1894 due to financial problems – the mix of private and public funding only added up to 15% of the cost of the project. Meano had his own issues, after being caught in a love triangle with his valet, he was murdered by his servant in his own home in 1904.

The project was already beginning to lose money and the proposed opening date in 1892 was by now a distant memory. The state injected more money into the project and put a third architect, Belgian-born Jules Dormal, in charge.

After nearly twenty years of construction, on May 25, 1908 the Colón finally opened its doors and wowed the crowds with Giuseppe Verdi’s opera, Aida. Some parts of the building were still under construction, but the theater still managed to put on 14 operas and 54 functions that same year.

Colón Theater – The Building

The magnificent seven-story building has almost 2500 seats and standing room for 500 spectators. In the style of other 20th century European theaters it is in the shape of a horseshoe with an attractive dome on the ceiling, painted by Argentine Raúl Soldi in 1966. The glittering chandelier at its center weighs a staggering five tons. Every inch of the Colón is decorated with fine attention to detail, even the plush crimson seats are stuffed with horsetails, and all aspects of the theater are made to ensure the highest quality of acoustics possible.

A view of the stage at the Colón Theater from the upper balcony seats — Courtesy of Nahuel Padrevecchi/GCBA

The classical music pit has room for 120 musicians, the stage is slightly slanted to allow better viewing and has a revolving disk to allow for slick scene changes.

Ticket Prices at the Teatro Colon

Tickets at the theater have typically been accessible, as standing seats are available, meaning that people from all social strata can enjoy the theater. Traditionally, the location of your seat is an indicator of your class. Orchestra and box seats are the most desirable and expensive, allowing visitors access to the Golden Hall and the entrance via the elegant Grand Staircase. The prices rose substantially in 2012, some by a whopping 600%, though compared to similar opera houses across the globe, they still remain reasonable. There are a number of free shows throughout the year, check the website linked below for details.

Renovations: The Master Plan

In the year 2000 a ‘Master Plan’ to renovate the Colón was made. It was originally decided that the theater would remain open while the changes took place, but in 2006 Argentine folklore goddess Mercedes Sosa sang at the closing ceremony amidst famous faces and disgruntled workers.

The plan was to open in May 2008, just in time for the Colón’s 100th birthday but the refurbishments were delayed. After the 2007 elections, Buenos Aires then-mayor, Mauricio Macri pledged to make the Colón his priority and injected even more money into the project.

The Salon Dorado, or Golden Hall at the Colon Theater — The Salon Dorado, courtesy GBCA

Grand Bicentennial Re-opening of the Theater

After much controversy and severe delays, the theater re-opened with a grand ceremony in May 2010, which coincided with Argentina’s bicentenary celebrations. Many breathed sighs of relief as the acoustics were deemed intact and the Colón looked more resplendent than ever. The renovations cost an estimated 300 million Argentine pesos.

Guided Tours, Getting Tickets & Dress Code

Guided tours of the Teatro Colón begin every 15 minutes, seven days a week and last approximately 50 minutes. The tours are in English, Spanish and Portuguese. They are free for children under six and discounts are provided for seniors and students.

The best way to buy tickets to performances is to simply buy them at the box office. You can purchase them online or on the telephone, but unless an Argentine credit card is used, the price will be at the official exchange rate. Still, for popular performances it may be the easiest way to secure tickets without having to cue.

In the more expensive seats, especially for a gala performance, formal wear is now again required. The least expensive Paraíso (‘Paradise,’ or upper balcony seats) seats do not have a dress code, but visitors will still feel out of place if wearing sneakers and t-shirts.

Make sure to arrive on time — in contrast to most things in Argentina, punctuality is important at the Teatro Colón — visitors cannot enter after the performance begins.

–Rosie Hilder

⇒ Take a three-hour Buenos Aires Walking & Colon Theater Tour

⇒ Book tickets for a 11 a.m. tour for $25 via our contact form or take the Skip-the-Line Colón Theater Tour

Teatro Colón
Cerrito 628
Tickets, Colón cafe & tours: Tucumán 1171
Performance entrance: Libertad 621
4378-7100 (general)
4378-7127 (tours)
5254-9100 (tickets)

→ To see the entire 2018 schedule of the Colón click here

→ Read our Porteño Corner interview with Sarah Stern, harpist at the Colón Theater.

Buenos Aires Airport Pick-up & Transfers

Argentina’s main international airport is 35 km from the Buenos Aires city center and is not serviced by subway or train. After a long international flight landing in Ezeiza’s chaotic arrivals area, the last thing you want to do is change money at the airport (and get a horrible rate), hunt down a legal taxi and haggle in funky Italian-like Spanish. Also be aware, ride sharing apps such as Uber are also blocked on the airport wifi.

For safety, comfort and convenience, book a private pick-up from Buenos Aires’ Ministro Pistarini (more commonly known as Ezeiza, airport code: EZE) to anywhere in Buenos Aires city. Our friendly driver will be waiting for you at the arrivals area, holding a sign with your name on it. The car is a roomy black sedan with air conditioning/heat and wifi.

We also offer direct transfer from Ezeiza to the domestic airport, Aeroparque Jorge Newbery and vice versa, as well as transfers from the cruise ship terminal.

If you prefer, you can also rent a car right in the airport. Since Buenos Aires has pretty aggressive driving and you may be tired after a long flight, renting a car immediately at the airport is only recommended for experienced drivers.

Book your Airport Transfer Now

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We can also arrange pick-ups for groups larger than four people, get in touch with us via our contact form. It is also possible to rent a car from the airport, check out our driving information and car rental page here →.

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The Plaza de Mayo: Argentina’s Most Famous Square

The Plaza de Mayo is as fundamental to Argentine political history as La Boca and homesick immigrants are to tango. The square is a political hub, financial and administrative center and throughout history has been a symbol of disaster, rebellion and hope.

In May 1810 the revolution began in what was then called the Plaza de la Victoria. Six years later Argentina won independence from Spain and the square was given its current name, May Square. Among the three important historic buildings on the plaza, are the Cabildo, the former seat of the Colonial government, the Buenos Aires Metropolitan Cathedral — now famous as Pope Francis’ former parish, and of course the government house, the Casa Rosada.

Communities from all walks of life convene to voice their political opinions in the square. Common sights in the Plaza de Mayo are veterans of the Malvinas/Falklands conflict, who have a permanent protest camp set up, workers going about their business, political marches, protests, gawping tourists taking snaps, TV camera crews, and eccentric old folks feeding large flocks of pigeons.

Peronism in the Plaza: Perón and Evita

One of the most dramatic events to change Argentine history occurred here on October 17^th, 1945, today celebrated as ‘Loyalty Day.’ Thousands gathered in the square to demand the release of Juan Domingo Perón, who held an important government position at the time but had been imprisoned by his own party – they viewed his growing popularity as a threat. This sealed Perón’s fate as a working class hero. He was released by the government after this protest and became president a year later. Following his election it became tradition for families to gather in the square on national holidays, particularly on May 1st, (Workers’ Day), and on May 25 (May Revolution Day).

President Perón and his wife Maria Eva Duarte, affectionately known as Evita, famously delivered their speeches from the balcony of the Casa Rosada, to the thousands of supporters, known as descamisados (shirtless ones), gathered in the square.

Bombings in the Plaza de Mayo

A tragic event in the square’s history occurred on April 15^th, 1953 when two members of the opposition party, Roque Carranza, planted two bombs during a political gathering. Five people died and 95 were injured.

Two years later, on June 16th the square was bombed once again by the Argentine Air Force in an attempt to overthrow Perón’s government in what is remembered as La Masacre de la Plaza de Mayo (May Square Massacre). Thirty-two planes shot over 9.5 tons of shells on the square and although the death count has been subject to debate, it is now thought to be 321, and more than 700 injured.

Today visitors can still see bullet holes on some of the buildings surrounding the plaza. The coup attempt was an abject failure, but three months later, the armed forces joined together and overthrew Perón’s government in another attack.

Recent Clashes & Cacerolazo’s in the Plaza

More fresh in the mind of Argentines, are images of the plaza during the 2001 economic crisis, or corralito, where thousands of people banged pots and pans (in what’s known as a cacerolazo) in the Plaza de Mayo to protest withdrawal clamps and devaluation of their savings after the government converted them into the much weaker Argentine currency. There were violent incidents between the police and protesters across the country and the police killed five people in the Plaza de Mayo. Just as Isabel, Perón’s second wife had done in 1976, the sitting President, Fernando De la Rúa famously ‘escaped’ from the Casa Rosada by helicopter after resigning.

Tens of thousands still sometimes fill the plaza and surrounding area in protest as with the Cazerolazos of 2012 and more recently, in reaction to Federal Prosecutor, Alberto Nisman’s suspicious death.

The Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo

One of most emblematic symbols of the Plaza de Mayo are the Madres de la Plaza or Mothers of May Square. These are women whose children were ‘disappeared’ by the military dictatorship (1976-1983). The mothers demanded to know where their children were and began to march around the May Pyramid in the middle of the square wearing handkerchiefs with their children’s’ names embroidered on them. The weekly marches started in 1977 and continue today – you can see the mothers and their supporters every Thursday afternoon in the plaza.

While in the plaza you can take a free tour of the Casa Rosada and visit the Bicentenary Museum. Also try out our affordable Buenos Aires walking tour, which covers downtown, the Plaza de Mayo and gives visitors a primer on using Buenos Aires’ Metro and Bus systems.

⇒ GetYourGuide also offers a Two-hour Walking Tour of May Square.

-Rosie Hilder

Haunted Buenos Aires: Ghost Stories of the City

Buenos Aires is a lively metropolis but it has a spooky side. Parts of the city were constructed on top of old burial grounds, soldiers died on the streets of San Telmo while fighting the English, torture occurred in secret prisons during the Dirty War, and a central tourist attraction is a VIP cemetery.

While Argentina’s capital city has plenty of ghost stories, Halloween is seen by many citizens as a holiday that embodies U.S. cultural imperialism – something to keep in mind for those considering trick or treating on All Hallows’ Eve.

In Argentina, October 31 is All Saints’ Eve. And while Mexico celebrates Día de los Muertos, Day of the Dead, on November 1st, here the day is known as All Saints’ Day, a solemn Catholic holiday. Traditionally, commemoration of the dead ends on November 2, Día de los Flores (Flowers Day), when families take flowers to graves of loved ones, although this once important occasion has fallen out of favor.

While a daylong early November outing to the graveyard may not very common in Buenos Aires anymore, some of the dearly departed insist on not being forgotten. Here’s a run-down of some of Buenos Aires’ most famous haunted locations:

Recoleta Cemetery
Junín 1790
Recoleta

Recoleta cemetery is the home to the remains of the country’s founding families, 26 Argentine presidents and of course, Eva Perón.

The grave of Rufina Cambaceres in Recoleta Cemetery in Buenos Aires, Argentina — The tomb of Rufina Cambaceres, the ‘girl who died twice.’

The most well-known Recoleta Cemetery ghost story dates to the early 20th century. It is the tragic case of 19-year-old socialite, Rufina Cambaceres who died suddenly while preparing to see a show at the Colón Theater. She was transported to the cemetery by horse-drawn carriage on a rainy day after her death in 1902. Due to the weather, workers left her casket in the cemetery’s chapel to be interred later.

The next day, a worker discovered the casket had been moved and the lid was out of place.

Suspecting a grave robbing, the family asked that the casket be opened. When the lid was lifted, Rufina still had her jewelry in place, but the inside of the casket had been scratched and Rufina’s extremities were bruised.

The horrible truth was then revealed: she had been buried alive and tried to scratch her way out of the casket in a panic. She had suffered an attack of cataplexy, which causes a comatose-like state, leading doctors to mistakenly believe she was dead. In fact she died in the casket of a heart attack, due to lack of air and panic.

Those who visit Rufina’s resting place will see that there is a life-size Art Nouveau statue of the young woman, with her hand on the door to her own mausoleum, a family tribute to ‘the girl who died twice.’

Chacarita Cemetery
Guzmán 680
Chacarita

Buenos Aires second most famous cemetery and its largest is National Cemetery, Chacarita. Founded in 1887 in response to the Yellow Fever epidemic, when trains full of corpses were brought here daily, the Chacarita Cemetery is far creepier than Recoleta’s, with overgrown grounds, abandoned catacombs, an abundance of cobwebs — all set to a soundtrack of leaves shuddering in the trees.

Here tango great Carlos Gardel rests, along with founder of the Argentine Air Force, Jorge Newbery and an array of less famous, but equally mortal immigrants and Argentines. The ghost stories associated with the cemetery include the hanged man in the tree, the phantom taxi driver with the license RIP 666, and ghostly apparitions of race car driver, Juan Manuel Fangio, who is also buried here.

This graveyard is so scary, they say if you dare to go here after midnight you may end up staying forever.

El obelisco during its construction in 1937 — The Obelisco in 1937 when safety regulations weren’t what they are today.

The Obelisk
9 de Julio & Corrientes
Downtown

The most emblematic landmark of Buenos Aires, El Obelisco, is said to be haunted by the spirit of a fallen worker. While the monument was in construction in the 1930’s it was struck by lighting, causing a worker to lose his footing and fall to his death. Porteño (Buenos Aires’ residents) believers say that on tempestuous nights you can still hear the scream of the worker falling to his death (or perhaps they are merely echoes of the near-daily protests here.)

Galerías Pacífico
Florida 737
Downtown

In 1990 when Galerías Pacífico was being remodeled into the beautiful shopping center that it is today, construction workers discovered 15 small cells, and names and slogans scratched into the walls. The workers informed their union leader who made an official appeal to the government asking for an investigation of the discovery. At that point city officials confirmed that during the Dirty War here functioned the ominous sounding Clandestine Center of Detention and Extermination (CCDE).

A judge ordered an inspection. According to La Mañana newspaper, the day the inspection was to take place, the basement got flooded with oil from the boilers, destroying the evidence. The same judge who ordered the inspection then dismissed it, saying there was no evidence to investigate, and the building’s remodel continued as before. Official pardons from then-president Carlos Menem ensured that no ex-officers who worked in the clandestine prison would face justice either.

With the evidence destroyed and the investigation dropped, the dark history of Galerías Pacífico never got much attention. The case reemerged in 1994 though, when Portuguese TV cameraman, Arturo Santana came to film a publicity spot for the shopping mall. He had previously testified that while working in Buenos Aires in 1976 he was hooded, handcuffed, kidnapped off the street and forced into a Ford Falcon (the favored car of the military regime) and taken to a dank basement somewhere downtown for five days. Although he tried to repress the memory, he recalled some details such as being incarcerated with a Spaniard, an Italian and an Argentine from Cordoba.

When he returned to Buenos Aires with his crew to film the mall, he took the escalator to the lower level at Galerías Pacífico and started to get a strange feeling. As he peered behind the camera he recognized distinct — and distantly familiar — tiles on the floor and suddenly became weak. It was the same place where he was detained in 1976 before being transported to another torture camp.

Others who were detained and later regained freedom: Miguel Lamotta, Miguel Ángel Prado and Juan Carlos Comínguez never knew where they were being held at the time either, since the modus operandus of the military was to blindfold detainees at the moment of their capture.

Santana told Pagina 12 that he wishes there was at least a plaque to acknowledge what happened here. He told the newspaper, “It’s an emblematic building where people stroll at ease, they eat, they drink, they laugh, that is, they enjoy a paradise of consumption when down there it was hell.”

The shopping center has no interest in highlighting this part of the beautiful building’s history but some say that at night in the basement of Galerías Pacíficos, when the crowds are gone, cold drafts will overtake visitors and they can feel the sad, heavy presence of those who were presumed to lose their life in the now-lively shopping mecca.

→ Read Haunted Buenos Aires Part II

→ Read about the Ghosts of the Buenos Aires Subway

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