Buenos Aires Plaza San Martín And Surroundings

The heart of Retiro, beautiful Plaza San Martín draws tourists and porteños to its palm tree-shaded paths and grassy expanses for relaxing strolls, romantic rendezvous, and picnics. Designed, like everything else in the city, by Carlos Thays , the Plaza focuses on a bronze equestrian statue of General José de San Martín, the liberator, Argentina’s most important independence hero. Downhill, on the northern side of the Plaza, is the less obtrusive Monumento a los Héroes de las Malvinas, a monument dedicated to the soldiers who died in the Falklands War against Britain . For Jorge Luis Borges fanatics, just a block from the park’s southern side, at Maipú 974, is the author’s last residence, though there isn’t much to see; look for a commemorativeplaque on the wall of the nondescript apartment building. (S San Martín. )

Palacio Paz. On the southern edge of the Plaza is one of BA’s most spectacular palaces. Built between 1902 and 1914 for José Paz, a wealthy sugar baron and founder of the newspaper La Prensa, it would be the country’s largest residence—alas, it shed its residence status long ago due to prohibitive living expense. Paz, who had been promised Argentina’s presidency, wanted a grand edifice whose exterior resembled Paris’ Louvre. Unfortunately, he died in 1912, before he could see the building finished or become president. By the end of the 1930s, Paz’s family could no longer afford to keep the house and sold it to the Círculo Militar, which keeps a portion of the palace open to the public. Tours visit a selection of the palace’s impressively lavish rooms, which are decorated in artistic styles ranging from breathtaking Gothic to Baroque to Empire and even include a small version of Versailles’ Hall of Mirrors. The roster of ridiculously opulent rooms also includes a hunting-themed dining hall and the epic Hall of Honor, which is decked out in eight kinds of marble and topped off by a large dome. The building also hosts the Círculo Militar’s Museo de Armas , a museum focusing on the history of weapons. (S San Martín. Sante Fe 750. ☎4311 1071. Guided Spanish-language tours Tu and F 11am and 3pm, W-Th 11am, 3, 4pm, Sa 11am. AR$15. Guided English-language tours Tu 4pm, Th 4:15pm. AR$25.)

Palacio San Martín. Built between 1905 and 1909 for Mercedes Castellanos de Anchorea, a leading member of one of Argentina’s wealthiest and most influential families, Palacio San Martín, located just off the western edge of Plaza San Martín, is not quite as impressive as Palacio Paz—but it’s just as beautiful and in even better condition. When the family lost its fortune in the Great Depression, they sold the palace to the government, which now uses the building for state functions and boring offices. Fortunately, much of the palace, which is actually composed of three separate buildings joined by a grand courtyard and entryway, remains open to the public. Tours visit the extravagant interior, including a variety of massive rooms decorated with stunning draperies, stained glass, ironwork, and even some of the original furniture. There’s even a small museum that displays a variety of pre-Columbian artifacts, though the axe heads, ceramics, and stone figures seem slightly out of place with the rest of the palace. (S San Martín. Arenales 761. ☎4819 8092. Tours in English and Spanish Tu and Th 2:30pm. Free.)

Basílica Del Santísimo Sacramento And Edificio Kavanagh. Hidden almost completely from sight by the surrounding skyscrapers, the beautiful Basílica del Santísimo Sacramento was built between 1908 and 1916 by the wealthy Mercedes Castellanos de Anchorena. Inspired by Parisian churches, the lavish, sometimes colorful, interior incorporates several types of marble and stone as well as delicate stained glass, intricate tile floors, carved wood, and beautiful glass lighting. Though the massive marble altarpiece is likely the church’s most captivating feature, every bit of the interior seems to be decorated; even the crypt, where Anchorena is entombed, is almost as lavish as the sanctuary. It’s a simply stunning example of Buenos Aires architecture. (San Martín 1039. S San Martín. ☎4311 0391. Open daily 6:30am-8pm. Free.) At Florida 1065 and directly in front of the basílica is the Edificio Kavanagh, a concrete, Art Deco eyesore built by Corina Kavanagh, a wealthy rival of Anchorena. When the fashionable residence was constructed in 1935, it was the tallest in South America. There’s a little history behind the building connected to the Kavanagh-Anchorena rivalry with a Romeo and Juliet twist (minus the tragic deaths at the conclusion). Supposedly, back in the day, one of Corina’s daughters fell in love with one of the Anchorena sons. However, the Anchorena family disapproved of the relationship. As revenge, Corina supposedly built the Edificio Kavanagh to block the Anchorena’s view of the Basílica del Santísimo Sacramento from their home, Palacio San Martín , on the opposite side of the Plaza. Of course, a large fence would have worked, but Kavanagh had no interest in cutting corners.

Torre De Los Ingleses. Just north of Plaza San Martín lies the rather desolate Plaza Fuerza Aérea Argentina (Argentine Air Force Plaza), once known as the Plaza Británica, but renamed following the Falklands War with Britain. From the surrounding area it’s hard to miss the Torre de Los Ingleses, a 76m-high “miniature” of London’s Big Ben which stands in the middle of the Plaza and was a gift from Buenos Aires’ British community in 1916. Ironically, the tower was also a target of their bombs in 1982, when the Argentine government futilely attempted to rename it. Though closed at the time of writing, it is usually possible to climb to the top of the tower, which offers excellent views of the city that fortunately overlook the trash and graffiti at the base. (S San Martín.)