Buenos Aires Neighbourhoods: Retiro

Retiro is a barrio (district) in Buenos Aires, noted for its train and bus terminals, and its high-end shopping and residences. Retiro is a popular residential area for Buenos Aire’s upper-class families and expatriate executives.

Plaza San Martín (map) is probably the most beautiful downtown plaza in Buenos Aires, especially in early November when the brilliant purple jacaranda trees are in bloom. 

Enormous centennial leafy trees predominate, with a glorious monument to the national hero General José de San Martín (map) on the northwest side opposite the magnificent Palacio San Martín (now the Foreign Ministry building)(map). The plaza is so big that is actually a park. It is located in the middle of a very busy area, but when you take a seat under the foliage, the city noises cannot be heard.

The plaza is surrounded by grand palaces of bygone land barons (now with new tenants) such as el Palacio San Martín, el Círculo Militar, the National Park building and the Marriot Plaza Hotel. The Edificio Kavanagh towers (map) is located over the southern edge.

The Malvinas Monument (map) is on the east side. Being a reminiscent of the Vietnam Memorial in Washington DC, the monument to the Fallen of the Malvinas War of 1982 pays homage to those Argentine soldiers who died on the nonsensical conflict. Granite blocks below note the different Argentine provinces and 25 black marble plaques above have the names inscribed. Members of the different branches of the Argentine armed forces take turns guarding the monument (two weeks per unit, two hours per duty shift). Like in Washington DC, you will witness the grief of relatives as they remember their loved ones lost in a conflict described by Jorge Luis Borges as ‘two bald men fighting over a comb’.

Retiro train station (map), across from Plaza San Martín, is one of Argentina’s busiest railway stations. There are three lines: Mitre, Belgrano, and San Martín. The station was opened in 1915 and was designed by Eustace L. Conder, Roger Conder and Sydney G. Follet. The steel structure for the building was made in Liverpool, England, and re-assembled in Argentina. For many years it was considered to be the most important example of structural engineering in South America and architecturally one of the finest buildings in the world. In 1997 it was declared a National Monument.

La Torre Monumental (map)(The Clock Tower) (formerly known as Torre de los Ingleses), opposite the station, was given as a donation by the Buenos Aires’ British community in 1916. It is 76 meters high and you can visit it Thursday to Sunday 12:00-19:00. Avoid the area around the station when the sun is going down…. it’s really dangerous!

Retiro is home to a number of five star hotels, including the Four Seasons, Sofitel Buenos Aires, and the Marriott Plaza.

Photo credit: Denise Mayumi on Flickr and Planeteye