The Travel Chica

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The Worst Tourist Trap in Buenos Aires

By

Without further ado…. it’s El Caminito.

Okay, I know there are probably plenty of people who enjoyed an afternoon walking through El Caminito or a nice lunch at one of the overpriced restaurants.  I am not against going to touristy places.  After all, there is a reason those places attract tourists.  I wanted to see it and photograph the colorful buildings.

Goal achieved, and here is the proof.

Photo of El Caminito

Photo of La Boca El Caminito

After about 5 minutes, I told my companion we had to leave.

The very tiny area that makes up El Caminito is filled with restaurant hawks.  You know which ones I’m talking about.  The guys that will not let you walk past without shoving a flyer in your face and telling you why you should eat at their restaurant.  Apparently, they do not care that, “No tenemos hambre.”  I cannot imagine how much I would hate this place on a weekend.

But there was a bright side.

I like to explore neighborhoods for lesser-known sites of interest.  I had done my research and knew that the La Boca Volunteer Fire Department was not too far from El Caminito.

So we packed away our cameras in discreet bags, zipped our pockets, and started walking with a purpose through the streets of La Boca.  We only had to walk about 5 blocks to arrive at our destination.  In that short space, I saw gorgeous historical homes, bright colors painted on walls and window frames, and some really cool graffiti.  And none of it was “put on” for the tourists. 

This was the real neighborhood.  I cannot show you any of this because there was no way my D-SLR was going to come out of my bag in this part of La Boca.  You will just have to take my word for it.

My point is this:  Don’t be completely afraid to explore the less tourist-friendly areas.

You still have to be smart.  I was with a friend.  It was the middle of the afternoon.  We asked a local woman for directions and if it was safe to walk.  She gave us directions, and said it’s “tranquilo.”

For our simple walk off the beaten path, I was rewarded with exactly what I hoped to find at the fire station, as well as the cheapest bakery I have found in Buenos Aires.

La Boca Volunteer Fire Department

Photo at La Boca fire department

Photo of antique fire station

We stopped at la dorita for a snack
This ham and cheese croissant was only US$1!

Photo of delicious ham & cheese croissants

and we just had to buy dessert for later

Photo of giant piece of cake

Photo of chocolate-covered confections

I think I might be returning to the ghetto for some fresh bread and sweets…. with only $5 in my pocket and a friend for backup of course :-)

Okay, I know there are probably plenty of people who enjoyed an afternoon walking through El Caminito or a nice lunch at one of the overpriced restaurants. I am not against going to touristy places. After all, there is a reason those places attract tourists. I wanted to see it and photograph the colorful buildings.

Goal achieved, and here is the proof.

After about 5 minutes, I told my companion we had to leave. The very tiny area that makes up El Caminito is filled with restaurant hawks. You know which ones I’m talking about. The guys that will not let you walk past without shoving a flyer in your face and telling you why you should eat at their restaurant. Apparently, they do not care that, “No tenemos hambre.”

I cannot imagine how much I would hate this place on a weekend afternoon. But there was a bright side. I like to explore neighborhoods for lesser-known sites of interest. I had done my research and knew that the La Boca Volunteer Fire Department was not too far from El Caminito.

So we packed away our cameras in discreet bags, zipped our pockets, and started walking with a purpose through the streets of La Boca. We only had to walk about 5 blocks to arrive at our destination. In that short space, I saw gorgeous historical homes, bright colors painted on walls and window frames, and some really cool graffiti. And none of it was “put on” for the tourists. This was the real neighborhood. I cannot show you any of this because there was no way my D-SLR was going to come out of my bag in this part of La Boca. You will just have to take my word for it.

My point is this. Don’t be completely afraid to explore the less tourist-friendly areas.

You still have to be smart. I was with a friend. It was the middle of the afternoon. We asked a local woman for directions and if it was safe to walk. She gave us directions, and said it’s “tranquilo.”

For our simple walk off the beaten path, I was rewarded with exactly what I hoped to find at the fire station, as well as the cheapest bakery I have found in Buenos Aires. I did manage to discreetly snap some photos of my delightful discoveries in La Boca.

INSERT PHOTOS OF FIRE DEPT

INSERT PHOTOS OF DELICIOUS FOOD

I think I might be returning to the ghetto for some fresh bread and sweets.

Comments

  1. So it is that bad in parts of Buenos Aires – is that a large area? Is it a dangerous city overall, would you say? I have never been to Argentina, though I have been to most other countries in S. America.

    Excellent food photos – they look good enough to eat…

    In my mind’s eye I can see a confluence of the firemen’s axes and the mannequins leaning out of Caminito – and with them brandishing the axes.
    David from Quillcards recently posted..Six Angles To Shoot London

  10. When i went to Boca with Carla , the Brazilian girl , we saw a guy getting punched in the face by two guys. He was crying and got punched again. The argument was about money and they were all low life’s. There was a police officer nearby and he didn’t do a thing about it, he just walked over very very slowly with his hands in his pockets. It was very funny to look at. When the police officer got closer they left the poor guy alone and walked off.
    I must see i liked the area although a tourist trap indeed. The Boca juniors stadium is a must see for every football fan.

    • What a lovely experience in the ‘hood. I actually did walk around the stadium when I was here in 2009, and a police officer saw me and asked me what I was doing there. He was very concerned and told me to get in a taxi and leave.

    • There was another time I went to La Boca to eat at a parrilla. Took the bus alone at night. Had to walk about 6 blocks through completely sketchy deserted streets. Not my smartest move. We took a taxi out of there.

    • Did the tango dancers what you to tip them for the photo? When I was here in 2009, I also walked from San Telmo to La Boca not realizing it was a bad idea. When I was in Parque Lezama, a man came up to me and told me to put my camera away immediately because of the “chicos peligrosos.”

  13. Great post about Buenos Aires. Even though I have never been there, I do agree there are tourist traps. I also find that if you go off the beaten path, you can find really nice restaurants where you feel more like a local than a tourist. I like the ending of your post with food. Makes me hungry just looking at them. The pictures of the colorful houses are awesome. Pictures of the colorful houses are awesome too!
    senafp recently posted..History on The Statue of Liberty

  14. Hiiiii,
    I liked all the CLICKS which you have posted…..they were just awesome,And i really appreciate your perception about tourism…..This is a type of adventure to find something really eye catching at such kind of non-listed places,see how beautifully you have presented that place through your photographs……Even now i also wanna visit Buenos Aires.
    manish2010 recently posted..Learn About How To Plan Your Dream “Kitchen” In Your Budget

  15. That ham croissant looks so good. I literally started salivating when I looked at the picture.

    It’s also a good point you make about touristy places. While there are tons of great places in every country that are lesser-known, the well-known spots are obviously famous for a reason.

    Thanks for the post.
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  16. Interesting that you are so courageous to travel to these spots at all. I had heard so much danger about cities in Brazil and muggings that I was surprise the Olympics will be there. How will they keep everyone safe?

    The danger has been there for over 20 years when someone I know went and was mugged. Hard to know where to travel safely.

    You are being daring and we are getting terrific stories from that
    eileen ludwig recently posted..Best Breakfast Universal City Walk Pastamore Orlando

    • I have heard mixed things about Brazil as well, but I’ve met several travelers who say it’s wonderful. I have found that capital cities or really any large city is usually more dangerous than the rest of the country. Buenos Aires is safe compared to other capitals, but you just have to be careful and find out where you need to be careful and where you shouldn’t go at all.

  20. Great post – it’s so true that going off of the beaten track a little bit can be daunting, but rewarding!
    I love the shots of the food – beautiful and mouth watering :)
    I’ve never been to Buenos Aires, South America is next on my travel list, so this is helpful :)

    I’ve added you to our Blogroll, I know our traveling community will enjoy your blog!
    Savannah, iStopOver Community Manager recently posted..Summer Is Here! How Are You Spending It

  21. That cake looks so delicious!! I want it! Badly! What is it called? I wonder if I can find that type of cake in the US…

    I try to strike a balance between going to touristy places and trying to discover some local places when travelling. The former a little more when it’s a quick trip and/or I have very limited time and/or have never been to that place before and the latter a little more when I stay longer and/or have been there before :) Being a tourist can be fun sometimes, but the local finds are the one I usually get more excited about.
    Sabrina recently posted..A Hacked Skype Account – The Problem with Automatic Recharge

    • I have no clue what it is called, but those layers are filled with dulce de leche. I have only found dulce de leche to be so commonly consumed in Argentina and Uruguay.

      I totally agree with you on finding that balance when traveling. I am enjoying my long time in Buenos Aires so much because I am able to do a lot of both.
      The Travel Chica recently posted..A Museum Worth a Trip to the ‘Hood

  24. Usually whenever I arrive in a new town, the first few days I walk everywhere. That way I can find all the beautiful sites that most tourist don’t see. Some days I walk from one destination to the next and it takes over 5 hours, but I’ll know the city almost better than the locals. 😀
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