El Caminito

Whenever you see pictures of brightly colored houses on postcards and photographs of Buenos Aires, you’re looking at what has become one of the symbols of the city - La Boca. It is a blue-collar and rough area, but its main tourist attraction, El Caminito (the little walk), brings countless tourists with their cameras in tow. During the mid-19th century, La Boca was home to Spanish and Italian immigrants who settled along the River Riachuelo. After painting the barges along the river, the immigrants would splash any leftover paint on the metallic sides of their houses, giving the area the look it is known for today. El Caminito is the area’s most famous street, and it is filled with craft fairs, restaurants, sidewalk cafes and tango dancers (the street is named after a well-known tango song). It is important to note that you should not wander off El Caminito, as Boca can be dangerous in certain areas. Don’t stray from the river front or the tourist areas, especially if you’re carrying expensive equipment and/or visible jewelry. The only other site worth noting outside El Caminito is La Bombonera stadium, where the beloved Boca Juniors soccer team play.