For the rest of the world, Buenos Aires is all about meaty steaks, glasses overflowing with Malbec, and swinging to tango. But only a true-blue shopper would know that the Argentinian capital is a shopping paradise. Like any decent city that knows how to do shopping right, there are plenty of independent boutiques, designer dens, and malls but ask any porteno where she shops and she’ll take you to a market! Buenos Aires boasts of some amazing outdoor, covered, and street markets. Don’t expect to find ‘Che Guevara’ t-shirts or designer knock-offs in these ferias. There are strict rules against that! So, when in Buenos Aires, hit a local market and let it surprise you with its produce and infectious fun vibe. Wondering which markets to head to? Here are four to begin with.
Feria de San Telmo
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Loud, colorful, rambunctious and vibrant, Feria de San Telmo is everything you’d imagine a Latin American market to be, only it’s much better! One of the city’s oldest neighborhoods once home to dockers and bricklayers, San Telmo today is a bohemian hub. Come Sunday, the area becomes a venue for a lively feria. This 300-stall market is so huge, you better be wearing your walking shoes. At the market’s heart are food stalls and surrounding them is a world of jewelry, antiques, colored glass seltzer bottles, funky lights, vintage posters, gramophones and other cool retro bric-a-brac. And in the midst of all this, there are tango dancers and musicians giving impromptu performances! Mind you, it gets pretty crowded with 10,000 people flocking here each Sunday!
Where: Plaza Dorrego and along Calle Defensa, San Telmo.
When: 10am to 4pm on every Sunday
Feria de Recoleta (Feria de Artesanos)
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On any weekday, Recoleta is a quiet residential neighborhood known for its luxury shopping hub – Avenida Alvear, a few posh hotels and the famous Recoleta cemetery. The scene is completely different on weekends when a funky market complete with live performances is set up adjacent to the cemetery. At first glance Feria de Recoleta seems more like a fancy art fair than a weekend market. Here, you’ll find the city’s finest artisan wares. Come prepared to splurge on colorful fire enameled crockery, handmade shoes, clothes, jewelry, leather goods, carved mate cups, and more. Where there’s a market, there are food vendors. Make sure to grab some choripans (chorizo sandwiches) that are famous here.
Where: Plaza Francia, near Recolata Cemetry, Recolata
When: 11am to 8pm on every weekend
Feria de Mataderos
Much like Feria de San Telmo, Feria de Mataderos is chaotic, loud, energetic, and Argentinian to the core. Although it takes quite a trek from the city center to reach this market in Buenos Aires far western suburbs, this is where you’ll get to experience local culture at its best. More like a fair, less like a market, you’ll be entertained by traditional folk music and dancing, game stalls and even a gaucho horse riding competition. The market is packed with food stalls dishing out the best of dulce de leche liqueur, cheese, empanadas, cured meats, and tamales. As for shopping, you can get your hands on authentic South American souvenirs including flutes, colorful rugs, clothes, jewelry, ceramics, ashtrays made from horse hooves, leather goods and much more.
Where: Av. Lisandro de la Torre y Av. de los Corrales in Matederos
When: 11am to 8pm on Sundays (April to December), and 6pm to midnight on Saturdays (January to March)
Feria de Plaza Serrano
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Held in Buenos Aires’s coolest bohemian areas, Palermo Soho, Feria de Plaza Serrano is much smaller than other markets in the city. So, what makes this market worth a visit? It’s hippie vendors and artisans and their handmade quirkiness. Take your credit card for a spin and get your hands on some funky clothes by up-and-coming designers, paintings, jewelry, handbags, and all things boho. Coming back empty handed is just not an option. When the shopping tires you, head to one of the many cafes in this area.
Where: Plaza Serrano, Palermo Soho, Buenos Aires
When: 2pm to 8pm on Saturdays and Sundays
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Tags: Argentina Buenos Aires Culture Markets
