La Boca is one of Buenos Aires’s 48 barrios or neighborhoods. It is located at the southeastern part of the city, near the old port in the mouth (boca in Spanish) of the Rio de la Plata. Nearby barrios are Barracas in the west, and San Telmo and Puerto Madero to the north. Many of the district’s residents are of European descent. This is because the old port was where the Italian, Spanish, Basque, French, and German immigrants arrived.
Inside La Boca, one will feel as if they had stepped back in time as the neighborhood still retains its Genoese look with traditional colorful wooden houses. While some inhabitants still spoke the Genoese dialect in the late 20th century, use of the dialect has been in recent decline. Presently, La Boca is part artist colony and part working class neighborhood.
Tourists visiting Buenos Aires always make a point to visit La Boca. The colorful houses, pedestrian-friendly walkways, little shops and restaurants make for a pleasant day of sightseeing and shopping. The street of Caminito is the center of tourist activity in the barrio, and of particular interest for people who are into the dancing the tango. Here, tango artists perform in the many tango clubs found on the street. Tango-related memorabilia is sold in most shops.
Aside from tango, La Boca is also the home of the Boca Juniors, one of Argentina’s biggest soccer teams. To experience the unique flavor of an Argentine soccer match, grab a ticket and watch the games at the La Boca soccer stadium, La Bombonera.
For those who are more into art than sports, there is the Fine Arts Museum of La Boca. It is also called the Museo de Bellas Artes Quinquela Martin as it used to be the residence and studio of the artist.