San Telmo and National Historical Museum

San Telmo is well known as one of Buenos Aires’ more colorful districts, its narrow cobblestone streets and old colonial style buildings home to numerous art studios and interesting galleries. The area is also popular for its cafs, tango parlors, and boutique shops and is a delight to explore, particularly during the San Telmo Sunday Fair (Feria de San Telmo), an antiques fair that draws crowds of eager shoppers and sightseers alike.

The biggest attraction in San Telmo, though, is the excellent National Historical Museum (Museo Histórico Nacional) with its displays relating to the history of Argentina. All told, the museum houses more than 50,000 artifacts, the most important being its collection of paintings by Cándido López, a forerunner of contemporary primitive painting. Another museum of interest is theBernardino Rivadavia Natural Sciences Museum, opened in 1826 and now boasting 13 exhibition halls bursting with displays of Argentinian flora and fauna, along with an on-site aquarium.