An Excursion To South America: 22. That Colorful Walk At Caminito, La Boca

One of my favourite places in Buenos Aires is La Boca.  I don't mind the fact that it is a little commercialized and touristy as that is offset by its culture which is unique and ambiance that is really vibrant. Strolling along its famous street to admire its artistic buildings and observing the lifestyle of its residents was indeed enlightening and that stroll must have been the most colorful that I have ever experienced. 

The two main attractions of La Boca are its  football stadium, La Bombonera which interests me not and Caminito which I simply adore!  La Boca's popularity is mainly attributed to Caminito without which it is just a banal neighborhood that has even gained notoriety for criminal activities. Bearing this in mind when visiting La Boca, visitors should never wander off the tourist strip by themselves!

Caminito

Caminito, the famous artist street of La Boca, is located in the vicinity of a disused railway track. When the rail line stopped operating in 1954, Caminito turned into a landfill and became an eyesore. For the love of art and his neighborhood, a local La Boca artist, Benito Quinquela Martín decided to organize an outdoor art exhibition space devoted to artists and craftsmen at this dilapidated street. Caminito was spruced up and slowly recreated. That noble work which started in the 1950s has made Caminito a top tourist attraction in Buenos Aires today.

Caminito can also be considered an open-air street museum as each and every building on this street is like a piece of artwork exuding an aesthetic charm that people like me can truly appreciate. This corner building for instance has become one of the most popular subject for photography along the colorful Caminito.  

Caminito is a pedestrianized street. Though it is less than 100 meters in length, it is full of character, life and energy. 

The number of colors on the facade of this building alone is about 10 but fortunately 'gaudy' is not the right adjective to describe it.

Very interesting murals and artistic displays can be seen along the street.

All the buildings are a clever blend of bold colors making the entire street very lively and animated.

Another very interesting feature seen along Caminito are live sized  figurines which are planted on roofs, balconies, windows and entrances of restaurants and shops.

Merchandise sold in shops and by street vendors are also worth taking a look at. Many items are specially made to depict the local culture of La Boca. The things could be a little pricey but window shopping is always free.

Street musicians add vibrancy to the place as they belted out their favorite tunes. 

A strong tango culture is obvious in Caminito. Tango music filled the street and tango dancers can be seen dancing outside cafes and restaurants to entertain patrons and to attract customers to their f&b outlets. I got to know that Buenos Aires is the birth place of tango music and the sensuous tango dance which has become popular worldwide originated from the brothels of this city. Another fun fact I discovered is the prostitutes were the first people who danced the tango.

Murals with tango dancers, tango-related memorabilia and souvenirs can be found in abundance along this street.

The colours of Caminito have spilled over to other neighboring streets in La Boca. Seen here is the disused track at the end of Caminito, along Garibaldi street. 

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