I have never been one for visiting cemeteries, but Buenos Aires’s Cementerio de la Recoleta has me rethinking that stance. I was surprised how much there was to discover in this most somber of places.
Recoleta is vast, with tons of little passages to peek around and seemingly more to discover around every corner. There are big tombs and small ones, tombs topped with statues, tombs that are immaculately maintained and adorned with flowers, and tombs that seem forgotten with time, ensconced in cobwebs. There’s much to see here, and it’s easy to while away a lot of time peeking through the cemetery’s many nooks and crannies.
The cemetery is known for housing Eva Peron’s tomb and, like a diligent tourist, I made my way there. This was something of a challenge, as her tomb is not well-marked and easy to miss (make sure you have a guidebook or directions in hand). Her tomb was, in truth, a bit nondescript compared to many of the other tombs there, but still worth seeing.
Though it feels weird to dub a cemetery a “must see,” Recoleta is definitely one of Buenos Aires’s can’t miss attractions. Its peaceful, time-worn beauty is something special.
2 thoughts on “Buenos Aires: The Strange, Serene Beauty of Recoleta Cemetery”