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The biggest barrio in Buenos Aires without question is Palermo. It’s so big, it’s broken into sub-districts. Most of Palermo is a residential district, but if you like outdoor recreation or a relaxing walk in a park, then this is a good place for you to visit.
Parque Tres de Febrero
Parque Tres de Febrero is the largest public park in Buenos Aires. It was once the property of the dictator of Buenos Aires Province, Juan Manuel de Rosas. After he was sent into exile on February 3, 1852, the property became public land. Work began to redesign the park in 1874.
Parque Tres de Febrero has a small lake with paddle boats and a few monuments scattered around. There were also several runners and bikers taking advantage of the paths. The Japanese Garden (Jardín Japonés), the largest of its kind outside of Japan, and the Buenos Aires Zoo, are both located on park property. I didn’t have time to visit either, but I would like to have seen the Japanese Garden.
At the intersection of Avenida del Libertador and Avenida Sarmiento, two large streets that cut through the park, there is an interesting monument. The Monument to the Magna Carta and Four Regions of Argentina (Monumento a La Carta Magna y las Cuatro Regiones Argentinas) was built in 1910 and, not surprisingly, commemorates the Magna Carta and the four regions of Argentina. It’s commonly known as the Monument to the Spanish (Monumento de los Españoles) You can also find the Bosch Palace (Palacio Bosch), which is the residence of the US Ambassador to Argentina. It was built in 1910.
Plaza Italia
To get to Parque Tres de Febrero, I used the Subte at Plaza Italia and walked down Avenida Sarmiento. In the center of Plaza Italia is a monument to Giuseppe Garibaldi.
King Fahd Islamic Cultural Center
The largest mosque in South America is located on Avenida Bullrich north of Parque Tres de Febrero. King Fahd Islamic Cultural Center (Centro Cultural Islámico Rey Fahd), opened in 2000, has a prayer hall for over 1,000. The complex also boasts a sports center, Arabic and Islamic school, library, gardens, and fountains. There are tours on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays at noon, otherwise it’s closed to the public.
Argentine Polo Grounds
Continuing north along Avenida del Libertador, there are two important sporting landmarks of Buenos Aires. The first one, on the south side of the road, are the Argentine Polo Grounds (Campo Argentino de Polo de Palermo). They opened in 1928, and the stadium has a capacity of 45,000. There’s also a large polo field next to the stadium.
Argentine Hippodrome
Across from the polo grounds is the Argentine Hippodrome (Hipódromo Argentino de Palermo). It opened in 1876 with a 2,400 meter track and has a capacity of 100,000. The photo is of the Carlos Pellegrini Tribune (Tribuna Carlos Pellegrini).
