Last updated on December 20, 2023.

Retiro is centered around Plaza San Martín, an impeccably landscaped park just to the north of the city center of Buenos Aires. The plaza is a great place to sit and people watch under the shade of tall trees.

Plaza San Martín in Retiro, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Center of Plaza San Martín
Plaza San Martín in Retiro, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Wide path through Plaza San Martín

 

Plaza San Martín

Plaza San Martín also contains a couple of monuments. There is an equestrian statue of General José de San Martín, and on the lower part down the hill, the Monument to the Fallen in the Falklands (Monumento a los Caídos en Malvinas). This is a memorial for the 649 soldiers killed in the 1982 war with Britain over the Falkland Islands (Las Malvinas).

General José de San Martín statue in Retiro, Buenos Aires, Argentina
General José de San Martín statue
Monumento a los Caídos en Malvinas in Retiro, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Monument to the Fallen in the Falklands

 

Kavanagh Building

Retiro is a wealthy district and the architecture of the buildings surrounding Plaza San Martín reflect this wealth. The large Art Deco concrete structure, the Kavanagh Building (Edificio Kavanagh), was built in 1935. It was once South America’s tallest building and the tallest in the world made of reinforced concrete.

Edificio Kavanagh in Retiro, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Kavanagh Building

The building was built by a rich Argentinian woman of Irish descent, Corina Kavanagh. Legend has it that she built it as revenge against another wealthy family, the Anchorenas, that had disapproved of her engagement with their son. The Anchorenas had built a church in Retiro, and Kavanagh built the skyscraper to block the Anchorenas’ view of their church from their palace across Plaza San Martín.

Edificio Kavanagh in Retiro, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Kavanagh Building

The church in question is the Basilica of the Blessed Sacrament (Basílica del Santísimo Sacramento), built in 1916. It can be found just a block behind the Kavanagh Building.

Basílica del Santísimo Sacramento in Retiro, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Basilica of the Blessed Sacrament

 

Calle Florida

Continuing clockwise around Plaza San Martín from Edificio Kavanagh is the beginning of the famous pedestrian street, Calle Florida. Calle Florida continues all the way to Plaza de Mayo and is full of shops.

Calle Florida in Retiro, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Calle Florida

 

Haedo Palace

Next is the Haedo Palace (Palacio Haedo), built in 1880 for the Haedo family. They made their fortune exporting meat. The national park service occupies the building today.

Palacio Haedo in Retiro, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Haedo Palace

 

Paz Palace

Built in 1914, Paz Palace (Palacio Paz) is part officer’s club (Círculo Militar) and part military museum. The National Weapons Museum (Museo de Armas de la Nación), is Argentina’s national military museum and has an interesting collection of weapons. It’s worth a visit and admission is cheap.

Palacio Paz in Retiro, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Paz Palace

 

San Martín Palace

The aforementioned Anchorena family lived at the San Martín Palace (Palacio San Martín), directly across the plaza from the Kavanagh Building. The building was finished in 1909 and now houses the Ministry of Foreign Relations.

Palacio San Martín in Retiro, Buenos Aires, Argentina
San Martín Palace

 

Monumental Tower

On the north end of Plaza San Martín is a large clock tower, Monumental Tower (Torre Monumental). Built in 1916, it was originally known as the Tower of the English (Torre de los Ingleses). Its official name was changed to Monumental Tower after the 1982 war with Britain. There’s a small museum inside, but visitors were not allowed up to the observation deck during my visit.

Torre de los Ingleses in Retiro, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Monumental Tower
Torre de los Ingleses in Retiro, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Monumental Tower

 

Retiro Station

Across the street from the tower is Retiro Station (Estación Retiro). This train station built in 1915 is one of the busiest in all of Argentina.

Estación Retiro in Retiro, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Retiro Station
Estación Retiro in Retiro, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Retiro Station

 

Villa 31

While Retiro is known as a wealthy district full of impressive buildings and five star hotels, it should be noted that a portion of it is one of the poorest slums in all of Argentina. Villa 31, an area that should not be visited, is located just across the tracks from Retiro Station. You can get a good look at it from the highway that cuts through it.

Villa 31 near Retiro, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Villa 31

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Owner of Paisadventure. World traveler. Chicago sports lover. Living in Colombia.

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