The Best Weekend Markets in Buenos Aires

A random assortment of antiques at the San Telmo market
A random assortment of antiques at the San Telmo market | © LWYang/Flickr
Sorcha O'Higgins

Buenos Aires is a city that comes alive in the outdoors. Argentines are very active and love to use the parks and plazas to chat, hang out, work out and simply enjoy being outside. So naturally the parks are busiest at weekend, but that’s not just because of people’s love for the city; it’s also because of the many amazing weekend markets on offer. Let’s check out the best ones.

San Telmo Feria

Market

San Telmo Feria
© David Long/Flickr

San Telmo Feria

Held on Sundays, the San Telmo feria is the city’s biggest and best outdoor market, drawing a reported 12,000 visitors every week, making it the biggest street market in the country, if not the continent. Running all along one of San Telmo’s main streets, Defensa, the market sells everything from leather goods to antiques, and second hand clothes to artisan wares. Make sure to check out the permanent covered market on Bolivar and Carlos Calvo for some unique local fare that can’t be found anywhere else. If you have space and aren’t worried about weight, bring home a traditional glass sifon, commonly used to served soda water in restaurants.

San Telmo, Buenos Aires, Argentina

Parque Centenario

Market

Parque Centenario

Parque Centenario is a neighbourhood park that was built for the centenary of Argentina’s revolution in 1910, and is a circular park smack bang in the middle of the city. Its layout lends itself to a market, and at weekends the road around the park is rammed with stalls selling cheap electrical goods, household items, and random treasures unearthed from someone’s basement. There are a number of very good second hand clothes stalls, and at the Diaz Velez entrance you can adopt a pet, as many people bring stray animals to the park to find them a good home. Relax for a while in the park and look at the circus performers practicing on their day off.

Parque Centenario, Av. Díaz Vélez, Buenos Aires, Argentina

Plaza Francia

Market

Plaza Francia
© Beatrice Murch/Flickr

Plaza Francia

This market is a good spot to go to if you want to kill a few birds with one stone, as it is located right beside the famous Recoleta cemetery, the Recoleta Cultural Centre and the Buenos Aires Design centre. This market is the haunt of craftsmen who sell their handmade goods here, and is one of the best for jewellery in the city, as well as ceramics and textiles. Stick around for the quirky performers, and bring some mate to enjoy with friends on the grass overlooking the park below.

Plaza Francia, Av. del Libertador & Av. Pueyrredón, Buenos Aires, Argentina

Parque Lezama

Market

Parque Lezama

On the threshold between San Telmo and La Boca, Parque Lezama is more low key than the San Telmo feria but has its devout followers nonetheless. Smaller and more accessible than its San Telmo neighbour, this market also benefits from a beautiful setting in the charmingly landscaped Parque Lezama, if you can manage to forget about the traffic on the road below. Bring a rug and lie underneath one of the many trees before perusing the stalls at your leisure.

Parque Lezama, C1143 Buenos Aires, Argentina

Plaza Serrano

Restaurant

Plaza Serrano

One of the more touristy weekend markets, Plaza Serrano is in the heart of Palermo Soho surrounded by bars and restaurant, meaning it is often pretty full at weekends. The goods on offer are pretty similar to those available in San Telmo, minus the antiques and second-hand goods, but their price tags are significantly higher. Good for souvenirs and browsing, but save yourself for San Telmo if you want to save on pennies too.

Plaza Serrano, Honduras y Serrano, CABA, Argentina

Parque Rivadavia

Market

Parque Rivadavia
© Beatrice Murch/Flickr

Parque Rivadavia

Although fairly self-contained at the side of the park itself, the market at Parque Rivadavia in the residential Caballito neighbourhood spills out onto the avenue in front, where sellers tack their magazines, DVDs and books to the railings, or sell knock-off sporting goods and plants on the sidewalk. Anyone who is a fan of bookshop trawling will feel right at home in this market: Argentine’s never throw anything out, so you can find some real gems in here, from 1950s magazines to limited edition books. If you know what you look for, you can find some real prizes here. Be sure to bargain if you plan on buying a few things, as you can get the sellers down considerably.

Parque Rivadavia, Av Rivadavia 4800, C1424CEQ CABA, Argentina, +54 11 6624 7326

culture trip left arrow
 culture trip brand logo

Volcanic Iceland Epic Trip

meet our Local Insider

Hanna

women sitting on iceberg

HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN A GUIDE?

2 years.

WHAT DO YOU LOVE ABOUT YOUR JOB?

It's the personal contact, the personal experiences. I love meeting people from all over the world... I really like getting to know everyone and feeling like I'm traveling with a group of friends.

WHAT DESTINATION IS ON YOUR TRAVEL BUCKET-LIST?

I have so many places on my list, but I would really lobe to go to Africa. I consider myself an “adventure girl” and Africa feels like the ULTIMATE adventure!

culture trip logo letter c
group posing for picture on iceberg
group posing for picture on iceberg

Every CULTURE TRIP Small-group adventure is led by a Local Insider just like Hanna.

map of volcanic iceland trip destination points
culture trip brand logo
culture trip right arrow
landscape with balloons floating in the air

KEEN TO EXPLORE THE WORLD?

Connect with like-minded people on our premium trips curated by local insiders and with care for the world

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.