Recoleta Cemetery is far more than a burial ground: it is an open-air museum where presidents, Nobel laureates, writers, generals and Argentina's most iconic figure, Eva Peron (Evita), rest among 4,691 vaults. Founded in 1822 as Buenos Aires' first public cemetery, it contains funerary architecture spanning neoclassical, Art Nouveau, Art Deco and Gothic styles, with Carrara marble sculptures, stained glass and domes that rival many art museums.
The cemetery covers 5.5 hectares in the heart of Recoleta, the most elegant neighbourhood in Buenos Aires, surrounded by the Basilica del Pilar, the Recoleta Cultural Centre, Plaza Francia (weekend artisan fair) and some of the city's most traditional cafes.
Practical information
- Address: Junin 1760, Recoleta
- Admission: FREE
- Hours: daily 7:00 to 17:30
- Free guided tours: Tuesdays and Thursdays at 11:00 (Spanish)
- Visit duration: 1-2 hours
- Subway: Line H (Las Heras) + 10-minute walk
- Buses: 17, 60, 67, 92, 93, 110
Evita's tomb
The most visited vault is the Duarte family vault, where Eva Maria Duarte de Peron (Evita) rests. Evita died in 1952 at age 33, and her embalmed body endured a macabre 24-year odyssey (seized by the military, secretly taken to Italy, returned in 1974) before reaching its final resting place. The vault is modest compared to neighbouring grand mausoleums — a black marble plaque with always-fresh flowers, in section 16.
Notable vaults and mausoleums
- Domingo Faustino Sarmiento: president, father of Argentine public education. Mausoleum with condor sculpture.
- Raul Alfonsin: president who restored democracy in 1983.
- Luis Federico Leloir: Argentina's only Nobel laureate in Chemistry (1970).
- Rufina Cambaceres: the cemetery's most famous legend. Said to have been buried alive at age 19 (1902). Her vault has a life-size statue with the door ajar.
- Facundo Quiroga: provincial caudillo immortalised in Sarmiento's Facundo.
- Dorrego vault: the oldest in the cemetery, from 1822.
Guided tours
- Free official tour: Tuesdays and Thursdays at 11:00 in Spanish. 1.5 hours. No booking needed.
- Free walking tour with Civitatis: covers the cemetery and Recoleta with an expert guide. Voluntary tip.
- Private tour: specialist guides offer 2-hour in-depth tours. USD 15-30 per person.
What to see nearby
- Basilica del Pilar: colonial church from 1732, adjacent to the cemetery. Free.
- Recoleta Cultural Centre: contemporary art exhibitions. Free.
- Plaza Francia artisan fair: crafts and art on weekends.
- Cafe La Biela: historic cafe with terrace facing the centuries-old rubber tree.
- MALBA: 15 minutes' walk, Latin American art (USD 4-6).
