If Argentines want to protest, they go there. If you want to celebrate too. This is Plaza de Mayo, the main public space in the center of Buenos Aires and the place where the city was founded in 1580. It’s true that at that time the name was different – Plaza Mayor, in the Spanish style. The name changed after the May Revolution of 1810, the beginning of Argentine Independence. During all this time, several historic buildings have been present in the square, with emphasis on one, known throughout the world: the Casa Rosada, in Buenos Aires, the seat of the country’s executive power.
The first time I saw Casa Rosada was by accident, on my first day as a temporary resident of Buenos Aires. While walking around Calle Florida, looking for a good rate to exchange dollars for pesos, I came across the place where Cristina, the then president of Argentina, worked. “Look, it’s not the Casa Rosada!”
I think this is how most tourists encounter it, as it is there, so close to everything, in a region where there is an absurd concentration of foreigners per square meter. Most of them do the obvious: run to Praça de Mayo and take a photo with the Casa Rosada in the background. But it is possible to do more – you can enter the workplace of Argentine presidents. Yes, just a place of work – since the mid-20th century, the official residence of presidents has been Quinta de Olivos.
Read too:
• Visit to the Evita Perón museum
• Guided tour of the National Congress of Argentina
What is a guided tour of the Casa Rosada in Buenos Aires like?
This is exactly why it is possible to visit the Casa Rosada: from Monday to Friday the president is in the building, working. No, on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays. On these days the building is open to tourists. And the best: the visit is free! The only drawback is having to book the tour at least 15 days in advance on the websitevis.casarosada.gob.ar. Guided tours start at 10am and end at 6pm, every 10 minutes, in Spanish, Portuguese and English.
After you go through the security line, you can enjoy the building a little. The hall that welcomes visitors is a gallery of South American heroes and features paintings by several of them.
Painting by Evita Perón hanging in the Casa Rosada
The guide took us to several important rooms in the building: Bicentenary Painters, Evita Péron (where there is a dress that she wore), Indigenous Peoples, Argentine Women (the place where Cristina Kirchner used to make official statements) and some others.
One of the highlights of the visit is when we pass through the balcony of Casa Rosada. From there, looking at crowds gathered in Plaza de Mayo, presidents and other Argentine personalities made history happen. The most famous speech, of course, was that given by Evita Peron, then First Lady, back in the 1950s.
Finally, the visit passes to the presidency’s office. After walking through a series of corridors, we arrived at a large room, but nothing too imposing. Before you think the country’s main decisions are made there, think twice. That’s just a secretary’s office. The president’s is right after. And it’s big, as you can see in the photo below (which I couldn’t take, but luckily it’s available on Wikipedia).
Office of the Presidency (Photo: Belgrano, Wikimedia Commons)
A little about the history of Casa Rosada
A closer look makes it clear that Casa Rosada has an asymmetrical shape. The reason? There was a Post Office building in the middle of the way. During the 19th century, an imposing building was built next to Casa Rosada. So imposing that the postmen’s headquarters started to attract more attention than the presidential headquarters. Not that this is unfair, of course, but it was also obvious that it couldn’t stay like this. Therefore, an architect was hired to join the two buildings. An arch was made between them and thus the Casa Rosada swallowed the old headquarters of the Buenos Aires Post Office.
Casa Rosada and Post Office building, in 1885 (Photo: Archivo General de la Nación Argentina)
But why is it pink? There are controversies. During the time I spent in Buenos Aires, I heard two versions (and there are those who guarantee that both are true). For some, the color pink comes from the union of white and red, the colors of two rival political parties: the unitarios and the federales. During part of the 19th century, these two parties fought violent clashes. Pink, therefore, would have been a way of showing the country’s unity after the end of the Civil War.
The other version, a little more accepted, guarantees that the pink came from mixing white paint with cow’s blood, which at the time was used to paint several houses – the substance helped to preserve the building. Today, however, the wall is actually painted pink. And it gets even more beautiful at night, when lighting makes everything pinker.
How to get to Casa Rosada
It’s impossible to pass by it and not see it. The pink house is right in front of Plaza de Mayo, one of the meeting points of the main streets in the city center.
If you go by subway, disembark at Plaza de Mayo station (Line A) or Leandro N. Além station (Line B) and Catedral station (Line D).
If you go by bus, lines 2, 4, 6, 20, 22, 24, 28, 29, 33, 50, 56, 61, 62, 64, 74, 91, 93, 99, 105, 109, 111, 126, 130, 140, 142, 143, 146, 152 serve the location.
Visit to Casa Rosada, in Buenos Aires – Useful information
Guided tours of Casa Rosada take place on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm.
To participate, you must book at least 15 days in advance via the website: https://visitas.casarosada.gob.ar. Remember to arrive 20 minutes before your scheduled time.
More information by email: [email protected]
Travel insurance for Argentina
Taking out travel insurance is essential, even for countries as close as Argentina and Uruguay. No matter how close it is to home, it is best to travel protected so as not to suffer from unforeseen events.
The good news is that it is possible to take out good travel insurance for around 10 reais per day. To do this, we recommend using a search engine like Seguros Promo, which compares the main insurance companies and ensures that you find the best value for money, according to your needs.
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Where to stay in Buenos Aires
The main neighborhoods to stay in Buenos Aires are:
- center
- San Telmo
- Recoleta
- Palermo
The first two are for those who want to save money, stay close to everything and don’t mind clutter. Recoleta and Palermo have more expensive accommodation, but they are more upscale and beautiful neighborhoods. You can find out more about the regions in our post Where to stay in Buenos Aires.
Recommended accommodations in Buenos Aires:
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