San Telmo Fair is one of the attractives of Buenos Aires. Early in the morning, every Sunday since 1970, a curious ceremony is repeated on the stage of the Plaza Dorrego: trunks, boxes, irons, tables, baskets, are superimposed in a patter that amazes the night owls who lengthen the night with a coffee last minute, and early risers starting the day. At that time, the Old Things and Antiques Fair of San Pedro Telmo begins to take shape, it is built on the cobblestones of the square and repeats a ritual that has become the heart of a neighborhood that beats in a special way on Sundays .
However, being part of the ceremony is not easy. Having one of the 270 stalls at the San Telmo Fair is difficult, almost exclusive, and it is only a possibility that is given to those who meet a series of requirements: it is entered by rigorous lottery as the stalls become free and You must have merchandise prior to the 70s, you cannot leave the position, the owner must always be there and can only have an assistant for two hours, are some of the commitments assumed by the stalls and that, they affirm, are they strictly respect. In addition, every three months there is a raffle to change the place that each position occupies in the square. The organization is in charge of the Museum of the City, creator and continuator of the Fair.
The Fair receives about 20 thousand visitors per Sunday, among which, a high percentage is made up of tourists from all over the world. Over the years, the stalls have managed to develop a true classification of tourists, according to the profile of their purchases: thus, instead of looking at who is buying, the market vendors can establish where a tourist is from, just by seeing what they buy. The French, elegant by nature, prefer bijou or glasses; the Brazilians, – cheerful and flashy – are inclined towards metals and colored objects; Italians, antique jewels and Spaniards, faithful to their past, choose shawls, fans and paintings, brought to the country by their own grandparents.
Another, more stringent classification divides visitors into “shoppers” and “curious”. The former usually know what they are looking for: they visit the Fair in the morning or in the afternoon after comparing prices and evaluating the purchase. In the middle, the curious stroll during the morning and afternoon, although, at noon, they stop for lunch and go to some of the many restaurants in the surroundings. After 4 pm, the porteños arrive and, it is said, ask a lot, but buy little.
San Telmo Neighborhood in Buenos Aires
Towards the south, the neighborhood of the original port of the city was the Alto de San Pedro or Barrio de San Telmo. Its center, the current Plaza Dorrego, served as a stop for the carts that went to the Plaza Mayor, through Calle Mayor, now Defensa.
The growth of the city generated the need to implement new urban development plans, inspired by European models, which were expressed in the widening of streets, opening of avenues and the creation of new squares, modifying its original layout. The Historic Quarter contains most of the oldest buildings that remain in the city, accompanied by others of important heritage value from subsequent eras. Its cobbled streets, its streetlights, its patios with cisterns and bars on the windows, its churches and museums, its characteristic fairs, its tango dancers and its cafes give it a special magic that is perceived as you walk through it.
The Plaza is surrounded by characteristic buildings from the late 19th and 20th centuries. Very close to there, on Humberto I street, we find the Jesuit complex, made up of the Church of Bethlem, the Parish of San Pedro Telmo, and the “Antonio Ballve” Penitentiary Museum. In front of this complex, the Guillermo Rawson School, with its two enormous hundred-year-old magnolias, planted by Bethlemite priests when they settled there around 1800.
San Telmo Fair: How to arrive?
San Telmo Fair is a walking distance from many hotels located in the city centre. You can take any of the bus lines in the city, called “Colectivos”, or the C and E lines with some metro stations close to the market.
San Telmo Fair:Â Tips
Walking Buenos Aires is a great experience, and San Telmo Fair is a must-see when you visit our city. Check some tips than can be useful for you:
Wear comfortable clothes: high heels or formal clothes, better to move them away, just to enjoy the sun and the birds that surround the place and get ready to walk, stopping at each step in search of an unexpected object that can be found there like a gem in the sea.
Replace purses with backpacks or small comfortable bags in order to leave arms and hands free to caress each desired object.
Although the prices are expressed in Argentine currency (Pesos), the stalls accept dollars and several accept euros: although payment by credit or debit card is not feasible, each permit holder will kindly deliver the purchase made at the hotel at no charge. that the visitor stays in the case of not having enough cash at the time of purchase. Quote. The vast majority of permit holders benefit the visitor with foreign currency, taking a favorable exchange value for the buyer.
Cafes, bars and restaurants: While touring the place, you can make a pleasant stop at any of the charming cafes that, in the best Parisian style, accommodate their tables on the sidewalks that surround the square so that while you enjoy typical delicacies of the country you will not miss out on the magic of the spectacle in the Plaza de San Pedro Telmo. You can have a simple coffee with typical croissants (croissant), or savor a traditional cheese board, an appetizing Buenos Aires snack accompanied by exquisite beers or enjoy the typical Argentine meat, or empanadas prepared according to different regional styles of the country or the traditional ones Italian pastas.
What to buy at the San Telmo Fair?
The heart of the antique wares are congregated around Plaza Dorrego but the entire outdoor market stretches down 13 blocks of the cobblestone Defensa Street and off onto a few side lanes.
From 9 a.m. until 6 p.m. Defensa Street is completely pedestrian and packed with entertainers jockeying for attention and an international array of street vendors who display their goods on the pavement. The offerings include antiquities from Argentina’s glory days, original art, funky clothing, homemade snacks, and pretty much whatever else someone can think to slap with a price tag. This is one of the best places in Buenos Aires to buy a beautiful yerba mate kit and other Argentine specialties. Scanning the antiques in Plaza Dorrego can give you a glimpse into Argentina’s heady past, although long gone are the days where one can find bargained-priced historic treasures.
