San Telmo Market / Feria de San Telmo

Mercado de San Telmo

A historic market with an iron-and-glass roof from 1897, full of antiques, secondhand goods and food stalls. The Sunday open-air market along 1 km of Defensa Street and the street tango make it the city’s most atmospheric day out.

San Telmo is Buenos Aires’s oldest neighborhood. After the yellow fever epidemics of the 19th century, wealthy residents moved north, leaving behind colonial mansions, cobblestone streets and a bohemian character. The Mercado de San Telmo, built in 1897, has an iron-framed, glass-domed roof designed by an Italian architect. Half of the hall is taken up by antique and secondhand stalls, selling old records, silverware, mate gourds and vintage posters. The other half is a food hall that has grown in recent years, with choripán sausage sandwiches, empanadas, the Coffee Town café, seafood and Argentine steakhouses. It is packed at midday and open daily from 10:00 to 20:00. The highlight is the Feria de San Telmo, held every Sunday. Lining a 1-km stretch from Defensa Street near Plaza de Mayo to Plaza Dorrego are more than 400 craft and antique stalls. Plaza Dorrego hosts street tango performances, for which tips are appreciated. Bands and street performers are scattered throughout, and the crowds last from 10 a.m. until evening. Nearby highlights include the old bars around Plaza Dorrego, the El Zanjón de Granados underground tunnels (a tour through a colonial mansion and its tunnels), the Pasaje de la Defensa tenement, the San Pedro Telmo Church, and evening milongas (tango dance nights), such as the tango show at El Viejo Almacén. Take Line C of the subway to Independencia station or Line E to Belgrano station, then walk for 10 minutes. Sundays are crowded, so keep an eye on your phone and bag. You can bargain with cash at the market. Many shops are closed on Mondays.

San Telmo Market / Feria de San Telmo

Opening hours

Nearby sights

Places to eat nearby