The main hall
Gilded boxes, huge chandelier.
EEJCC — CC0 · Dennis G. Jarvis — CC BY-SA 2.0 · Dennis G. Jarvis — CC BY-SA 2.0 · Santv100 — CC BY-SA 4.0
The Teatro Colón is Buenos Aires's great opera house and one of the finest-sounding in the world: a survey of leading international conductors by the acoustician Leo Beranek ranked it first for opera. The present building opened on 25 May 1908 with Verdi's Aida after twenty years of construction, replacing an older theatre of 1857 near Plaza de Mayo. It was closed for restoration from 2006 to 2010 and reopened in May 2010, and it was declared a National Historic Monument in 1989. The horseshoe-shaped main hall rises in tiers of gilded boxes under a huge chandelier, and it is home to the theatre's orchestra, choir and ballet. The easiest way in is the guided tour, about fifty minutes through the foyer, the gallery of busts, the Golden Hall and the main auditorium, leaving every quarter of an hour, with English tours at set times. Tickets for a performance are best booked ahead on the official website.
Gilded boxes, huge chandelier.
On the tour.
Among the world's best.
Cerrito 628, facing Avenida 9 de Julio
Obelisco de Buenos AiresThe Obelisco is the symbol of Buenos Aires, a white obelisk 67.5 metres high whe4 minutes walk4.5
Palacio BaroloPalacio Barolo is an office building on Avenida de Mayo that was, on completion 12 minutes walk4.7
El Ateneo Grand SplendidEl Ateneo Grand Splendid is a bookshop inside an old theatre, named the world's 14 minutes walk4.7
Plaza de Mayo and the Casa RosadaPlaza de Mayo is the main square of Buenos Aires and its historic heart since th16 minutes walk4.5
Recoleta CemeteryRecoleta Cemetery is one of the best-known sights in Buenos Aires. It opened on 22 minutes walk4.2Yes, at 11:00, 12:00, 13:00 and 15:00, with Spanish tours every quarter of an hour; booking ahead on the official website is best.