La Plata

Introduction

La Plata is the capital of Buenos Aires province in Argentina, set about nine kilometres inland from the southern shore of the Río de la Plata estuary. It is a substantial city, and its built-up area extends well beyond the official city limits into the surrounding metropolitan zone known as Greater La Plata.

As a provincial capital, it anchors the region around it rather than sitting on the estuary itself, so expect a city shaped by its inland position and its role as an administrative centre for the province.

Before you go

La Plata sits on the pampa húmeda, a short distance south-east of Buenos Aires, and was laid out from scratch as a planned capital rather than growing up organically. Its design is built around a central axis of avenues where the main landmarks cluster: the Cathedral, City Hall and Plaza Moreno, the Teatro Argentino, and the Provincial Legislature and Government house around Plaza San Martín. The plan itself is a perfect square cut diagonally, with squares and parks at the intersections of avenues, grand tree-lined boulevards, and a forest near the centre. Because the city was founded all at once in the late nineteenth century, it began in full adulthood, with no gradual village-to-city past behind it.

The weather is mild overall. Summers are hot and humid, while winters are cool and cloudy, so pack for sticky heat if you visit in the warmer months and for grey, chilly days in the colder ones. Humidity is a constant presence, and the prevailing south-east winds blow for part of the year. Before you go, it is worth checking the La Plata tourism website for current information.

Getting there

Buses run constantly from Buenos Aires to La Plata, with the trip taking about an hour. Two companies cover the route: Costera Metropolitana and Plaza. On business days, buses leave from the Retiro neighbourhood rather than the main Retiro bus station; on weekends and holidays, Costera's buses depart from inside the station itself, from platforms 1 or 2, while the Plaza stop sits across the street from the main bus station. Several stops serve the route, so look or ask for the 129 to La Plata "por autopista" (by the freeway). If you take the 129 "por Centenario" instead, expect the journey to take twice as long, since it makes local stops along the way.

Trains to La Plata leave Buenos Aires all day from Constitución station, and the full journey takes just over an hour. You arrive at the La Plata railway station, at the intersection of Calle 1 and 44, just north of downtown.

Getting around

La Plata is laid out on a numbered grid with two main diagonal avenues and numerous shorter diagonals, which is why it is nicknamed "la ciudad de las diagonales." That makes orientation mostly a matter of remembering a few numbers, and you can comfortably walk from one side of the city to the other in about 45 minutes. The center, with its restaurants, shops and cultural sites, is compact, and the linden trees lining the streets and squares make the walk pleasant. One catch: many street signs are missing, so keep a map or your phone handy to confirm where you are.

Buses, locally called micros, are the backbone of public transport and are described as reliable and affordable, running along major arteries such as Avenida 7, Camino Parque Centenario, Camino General Belgrano, Avenida 60 and Avenida 66. You must hail the bus as it approaches the stop or it will not stop, and you must specify the amount you are paying or your destination when you get on; if you are unsure, ask the driver. Buses only accept a prepaid card called the Sube, which you can buy at any news stand and which is good throughout the greater Buenos Aires area. If you lack a card but have exact change, you can often ask a fellow traveler to swipe their card and pay them in cash. Taxis are plentiful and cheap and can be hailed on the street, but the diagonal avenues can be confusing, so keep an eye on the route. There is no metro or conventional tram, but the Tren Universitario runs in a half-circle from the railway station via the University and the city's largest hospital to the Los Hornos neighborhood. Bike lanes exist and the city promotes cycling through "Movete en Bici," though the infrastructure is less developed than in more bike-oriented cities.

Where to stay

Food & drink

For eating out, La Plata offers a mix of casual and upscale options. A Rienda Suelta is known for reasonable prices and is a good bet for barbecue. Green Garden serves a variety of dishes in a pleasant setting. At the higher end, Olibar is a refined choice with an on-site wine cellar, and reservations are recommended.

• A Rienda Suelta — reasonable prices, barbecue recommended
• Green Garden — varied menu, nice setting
• Olibar — high-end, wine cellar, reservations recommended

When it comes to nightlife, Wilkenny is an Irish pub and restaurant. Pura Vida has an alternative, indie atmosphere where locals, musicians and artists gather at night; indie-rock bands sometimes play there, with concerts usually starting very late.

What to see and do

La Plata rewards a slow wander: the city centre is laid out on a strict grid, and many of its landmarks sit within easy walking distance of one another. Start around Plaza Rivadavia, opposite the Police Department, then head south-west to Plaza San Martin, where you can take in the Government House on 6th Street and the Parliament on 7th Avenue. Continue to the Argentino Theatre, the Town Hall opposite Moreno Square, and the Cathedral on 14th Street, whose design draws on the cathedrals of Cologne and Amiens. Most of these buildings went up in French styles around the city's founding in 1882, so the walk doubles as an architecture lesson.

For museums, the Museum of La Plata in the green parks north of the centre is the standout, with huge dinosaur skeletons and exhibits on pre-Columbian South American cultures. Near Plaza San Martin, the Museo Provincial de Bellas Artes Emilio Pettoruti shows temporary contemporary art, and there is also a Museum of Contemporary Latin American Art. The Dr Emilio Azzarini Thematic Museum holds a private collection of musical instruments from Europe, Asia, Oceania and the Americas, while the La Plata Gymnastic and Fencing Club Museum preserves trophies, flags, swords and photographs from a club founded in 1887. History of a darker kind is kept at Casa Mariani Teruggi, a house on 30th Street that served as a secret printing press and was attacked in 1976; it remains in its original state. Elsewhere, the Curutchet House, one of the few American buildings by Le Corbusier and a world heritage site, is open for tours, and the Cemetery of La Plata, designed by Pedro Benoit, is worth visiting for its neo-classical portico and the mix of neo-gothic, Art Nouveau, Art Deco and Egyptian revival vaults. In the evening, the Argentino Theatre stages ballet, opera and concerts, and the Coliseo Podestá, an art deco building with a French-style main hall, hosts plays and comedies.

When to go

La Plata has a mild, humid climate, and the season you choose shapes how comfortable your visit will feel. Summers are hot and humid, with sticky, uncomfortable conditions and frequent rain; the humidity stays high, making the heat feel heavier than the temperature alone suggests. If you visit then, plan around the worst of the daytime heat and keep rain protection with you.

Winters are cool and cloudy, with overcast skies dominating and little direct sun. It is a damp cold rather than a freezing one, so pack layers and rain protection rather than heavy winter gear.

Three days in La Plata

Day one: Start in the heart of La Plata at Plaza Moreno, where the Cathedral and City Hall face each other across the square. From there, walk to the Provincial Legislature and the Government buildings, then continue to Plaza San Martín and the Teatro Argentino. Because summers are warm and humid, plan your walking for the morning or late afternoon, and take a break in the middle of the day.

Day two: Head out along the Río de la Plata by way of the Costera Metropolitana. Buses and trains connect La Plata with Buenos Aires, so you can reach the Costera from Retiro or Constitución, or approach it from the city side along Avenida del Río or Calle 1. Several stretches of the Costera are best explored on foot, and the riverside is at its most pleasant before the humidity builds.

Day three: Take the Camino Parque Centenario or the Camino General Belgrano out through Greater La Plata, where the city thins into the surrounding area. If you have time, the Centenario and the Costera make for an easy final loop. One last look at Plaza San Martín or Plaza Moreno rounds off your three days.