La Recoleta Cemetery Tour In Buenos Aires: An Unexpected Architectural Marvel

Exploring A Recoleta Cemetery Tour In Buenos Aires

On our first visit to Buenos Aires, we had pre-booked a Recoleta Cemetery tour in English and it was one of the best tours that we experienced in the beautiful capital.

Highlights Of A Recoleta Cemetery Tour In Buenos Aires

You might wonder how a walking tour around a cemetery could be so high on our list – that is, until you actually pass through the cemetery entrance.  There you see not just a place of internment, but an architectural delight of impressive monuments, structures and palatial tombs laid out like a pseudo-city before you.

The architectural styles in Recoleta Cemetery include Baroque, Neo-Gothic, Neo-Classical, Art Deco and Art Nouveau.  It is truly worth visiting Recoleta just to admire the stunning structures. But there is much more to this cemetery than just the architecture!

History Of La Recoleta Cemetery

One of the most renowned cemeteries in Argentina, Recoleta is located in the neighbourhood from which it gets its name.  The Recoleta Neighbourhood, is often referred to as the city’s most elegant place to visit and contains many of the capital’s most interesting sites.  In fact, it was because of the Recoleta Neighbourhood that Buenos Aires became referred to as the “Paris of South America”.

The name Recoleta, is a tribute to the Recollect monks who had a convent here from the middle of the 18th century until they were disbanded in 1822, the same year the cemetery was established. 

This was the first public cemetery in Buenos Aires and was designed by the French engineer Próspero Catelin who also designed the Metropolitan Cathedral in Plaza de Mayo.

Recoleta Cemetery Map

What Is Special About Recoleta Cemetery?

La Recoleta is one of the most famous cemeteries in all of Argentina and one of the most beautiful in the world.  It is the final resting place of over 10,000 souls.  More than 90 of its nearly 7,000 mausoleums have been declared National Historical Monuments. And some of Argentina’s most famous citizens are buried here including several past presidents.

While most of what you see in the cemetery is at street level, many of the tombs actually have 2 storeys under street level.  And most of the tombs contain 7 to 10 people.

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Can People Still Be Buried In Recoleta Cemetery?

Technically, the answer to this question is yes.  But you may have to wait for a while for that to happen.  91 of the cemetery’s mausoleums are permanent and belong to the most important families in Argentina.  The families who own them pay nothing for the space.

The remaining tombs are leased on a 99-year renewable term meaning that after 99 years the families can pay to renew the lease for another 99 years.  If they don’t pay, or decide to forfeit their lease, the remains are removed and the tombs refurbished and re-leased.

Who Is Buried In Recoleta Cemetery?

Considering that the cemetery has been around for over 200 years it is not surprising that there are a lot of very important and influential people who are buried here.

From heads of state to artists and performers, Recoleta is a virtual Who’s Who of Argentina’s rich and famous.  Let’s dive into the story of the most significant inhabitant of this City of the Dead.

Eva Perón

Undoubtedly, the most famous and influential celebrity who makes her post-mortal home in the cemetery is Eva Peron, the First Lady of Argentina who was married to the former President, Juan Perón.

Eva Perón, affectionately known as Evita, has gained international fame as a result of the musical that bears her name.  In fact, as you wander around different parts of Argentina, you will often hear the lyrics “Don’t Cry For Me Argentina” emanating from various venues.

The musical describes her political life and the huge impact and popularity that she gained by lobbying for the rights of disadvantaged Argentinian women and labour workers.  She was bestowed the title “Spiritual Leader of the Nation” by the country’s Congress.

What happened to Eva Perón’s body after her death is one of the most intriguing and bizarre stories of the cemetery. When she died from cancer at the very young age of 33 in 1952, Eva Perón was not buried in Recoleta Cemetery.  

Her body was kept at the headquarters of the Peron-backed labour union from 1952 until 1955.  This was a time of political turmoil in Argentina and Juan Perón was in the process of being exiled.  An anti-Peronist group stole the body of Eva and kept it in the offices of the Military Intelligence.

Two years later her body was recovered and moved to Milan, Italy where she was buried under a false name and where she remained until 1971.  Then, Juan Perón, who was now living in Madrid with a third wife had the body disinterred and moved to his property in Spain.

Finally, in 1976, with the help of the Argentine government, her body was brought back to Argentina and buried in her father’s family tomb, the Duarte Mausoleum, in Recoleta Cemetery.  She now rests in a nuclear-style bunker 2 storeys below ground to ensure her body does not get taken again.

To find Eva’s final resting place, refer to our map of the cemetery below.

Intriguing Myths And Legends About Recoleta “Guests”

There are some fascinating stories that our tour guide shared with us surrounding the lives and deaths of a few of the cemetery’s inhabitants.  These stories have evolved to the level of urban legend. Here a just a couple of examples.

In 1902, Rufina Cambacérès, the daughter of a wealthy writer, was only nineteen when she suddenly collapsed while preparing to go out to a performance.  The doctors who examined her pronounced her dead, presumably from a heart attack, and she was subsequently buried in the family mausoleum.  

Days later, a worker surveying the cemetery noticed that the coffin lid appeared to have been disturbed and broken.  When he opened it, he found that Rufina’s hands and face were scratched and bruised, apparently in an attempt to escape the coffin.  Rufina had been buried alive!  Apparently, her collapse had been caused by catalepsy – a trancelike state where the body becomes rigid.

The legend of Liliana Crociati involves another Argentinian young woman, a 24-year-old who died in an Avalanche in Austria in 1960 while she was on her honeymoon.  Her parents buried her in Recoleta and commissioned a tomb that some say is a replica of her honeymoon suite.  A lifelike statue of Liliana appears at the entrance to the tomb where she is wearing her wedding dress.

Finally, there is the story of Salvador Maria del Carril and Tiburcia Dominguez, a husband and wife who had a falling out over money.  Tiburcia was an extravagant spender and when Salvador cut her off, the couple continued to live together for 20 years without speaking to one another.  

Before Tiburcia died, 15 years after her husband, she had requested that a bust of her and Salvador be positioned on the tomb facing away from each other so she would never have to look at him, even in death.

✅ There is so much to see and do in Buenos Aires – read our blog on the top sights that we have visited and recommend.

Do You Have To Pay To Visit Recoleta Cemetery?

Up until 2022, there was no admission fee for visiting the cemetery. That has now changed and there is a mandatory entrance ticket that is charged to non-resident Argentineans.  

While the fee has increased since it was first administered in 2022 from 1400 pesos to just over 5000 pesos, the cost in US dollars has actually dropped by half, from 13 USD in 2022 to just over 6 USD in 2024 because of the high rate of inflation in Argentina. 

The money that is collected is used for a general maintenance fund for all of the cemeteries in Buenos Aires. 

Tickets are not available for purchase at the cemetery, so you have to buy them online before you come to Recoleta.

Recoleta Cemetery Tickets

To purchase tickets to the cemetery at this link.

Tickets can be used only once on any day for the selected month that the tickets were purchased.  Please keep in mind that anyone under the age of 18 must be accompanied by an adult to visit the cemetery.

While tickets are available online, the best way to visit the cemetery is to get a guided tour.  Otherwise, you may find yourself walking aimlessly around this huge venue and missing some really incredible stories.  You will also get a good overview of the eventful history of the cemetery.  See our section below on the Best Recoleta Cemetery Tour in English.

What Are The Hours Of Recoleta?

If you are looking to visit the cemetery, it is open daily from 8:00am to 6:00pm. A free guided tour is offered in Spanish at 11:00am and 2:00pm Tuesday to Friday, and at 11:00am and 3:00pm on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays. 

If you are looking for a tour of the Recoleta Cemetery in English see our suggestion below for the Best Recoleta Cemetery Tour.  The city tourist board also offers a Spanish guided tour of the cemetery and the wider Recoleta neighbourhood once a week.

Best Recoleta Cemetery Tour

✅ Here is a perfect small group tour of the cemetery in English. In 2 hours you will learn about the history, interesting people buried there and the legends that make this location so colourful.

The Final Word….Is It Worth Doing A Recoleta Cemetery Tour?

We have visited quite a few cemeteries in our travels and without a doubt, the Recoleta Cemetery is the most beautiful.  You can’t help but appreciate the artwork of the magnificent tombs and mausoleums.  The wide streets and tiled alleys are reminiscent of the city of Buenos Aires itself.  

You will be fascinated by the stories and legends that your guide will reveal to you as you tour through the cemetery.  Being Buenos Aire’s oldest cemetery, la Recoleta is home to its most significant historical figures and is worth a visit.

You will experience an unexpected architectural marvel when you put a Recoleta Cemetery Tour on your bucket list for your visit to Argentina.