Is La Boca Safe? A Guide for Travelers

The colorful tin houses of La Boca are among the most photographed in South America. It's the birthplace of tango, the home of Boca Juniors, and almost everyone visiting Buenos Aires wants to see it. The question is always the same: is it safe?

The answer is yes, if you stay where you should. The tourist core, Caminito, is a heavily patrolled pedestrian area that's safe during the day, full of tango dancers, filete artists and cafés. The problem starts three or four blocks away: La Boca is still a working-class neighborhood hit by years of neglect, and wandering off the perimeter without a plan isn't a good idea.

Then there's the question of authenticity. The conventillos—the tin houses that housed the wave of European immigrants in the late 19th century—are the heart of the neighborhood: the place where lunfardo, tango and much of Buenos Aires culture were born. Many have been turned into souvenir shops, but some are still homes.

To see that side without taking risks, the sensible move is to go with a local guide. Someone who knows the neighborhood keeps you in the safe blocks and, at the same time, opens the door to a real conventillo. The walk ends, of course, with a choripán near La Bombonera.