Plaza Francia Artisan Market

Located in the Recoleta neighborhood of Buenos Aires, the Plaza Francia artisan market is a sprawling group of stalls that covers most of the park. A bit of a misnomer, as the actual Plaza Francia is across the street, this market is a bustling place on the weekends. The artisan market, which is really located in Plaza Intendente Torcuato de Alvear, started in the 1960s as a street fair and has blossomed into a full-blown artisan market that is regulated by the city. You won’t see any knock-off soccer jerseys here. Instead, you will see lots and lots of local artisans selling jewelry, leather, ceramics, metalwork, and many other souvenirs.

We were fortunate to have a fantastic day for the market: a beautiful spring day in Buenos Aires with plenty of sunshine. We tried to visit all of the market stalls, but the paths of the plaza wind around and I can’t be sure that we were able to see them all. We did decide to take a break and found a small ice cream stand where we enjoyed some delicious dulce de leche flavored ice cream.

Tip: if you can, visit on Saturday, when the market isn’t quite as busy as it is on Sunday. The market starts at 11am and ends at 8pm. The closest Subte stops are both on the D line: Pueyrredón and Callao. You’ll have to walk north for a while to get to the market. If you’re visiting the cemetery, you walk right through the market to get to the cemetery entrance: you cannot, and should not, miss it.

The official website for the market, where you can see photos of some of what is on offer.