This is in my opinion one of the most beautiful monuments in Buenos Aires, not only for its magnificence, but also for its location, in the intersection of two wide boulevards: Avenue del Libertador and Avenue Sarmiento in Palermo.

Its real name is "Magna Carta and the Four Argentine Regions", but everybody knows it as "El monumento de los Españoles" (The Monument to the Spaniards). It was donated in 1910 by the Spanish community for the centenary of the May Revolution. But the construction suffered several problems. The first sculptor and winner of the design contest, Agustin Querol, died in 1909, and his creation had to be continued by another artist, Cipriano Folgueras, who also died shortly after. The work was even more delayed when the Spanish ship which brought the bronze pieces sunk on March, 1916 in the Brazilian coast, and replicas had to be ordered to Spain, which were finished in 1918. The monument was finally inaugurated on May 25, 1927.


The monument is made on a 24.5 meters high Carrara marble column, and symbolizes those things Argentina has in common with Spain (language, religion, work and lineaje). It is crowned by an enormous statue that represents the Republic or the Constitution, and raised over a fountain surrounded by groups of sculptures that represent Labour, and the regions of The Andes, The Plata, The Pampa, and Chaco.

La Isla (The Island), enclosed between Gelli y Obes, Copérnico, and Galileo streets in Recoleta, is dominated by sophisticated and high class buildings and embassies. Due to its particular layout, with stairs and slopes, this spot is almost free of traffic and noise. All these features make this one of the most exclusive and upscale areas in Buenos Aires.






This peaceful retreat was once a country estate owned by the Hale Pearson family, with an English style park. Around 1910 the estate was sold and divided into different plots of land, and the final design was performed by architect Bouvard, director of Parks in Paris. From the original estate is the present British Residence building, a landmark of La Isla:

The equestrian monument of Bartolome Mitre, inaugurated in 1927, is the work of Italian sculptors Luis Calandra, David and Eduardo Rubino. It is located on a slope on Libertador Avenue and Aguero St, which makes it very imposing from below.

Bartolome Mitre was an outstanding Argentine politician, elected President of the Nation between 1862 and 1868. He was also the founder of the Argentine newspaper "La Nación".
The figure of the General is made in bronze, the basement in red granite, and it is surrounded by allegoric groups made of Carrara marble: in the front, the "Winged Victory", surrounded by: "The civil courage" (represented by and athlete wrestling a lion), "The family" (symbolized by a young mother with a sleeping child), and on the back "The victory", "The anguish", "The harmony", and "The study and thinking".

Due to some cases that have appeared in Brazil, Paraguay, and the North of the province of Misiones a few years ago, the Argentine Health Ministry has recommended, as a preventive measure, the vaccination against the yellow fever to all travelers that will be visiting those areas.

Vaccination is recommended, but not mandatory for tourists.

The immunization is recommended for people between 1 to 60 years of age. It is optional for children between 9 to 12 months, and for adults over 60 years of age. Ask your doctor about your risk situation.

Take into account that the vaccine must be applied 10 days prior to the visit to the affected areas, which is the necessary time for producing the organic defense reaction. The vaccine is effective for 10 years.

For those who are in Buenos Aires enough in advance, the health center that applies the vaccine to foreign visitors (for a fee) is Hospital Aleman de Buenos Aires (German Hospital): Av. Pueyrredón 1640, Buenos Aires - Tel. (54-11) 4827-7000. You have to ask for an appointment with a doctor that will evaluate your case and refer you to the immunology service.

Other private vaccination centers, like Stamboulian and Vacunar, also apply this vaccine, but a dorctor's prescription is required.