Buenos Aires | A Photo Tour of Recoleta Cemetery

A cemetery may seem an odd place for a photo tour. Well, it definitely is. But in South America these ornate above ground tombs are worth capturing. They first caught our eye in Punta Arenas where the cemetery is said to be one of the most beautiful in the world. And then there’s the three central hilltop cemeteries of Valparaíso. But none are quite as famous or mystical as Recoleta Cemetery in Buenos Aires.

The labyrinth of mausoleums, statues and flower-adorned alters immediately captured our curiosity. What we expected to be a quick and dismal experience turned out to be a perplexing exploration of our own imaginations. Each tomb is the cover of a novel never written, haunted by an unseen past. We wandered the pathways until the sun was low in the sky. It’s not an easy feeling to capture but we hope this helps you feel a fraction of the cemetery’s chilling beauty.

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The Girl Who Died Twice

The tomb of Rufina Cambaceres tells a story that nightmares are made of. After the 19-year-old’s sudden death at the theater, she arrived in her casket at Recoleta on a rainy afternoon. Left in the shelter of the chapel to be interred the following day, workers were shocked in the morning to find the casket moved and the lid ajar. Assuming a grave robbery, the family had the casket opened to reveal a far worse reality. Rufina hadn’t died at the theatre but had suffered an attack of cataplexy. Her comatose state had been sorely misdiagnosed. Death actually came, devastatingly, inside her own casket from a heart attack induced by the panic of unsuccessfully trying to claw her way out. Her tomb is appropriately marked by the statue of a young girl with her hand on the door. Ready to escape.

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The Face of Repression

It wouldn’t be an attraction in Buenos Aires without controversy. While many meander the walkways of Recoleta to honour the deceased, there are some who have cruel intentions. The tomb of Coronel Ramón Falcón, tucked in a distant corner of the cemetery, is marked by the ever-present anarchy in the country. Falcón, a former army Officer and the Chief of the Federal Police is remembered for being the man who ordered the merciless repression of protests in 1909. Which killed a dozen locals and hospitalized ten times that. The event was the catalyst for an era of arrest and persecution. He was assassinated the same year and his grave remains a stage for socialist protests of all forms. Graffiti covers the surface and charred stone tell the story of recent bombings at Falcon’s grave.

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A Bride + Her Dog

The bronze statue that marks Liliana Crociati de Szaszak’s tomb on the main pathway is bound to stop visitors whether they know her story or not. Only 26, Liliana died while on a honeymoon ski trip in Austria when an avalanche struck her hotel. The life-sized sculpture is notable first because she stands in her wedding dress. But also, for her dog sitting proudly by her side which was added following its own death. Her youth, her formal attire and her hand lovingly resting on her beloved dog’s head evoke emotion from the constant stream of passersby.

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The Beloved Icon

One story in Recoleta’s library that may never be lost is that of Evita Peron. The former soap star is a beloved Buenos Aires icon. Her likeness is featured on prominent buildings, there are restaurants named after her and, most importantly, she has a longstanding legacy of social aid. She became the first lady after marrying the President in 1945 and reigned during one of many eras of struggle in Argentina’s history. Her fame among the upper-class spread and transformed into a deep-rooted love throughout the working-class because of her education and health-care advocacy. She was truly a person of the people with her selfless gestures like handing out diapers to mothers in the streets. Her tomb is one of the most visited in Recoleta cemetery. 

Read more of the captivating story of Evita’s life. Including her legacy and the international journey her remains made before settling among the elite in Recoleta. 

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Guided Tours of Recoleta Cemetery

We visited on our own so that we could meander at our own pace. It meant a lot of help from Google to learn about the stories, and many unanswered questions. For a guided tour we suggest joining this tour Monday to Friday at 3pm for ARS 600.

Related // The perfect itinerary for 4 days in Buenos Aires

Visit Recoleta Cemetery

• Hours – Open Daily 8am-8pm
• Cost – Admission is Free
• Location – In the heart of the Recoleta bario at 1760 Junin Street
• Getting there – The cemetery is walkable from city centre, or an affordable Uber away. The closest subway stop is three blocks away at Las Heras on the yellow Line H. 

What obscure attractions have you been surprisingly captivated by?