Casa Rosada: Buenos Aires Travel Guide (4.6★)

A pink palace that still runs the country

Casa Rosada is a working office. The president of Argentina governs from here, so the building you photograph is also the one making the evening news. The façade is a deep salmon pink. A tall central arch faces west across Plaza de Mayo, the square where the city’s protests, celebrations and mass rallies have always ended up.

The colour has two popular explanations. One is political: red for the Federalists, white for the Unitarians, mixed as a gesture of unity. The other is practical: whitewash cut with ox blood. The current building dates to the late 19th century, when architect Francesco Tamburini joined two older structures behind one façade.

Inside on a guided tour

The interior is open only on guided tours. The route covers the ceremonial halls:

• Salón de los Bustos: marble busts of past presidents
• Salón Blanco: the white-and-gold room used for swearing-in ceremonies
• Patio de las Palmeras: a palm-lined courtyard at the centre of the building
• The balcony: where Juan and Eva Perón addressed the crowds below, later recreated for the film Evita

Plan on about an hour. Tour days and slots change, so check the official site for current times. Behind the palace, the Museo Casa Rosada sits in the excavated brick vaults of the old Taylor Customs House. Its centrepiece is David Alfaro Siqueiros’ mural Ejercicio Plástico.

Getting past the gate

Security here works like a government building, because that is what it is.

• Book online: reserve through the official Casa Rosada website before you go. Slots fill fast, especially at weekends.
• Carry your passport: the name on the booking has to match your ID.
• Pack light: you’ll go through a bag check, and large bags cause delays.
• Expect closures: official events can cancel tours with little warning, so check the site the morning of your visit.
• Watch the guard: the Granaderos a Caballo stand at the entrances in uniforms modelled on those of General San Martín’s regiment.

On Thursday afternoons the Madres de Plaza de Mayo walk their circle around the Pirámide de Mayo, as they have since 1977. Watch quietly and keep your camera lowered. Expect the square to be fenced off on demonstration days.

Around Plaza de Mayo

The Subte gets you to the door. Plaza de Mayo station on Line A, Catedral on Line D and Bolívar on Line E all come up on the square.

These are all a short walk away:

• Catedral Metropolitana: holds San Martín’s mausoleum, guarded by the Granaderos
• Cabildo: the colonial town hall on the square’s west side
• Avenida de Mayo: leads west toward Café Tortoni and the Congress building
• Puerto Madero: a few blocks east, with the Puente de la Mujer footbridge

Go back to the square after dark, when the façade is floodlit and the crowds have thinned.