On a hot summer day, 29th of December 2025, I finally made it to Chacarita Cemetery – Buenos Aires magnificent necropolis spanning 95 hectares.
If you’re visiting Buenos Aires, you probably heard that you must visit Recoleta Cemetery for its beautiful mausoleums and peaceful atmosphere.
But I am here to tell you that while the historic cemetery in Recoleta is beautiful, Chacarita cemetery is a MUCH better alternative, and here is why, along with all the things you need to know to visit it as a tourist.
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Details
- Chacarita Cemetery (Cementerio de la Chacarita, Spanish)
- Opening hours: 7:30 AM to 5 PM
- Entrance fee: FREE
- Location: Chacarita Area, Google Pin
- How to get here: If you’re staying in Palermo, Collegiales, or Villa Crespo, you can simply walk. There are tons of buses stopping here, a train, and a metro (subte) station, F. Lacroze.
Chacarita Cemetery vs Recoleta Cemetery
Let me be crystal clear, BOTH are fantastic cemeteries if you want to see some old, European-style crypts and stunning statues. Both will remind you of Père Lachaise in Paris or the St. Louis Cemeteries in New Orleans.
I have been to Chacarite and Recoleta cemeteries in 2024 and 2025, so I could really compare.
However, there are a few striking differences that, for me personally, Chacarita is a winner, because:
- Chacarita Cemetery is free, while in 2024, to visit Recoleta, you need to buy a ticket for around 13-15 USD.
- Chacarita Cemetery is 20 times bigger than Recoleta and is way less crowded.
- Evita Peron is the most famous person buried at Recoleta Cemetery, which is the biggest draw of attention, but Chacarita Cemetery also has a long list of celebrities and politicians who were buried or cremated here.
- Recoleta has a better location for tourists, though, as it is super close to Palermo, microcentro, and Recoleta neighborhoods.
- Some agencies offer free tours to Recoleta Cemetery (you still have to pay for the ticket) in English and on Get Your Guide there is a cheap 3-hour tour for Chacarita Cemetery as well (rated 5 stars!)
Guide To Visiting Chacarita Cemetery
- I went during the summer and it is true what people say: some alleys have no shade and it will be a baked potato in no time. If you can’t handle the heat, I would choose a different time. However, I was also pretty much alone in some parts and only saw 2 tourists.
- It is an “active” cemetery. There can be farewell ceremonies in process in the central church and people visiting their deceased family. So please, be respectful, especially when taking photos.
The main entrance is located in front of the railway station, and you won’t miss it: a towering yellow facade with arches and pillars marks the entrance.
However, you can also enter on the west side and the east corner through the car gates.
When you see the corner West gates, they will likely be closed. Keep walking down along the 30-ft wall (on this image, it is to the left)
I suggested starting at the West parking lot as that way you can enjoy the murals on your way in, and start exploring the cemetery in a bit of shade.
This entrance is also closer to the crypts of Jorge Newbery and Carlos Gardel than the central entrance.
Perfectly Organized Lanes of Family Crypts
Walking down “streets” of the cemetery of Chacarita, you will see rows and rows of family crypts, some a beautiful tributes to Art Nouveau, some pure black marble or stone, some with statues and domes.
Famous People Buried In Chacarita Cemetery
There are a lot of actors, tango singers and dancers, as well as activists and scientists resting in peace at Chacarita alongside regular citizens.
I don’t know many of them, and unless you’re Argentine or love tango, you probably don’t either. However, I think at least these two are worth mentioning.
Jorge Newbery
Iconic Argentinian aviator, sportsman, and persona interested in science, Jorge Newbery was a pioneer in flying air balloons and eventually planes, taking many risky challenges.
One in particular, an attempt to cross the Andes, took his life at age 38.
I think the mausoleum is beautiful, picturing him perished at the foot of mountains, with wings spread and condors looking over. Of course, those are Andean Condors, as symbolic as it can be! Makes you think of the Icarus story, too.
Garlos Gardel
Carlos Gardel – the legend of the tango world, so prominent that Spain, France, Argentina, and Uruguay are still arguing what nationality he truly was!
I haven’t heard his singing before, so I had to Google, and here is a song for you to introduce yourself to the tango world a bit, too:
Murals along the West perimeter wall
Walking along a shaded walking path from the West gate (the one that is closed) to the parking(where you can enter), you can enjoy a dozen beautiful murals covering the full size of these towering walls.
To be fair, the wall going east from the gate also has new, stunning murals, but it was so hot I didn’ttake a picture. Some of them, 9 tall angels, were just added in 2025!
Pantheons
Several associations have dedicated pantheons here, for ex., the Federal Police, the Actors’ association, and various non-profits and sports societies.
Some of the mausoleums, like the Mutual Aid (yellow building on the photo) are rather abandoned and closed to the public, yet they have some amazing artworks inside.
Each is an example of different times and architectural styles, from baroque to Greek allure.
Galleries
Chacarita is an old and stillactive cemetery and crematory. There are a couple of dozen galleries around the perimeter, from old to more modern, and 3-floor undeground maze of 40,000+ vaults with iconic “Death stairs” – modernist tall roofing and gigantic stairs going up and down.
Underground galleries are great for cooling off if you are visiting on a hot day, but they may give you chills and you can get lost a bit.
One gallery, specifically, by one of the mausoleums at the East end, is very beautiful:
History of Chacarita Cemetery
The largest cemetery of Argentina, Cemetery of Chacarita, was opened under the order of Emilio Mitre on April 14, 1871, to help the city deal with the devastating yellow fever epidemic, after Recoleta Cemetery refused to accommodate thousands of deceased per day.
As a digital nomad, I don’t get to see as many tourist (and non-touristy) attractions in every place I travel to, but I am very happy I walked from Palermo to Chacarita and experienced the century-old cemetery.
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