Buenos Aires is a city that keeps under its feet the memory of its colonial times and a whole network of historical tunnels, real passages that connect centuries of history, urban legends and forgotten architecture. Buenos Aires has an extensive network of subway tunnels that you can visit, many of them free of charge.
Buenos Aires hides a 200-year-old network of subway tunnels: Here’s how to visit them for free and at night.
During the 18th and 19th centuries, Buenos Aires developed a network of tunnels for defensive purposes, but also for religious and sanitary purposes: many of these passages were built by the Jesuits, or originated over old piped stream beds. Others arose in response to epidemics and also as escape routes in the face of the threat of attack.
With the passing of time and the growth of the city from its colonial beginnings, many of the tunnels of Buenos Aires were covered up or destroyed by the advance of modern works. Fortunately, several sections of this network of tunnels in Buenos Aires are still preserved, some even restored, while others remain partially buried, which means that they still retain that halo of mystery that today generates us to know that underneath Buenos Aires there is a network of tunnels that is more than 200 years old.
Do you want to discover the mysteries of the tunnels of Buenos Aires that still exist today? Here is how to visit the network of tunnels in Buenos Aires that still exist today.
1. Zanjón de Granados in San Telmo
One of the best known tunnels in Buenos Aires is the one that runs through the underground of the Zanjón de Granados, at Defensa 755. In this place, 18th century passages were found almost by chance during construction works and original structures, cisterns, tanks and fragments of daily life from other times were found. Admission is not free. But there are discounts for residents and retirees.
📍755 Defense.
📅 Every day from 11 am to 5 pm
2. The tunnels under the Church of Santa Felicitas in Barracas.
Under the Church of Santa Felicitas in Barracas hides a series of fascinating tunnels that you can visit as you walk through the church. The Church of Santa Felicitas is a neo-Romanesque construction, inaugurated in 1876, built by the Guerrero family in honor of Felicitas Guerrero.
The church is beautiful and worth a visit, but what few know is that under this barracks church hides a network of subway tunnels, which are now partially recovered and can be visited at night.
The tunnels were reused and modified over the decades, and there is even speculation that they may have served to transport donations and connect to other churches. It is even said that in times of epidemics such as the yellow fever of 1871, they were used as restricted transit passages between the family’s private properties and the church.
Nowadays, part of these tunnels can be visited in guided tours offered by the church and with guides also at night. If you do so, you will discover the exposed brick walls, the vaulted arches and the humid and dark climate of its interior.
📍Isabel La Catolica 520
3. The Manzana de las Luces and the Jesuit tunnels in Montserrat.
The Manzana de las Luces preserves some of the oldest tunnels in Buenos Aires on record. This network of tunnels was built in the 18th century by the Jesuit order and connected churches, schools and administrative buildings from the time of the Viceroyalty. It is also speculated that they served as escape routes during conflicts such as the English Invasions. Admission to the Manzana de las Luces and its tunnels is free.
📍Peru 222
4. Industrial and railway tunnels
Beyond the colonial tunnels, Buenos Aires also developed subway passages. One of the most extensive is the subway railroad freight tunnel that connects the Port of Buenos Aires with Once, passing under the Casa Rosada and the National Congress. Although it is not open to the public, this 5-kilometer tunnel is part of the invisible infrastructure beneath your feet.
Underneath Buenos Aires hides a network of mysterious tunnels that transport you to another era of the city. Add mystery and adventure to your walk through the city and dare to discover these subway tunnels.