Among the offices and the noise of the buses in downtown Buenos Aires hides a spa with thermal waters from 1895 that was the first in Latin America and even Borges mentions it. Enjoy relaxing in a modern spa reminiscent of the Turkish baths and looks like something out of a European palace.
A Spa from 1895 where you can relax in thermal waters a few meters away from Plaza de Mayo.
Luis Colmegna was a young Italian masseur who founded the first spa in Latin America in Buenos Aires in 1895. The incredible thing about having this spa in Buenos Aires is that it was thought of as a sanctuary inspired by the Roman Empire’s Termas de Caracalla. Being a pioneer not only in Argentina, but in the entire region, it quickly became a refuge for the Porteño elite of the late 19th century.
Did you know that the original design is believed to have been by Francesco Tamburini, the same architect responsible for the Colón Theater and the Casa Rosada? In this spa you will find Carrara and Verona marble columns, Calacatta and Bardiglio floors, handcrafted stained glass windows, ornate moldings and original bronze fittings.
A spa where Gardel, Borges and Maradona met.
For decades the Colmegna Spa was a meeting place for important personalities of the cultural, political and artistic life of Buenos Aires. Important politicians such as Julio Argentino Roca or Marcelo T. de Alvear passed through its rooms. Artists such as Astor Piazzolla, Mercedes Sosa, Tato Bores, Spinetta and Alfredo Alcón were also regulars there. Did you know that Carlos Gardel wrote there his tango, Mi Buenos Aires querido, and Jorge Luis Borges mentions the Spa (“the Turkish baths of Sarmiento and Esmeralda”) in El Aleph?
What can you do in this 19th century Spa?
The Spa may have been the first in Latin America but it is now a modern spa with all the technologies for relaxation, only in an environment of another era. The circuit includes hydrotherapy, massages, facial treatments, hairdressing and beauty services. This spa is located at 800 Sarmiento Street, surrounded by office buildings, and you may have passed by many times and not even noticed that all this was hidden behind its door.
📍Sarmiento 839
🗓️Martes to Friday 14.00 to 21.00. Saturday 12.00 to 20.00. Sunday and Monday closed.