Like a Local

Like a Local

Walls exploding with huge, vibrant murals of insurgent workers, famous inhabitants of La Boca, and futbol greats splashed in blue and gold let you know that the Estadio Boca Juniors is at hand. The stadium that's also known as La Bombonera (meaning candy box, supposedly because the fans' singing reverberates as it would inside a candy tin) is the home of Argentina's most popular futbol club and is also used as a concert venue. Boca Juniors' history is completely tied to the port neighborhood. The nickname, xeneizes, is a mangling of genovés (Genovese), reflecting the origins of most immigrants to the Boca area. The blue and gold that decks the stadium's fiercely banked seating -- and just about everything else in the area -- was inspired by a Swedish ship's flag.

Inside the stadium is El Museo de la Pasión Boquense (The Museum of Boca Passion), a large-scale celebration of the club. Pricey admission and slick displays are testament to the club's affluence under the guidance of dollar-savvy businessman and wannabe-politician Mauricio Macri. The modern, two-floor space chronicles Boca's rise from neighborhood club in 1905 to its current position as one of the world's best teams. Among the innovative exhibits is a giant football containing 360-degree footage of screaming fans and players, creating all the passion of a match for those too faint-hearted to attend the real thing. Trophies, videos, shirts, match histories, and a hall of fame make up the rest of the circuit, together with a huge mural of Maradona, Boca's most beloved player. Also on display is the specially commissioned blue and gold guitar Lenny Kravitz used to close his 2005 concerts in the stadium. Everything you need to Boca up your life -- from team shirts to bed linen, school folders to G-strings -- is available in the gift shop. Cheaper copies are available in shops and stalls outside the stadium.

If you fancy treading the same ground as futbol gods Batistuta and El Diego, then the extensive stadium tour is worth the extra money. Lighthearted guides take you all over the stands as well as to press boxes, locker rooms, underground tunnels, and the emerald grass of the field itself. Brandsen 805, at del Valle Iberlucea, La Boca. 11/4309-4700 stadium; 11/4362-1100 museum. www.bocasistemas.com.ar. Museum: 7.90 pesos. Stadium: 7.90 pesos. Museum and stadium: 12.90 pesos. Museum daily 10-6 except when Boca plays at home; stadium tours hourly 11-5 (English usually available, call ahead to check)

Parque Tres de Febrero has nearly 200 acres of lawns, copses, lakes, and trails, but is really a crazy-quilt of smaller parks known locally as Los Bosques de Palermo. Rich grass and shady trees make this an urban oasis, although the busy roads and horn-honking drivers that crisscross the park never quite let you forget what city you're in. South of Avenida Figueroa Alcorta you can take part in organized tai chi and exercise classes or impromptu soccer matches; you can also jog, bike, in-line skate, or take a boat out on the small lake.

Arched wooden bridges and walkways traverse still waters in the Jardín Japonés (Japanese Garden, Avs. Casares and Adolfo Berro. 11/4804-4922. www.jardinjapones.com.ar. 3 pesos. Daily 10-6). A variety of shrubs and flowers frame the ponds, which brim with friendly koi carp that let you pet them should you feel inclined. The traditional teahouse, where you can enjoy adzuki-bean sweets and tea, overlooks a zen garden.

The sci-fi exterior of the landmark Planetario Galileo Galilei (Galileo Galilei Planetarium, Avs. Sarmiento and Belisario Roldán. 11/4771-6629. Free. Weekdays 9-5, weekends 3-8) holds more appeal than its flimsy content. This great orb positioned on a massive concrete tripod looks like something out of Close Encounters of the Third Kind, and it seems as though small green men in foil suits could descend from its central staircase at any moment. A highlight is the authentic asteroid at the entrance; the pond with swans, geese, and ducks is a favorite with children.

Close to the Museo de Artes Plásticas Eduardo Sívori is the Paseo del Rosedal (Rose Garden, Avs. Infanta Isabel and Iraola), where approximately 15,000 rosebushes, representing more than 1,000 different species, bloom seasonally. A stroll along the clay paths takes you through the Jardín de los Poetas (Poets' Garden), dotted with statues of literary figures, and to the enchanting Patio Andaluz (Andalusian Patio) whose majolica tiles and Spanish mosaics sit under a vine-covered pergola.

If you're looking for a sedate activity, try the Museo de Artes Plásticas Eduardo Sívori (Eduardo Sívori Art Museum, Av. Infanta Isabel 555. 11/4774-9452. www.museosivori.org. 3 pesos, Wed. free. Tues.-Fri. noon-6, weekends 10-6), exhibiting 19th- and 20th-century Argentine art. The 4,000-works-strong collection includes sculptures, engravings, and paintings by local masters like Lino Eneo Spilimbergo and the museum's namesake Sívori, as well as handmade textiles and weavings from all over the country.

On sunny weekends, Los Bosques de Palermo get crowded and garbage-strewn, as this is where families come for strolls or picnics. Street vendors sell refreshments and choripan (chorizo sausage in a bread roll) within the park, and there are also many posh cafés lining the Paseo de la Infanta (running from Libertador toward Sarmiento in the park). Bounded by Avs. del Libertador, Sarmiento, Leopoldo Lugones, and Dorrego, Palermo

Major polo tournaments take place at the Campo Argentino de Polo (Argentine Polo Field, Av. del Libertador 4000 at Dorrego, Palermo). The stunning athletic showmanship displayed at these events is a source of national pride -- indeed, the top-ranked polo players in the world are all Argentine. Admission to autumn (March-May) and spring (September-December) matches is free. The much-heralded Campeonato Argentino Abierto (Argentine Open Championship) takes place in November; admission runs 15 to 200 pesos. You can buy tickets in advance by phone through Ticketek (11/4323-7200) or at the polo field on the day of the event. Argentina's international soccer matches take place at the River Plate stadium, Estadio Antonio Vespucio Liberti (Av. Pte. Figueroa Alcorta 7597, Núñez. 11/4788-1200. www.cariverplate.com.ar), better known as the Monumental, for its size. The stadium is far out in the northwest of the city; you can get there by suburban train from Retiro (get off at Nuñez station) or by Línea D to Congreso de Tucumán and then taking a taxi.