Museo de Ciencias Naturales

La Plata doesn’t offer a lot of draw for tourists. I market it to my visiting friends as a place to see “real Argentine” life, as the tourist circuit generally doesn’t offer much Argentine reality. Buenos Aires is a capital city, full of touristy wonders, but most tourists won’t see much of the everyday experience, as there is so much else to do!

Bariloche and the beaches also offer great vacationing attractions. La Plata’s charm lies in its lack of international appeal. It’s daily life in Argentina, without much frill or fluff. And it’s walkable, it does have some nice architecture, and two major tourist draws—The Museum of Natural Sciences and the Cathedral.

The Cathedral is hard to miss, it’s the largest in South America, and the towers are visible from most places in the city.

However, the Museum takes a bit more effort. I first went in July, when I first arrived, and it was closed. 11 months later, the opportunity came again (after all, when it’s always there, it’s hard to justify a special trip, no?)…and so it happened, I checked the second major La Plata activity off my to-do list.

A dinosaur, featuring the beautiful building...

Cavemen hunting prehistoric...armadillos?