Things to do in Rosario
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Spanish in Rosario
The Spanish in Rosario offers enjoyable language programs. It can arrange family stays and volunteer work placements.
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A
'Che' Guevara's First Home
The apartment building at Entre Ríos 480, designed by Alejandro Bustillo, was where Ernesto Guevara Lynch and Celia de la Serna lived in 1928 after the birth of their son, Ernesto Guevara de la Serna, popularly known as 'Che.' According to biographer Jon Anderson, young Ernesto's birth certificate was falsified (he was born more than a month before the official date of June 14), but this was certainly Che's first home, although briefly.
It's now a private flat, so you can't go inside, but fans of this revolutionary figure will still enjoy such trivia, and may want to also check out the Guevara family home in Córdoba, which is now a museum.
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Monumento Nacional a La Bandera
Manuel Belgrano, who designed the Argentine flag, rests in a crypt beneath the colossal 78m-high Monumento Nacional a La Bandera, a chillingly nationalistic construction in pitiless stone. The monument’s redeeming attributes are its location near the Paraná waterfront, with stirring views of the river and its islands from the tower, accessed by elevator (no disabled access). The museum contains the original flag embroidered by Catalina de Vidal.
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Balneario La Florida
The widest beach is at Balneario La Florida, with services including umbrellas, showers, clothing check and outdoor bars. The sidewalk stops at La Florida and picks up again at its northern edge at Costa Alta, where there are more beaches and a pier with boats to the islands.
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Sebastián Clerico
Sebastián Clerico offers recommended bike tours of the city and surrounds (around Arg$55, three hours) in several languages. Even better is the seven-hour trip (around Arg$110) which incorporates kayaking on the Río Paraná and around its islands.
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Mercado de Pulgas del Bajo
A small flea market by the tourist office, where dealers sell everything from silverwork to leather goods.
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Complejo Astronómico Municipal
Those interested in more distant environments can visit the planetarium at the municipal observatory, which has shows (AR$5) at 5pm and 6pm Saturday and Sunday from May to September. At 8pm Wednesday through to Friday (clouds permitting), visitors can view the astral skies through its 2250mm refractor telescope and 4500mm reflecting telescope. On Thursdays and Fridays from noon to 2pm there’s a sunwatching session.
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Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Rosario (MACRO)
Housed in a brightly painted grain silo on the Río Paraná waterfront, this gallery is part of Rosario’s impressive riverbank renewal. It features temporary exhibitions, mostly by young local artists, of varying quality, housed in small galleries spread over eight floors. There’s a good view of the river islands from the mirador (viewpoint) at the top and an attractive cafe-bar, Davis, by the river.
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Costanera Norte
In summer, it's the Costanera Norte, about 5km north of downtown, that attracts the crowds, as this stretch, along with the islands, offers the best places to swim. The stretch along the busy Av Carrasco, north of Av Puccio, has the most to offer, including the Rambla Cataluña, a tree-lined riverfront with small sandy beaches, shoreline cafés, bars, volleyball nets and tanning sunbathers.
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Museo del Paraná y Las Islas
Thanks to the romantic, engaging murals of local painter Raúl Domínguez, this museum, on the 1st floor of the waterfront Estación Fluvial, is worthwhile. Life on the islands of the Paraná so enchanted Domínguez that he created this small museum, filling it with photographs, artifacts, historical documents and his own paintings.
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Museo Municipal de Bellas Artes
This museum is worth a visit for its brilliantly inventive juxtapositions of fine art – and there are a couple of exceptional European paintings here – with contemporary artworks from the MACRO collection. A St Andrew by Ribera, for example, is beautifully matched with a haunting photo portrait by Pierre Gonnord.
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Isla Invernada Boats
Isla Invernada Boats leave from Costa Alta for the various balnearios (river beaches) along the western shore of Isla Invernada. They are all pretty similar, with sandy beaches, gregarious summer crowds, cafés, ice-cream stands, umbrella rentals, music, billboards and boats from the mainland. Bring plenty of sunblock.
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Lo Mejor del Centro
When this parrilla went bust, the staff were left high and dry, but the local government let them reopen it as a cooperative, and what a great job they’ve done. The meat’s as good as you’ll taste in Rosario, but there’s also homemade pasta, creative salads and a warm, convivial buzz at the tightly packed tables.
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Museo Histórico Provincial
The well-presented collection of this museum features plenty of postindependence exhibits plus excellent displays on indigenous cultures from all over Latin America. Particularly interesting is the collection of Baroque religious art from the southern Andes. Information is presented in Spanish only.
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Amarra
Smart but relaxed, this restaurant opposite the tourist office has a stylish split-level interior and serves up some very imaginative dishes, beautifully presented and prepared. Its specialty is fish, but the meat is also delicious. A huge paella for two people costs AR$60, and the weekday lunch is great value.
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Pasaporte
A sublimely cozy spot with a pretty terrace and timeworn wooden furniture, including little window booths, the Pasaporte is a favorite for morning coffee with workers from the customs department opposite. But it also has a great evening atmosphere, particularly when the rain’s pouring down outside.
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La Casa del Tango
This new tango center has info on performances around town, fun Friday evening lessons for only AR$7 and stages various events, including a tango show on Saturdays at 9pm (AR$13). There’s also a good cafe and restaurant where the waiters dance tango at dinnertime Wednesday to Saturday.
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Los Jardines de Hildegarda
Right by the Río Paraná, this offbeat spot serves a short menu of pasta, mussels, pizza and potato dishes, as well as tasty licuados and plenty of relaxation. The setting is delightful – some may say better than the food. Take the lift down from next to Don Ferro restaurant.
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Cathedral
Rosario’s cathedral is a slender construction with a high single nave and dome decorated with stained-glass panels depicting the life of the Virgin. It’s one of several attractive buildings around the Plaza 25 de Mayo, which is effectively the center of old Rosario.
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Rosario Cathedral
Near the flag monument, Rosario Cathedral is a slender construction with a high single nave and dome decorated with stained-glass panels depicting the life of the Virgin. It's one of several attractive buildings around this square, which is effectively the center of old Rosario.
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Capote
Hard to miss with its pink neon sign, and decorated with tastefully framed posters, this is perhaps quieter than Truman himself would have liked, but is a fine venue for wine and beer, and also offers salads, sandwiches and pizzas. One of four in town.
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Rich
Specializing in exquisite Italian-influenced cuisine in a beautiful old building, Rich is one of the finest and most atmospheric restaurants in town. Budget-watchers shouldn't overlook the tasty rotisería (take-out shop) alongside.
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El Cairo
High ceilinged and elegant, with huge panes of glass for people-watching (and vice versa), this classic Rosario cafe is good at any time of day, but especially in the evening, when it mixes a decent cocktail and puts on good Argentine pub grub.
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Estación Fluvial
From Estación Fluvial there are hourly boats (around Arg$11 roundtrip) to the southern balnearios (river beaches) of Costa Esperanza (which offers everything from quad bikes to boat trips), Vladimir and Oasis.
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R
De Buen Humor
Ice cream here comes from happy cows, they say. We can’t vouch for that, but anyone with a sweet tooth will be mooing contentedly at the optimism-filled decor, patio seating, and tasty cones, concoctions and fruit salads.
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