Plaza San Martín

Plaza San Martín is a public park in the Retiro neighborhood of Buenos Aires, covering three hectares and bordered by Libertador Avenue and Santa Fe Avenue. It sits at the northern end of Florida Street and links several main roads with tree-lined green spaces.

The site began as a bullring in 1801 and was converted into a military training ground in 1812, where General San Martín founded his mounted grenadiers regiment. Later in the 19th century, the area was transformed into a public park named after the independence hero.

The name honors General José de San Martín, whose equestrian statue has stood here since 1862 to mark Argentina's independence struggle. Families gather on the lawns at weekends, while office workers from nearby buildings sit on the benches during lunch breaks.

The park is open daily and offers shaded paths beneath the trees that provide relief during warm weather. Retiro train station sits right next to it, making the park easy to reach on foot.

More than 350 trees, including jacarandas, tipas and palo borrachos, grow here and form one of the largest urban green areas in Buenos Aires. When the jacarandas bloom in spring, purple flowers cover the paths.