In my last piece of this series of Postcards from Buenos Aires, I wanted to pay an ode to the barrio that played host to my favourite footballing experience of the lot.
Even on a non-matchday, you have to pass through the beautifully cultivated area of La Boca, and you won’t regret it. My friend and I enjoyed a wonderful wander throughout this district, stopping everywhere that caught our eye or served something delicious.
The Colours of Boca
La Boca is unmistakably the home of Boca Juniors. Stepping out into the neighbourhood, pillars, poles, and walls surround you—hand-painted in the famous blue and yellow colours. Shop fronts and kiosks match the aesthetic wonderfully, with club banners and flags draped outside.
Luckily, with autumn creeping in during my visit, the yellow leaves on the trees paired with lovely blue skies above added a charming sprinkle of colour coordination to an already vividly symbiotic area.
A Mouth Full of History
“Boca” translates as mouth, and the commonly accepted origin of the name stems from the area’s proximity to the Port of Buenos Aires, which sits at the mouth of the Matanza-Riachuelo River.
Because of its proximity to the busy docks—much like other major port cities such as Hamburg in Germany or Liverpool in the United Kingdom—La Boca became a melting pot of cultures, with ships and people from around the world stopping by to share their goods and wares.
Many immigrants arrived from areas around Genoa, Italy, and it was these settlers who founded the club. Shipping was also pivotal in how Boca Juniors chose their colours—by adopting the colours of the first ship to sail into the port of La Boca that day, which happened to be Swedish.
Forgotten Roots and Fierce Pride
It feels impossible to imagine any other colours associated with the area now, but it’s often forgotten that La Boca was the original home of River Plate—before their move north to the more affluent barrios of Núñez and Belgrano.
But let’s move on from that.
As naturally occurs with most port areas, they tend to lean toward working-class values. Historically, this has been true for La Boca as well, adopting a workmanlike ethic that later transferred onto the philosophy of the football club, where winning at all costs became the main mantra.
These strong-minded ethics even led to short-lived calls for independence with “La República Independiente de La Boca” threatening to become a micronation. Though unsuccessful, the mentality remains. Boca Juniors fans are one of the few fan bases who see their club as more important than the national team.
A Living, Breathing Football Wonderland
Today, La República has remarkably developed into a wonderland dedicated to Boca Juniors. Murals of legends like Juan Román Riquelme, Martín Palermo, and Diego Maradona decorate countless facades. Even Lionel Messi features with his iconic kiss of the World Cup, claimed in 2022.
Further away lies the street Caminito, meaning “little path.” Back in the 1950s, it had fallen into disrepair and become a makeshift rubbish dump. But local artist Benito Quinquela Martín and a group of residents fought to reclaim the street, cleaning it up and painting the walls in a range of bright pastel colours.
Tango, Chorizo, and Riquelme
In complete contrast to its lingering reputation as a lower-class area, La Boca is now a haven of restaurants serving hearty Argentinian recipes, coffee stops, and souvenir stores with everything Boca available to purchase.
We spotted an older gentleman working outside one of these establishments, standing in front of a grill, carefully tending to delicious-smelling chorizos. He was dancing to tango rhythms, wearing his Boca shirt with Riquelme’s No.10 emblazoned on the back.
His joyous movement, while helping produce a national classic dish, encapsulated the marvellous mood that the whole neighbourhood produces.
All our thanks to Joey Corlett.
To see more of Joey’s work, please visit joeycorlett
You can also check out his podcast here: thejourneymenpodcast
