When researching things to do in Buenos Aires, you’ll most likely hear about the famous San Telmo Sunday Market. We stayed in San Telmo for two months as digital nomads in 2026, and I must say that this market really is worth the hype. In fact, we actually went to the market multiple times as it was only a few minutes’ walk away from our Airbnb. There are hundreds of stalls that are set up just for the day, and you can spend hours strolling around the San Telmo area!
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What is the San Telmo Market?
The San Telmo Sunday Market is a large local artisan and antique market that occurs every week in the heart of San Telmo! Hundreds of stalls are constructed in the morning, and the market runs from approximately 10:00 am to 6:00 pm. You will get to see beautiful craftsmanship and intricate work from local sellers! It truly is an amazing experience to be a part of, and the best place to get a souvenir! I would definitely consider it a MUST while visiting Buenos Aires.
San Telmo Market Opening Hours: When to Go
Be prepared for the large crowds when visiting the San Telmo Sunday Market. It runs from 10:00 am – 6:00 pm, and there are four main areas that you’ll want to explore on this day. We started our day around 12:00 pm and walked around the whole market area until around 6:00 pm. Yes, you can literally shop until you drop on this day if you really want to, haha. The peak time to be there is definitely around 11:00 am – 2:00 pm. And there is one place in particular that you will want to avoid at this time (more on that below).
The Itinerary: Walking Calle Defensa to Plaza Dorrego
The Artisan Stalls (Calle Defensa):
My first favourite area to shop is on Calle Defensa street from Plaza Dorrego to Plaza de Mayo. It’s a one-way distance of just over 1km! You’ll find all sorts of handmade leather goods, mate cups, jewelry, art, clothing, and MORE! Stalls are lined up on both sides of the street, so we stuck to one side of the street from Plaza Dorrego until Plaza de Mayo, then made our way back on the other side.
We did plenty of shopping and picked up our Christmas tree souvenir, and our family member bought some magnets and a T-shirt. I found that the prices got a little bit better the closer we ventured toward Plaza de Mayo; however, it wasn’t a significant difference.
You will see many stalls at the San Telmo Sunday Market featuring clothing, keychains, and magnets with a character named Mafalda on them. This character is actually from a famous cartoon series from the 1960s. This cartoon was born in San Telmo, and you’ll even see life-size statues of Mafalda and her friends throughout the market. Although most of Mafalda’s clothing in the souvenirs is red, her original outfit colour is actually green. The dress colour was actually changed in later animated versions. The famous statue on the bench is one of the rare places to see her in her original green dress. On Sundays, there is a long line up to get your photo with her on this bench. If you are still in San Telmo on a different day of the week, then come back for a photo on another day.
The Antique Hub (Plaza Dorrego):
Plaza Dorrego marks the heart of the original market in San Telmo. It features stalls with a variety of antiques, including jewelry, cameras, records, and more! Here in the market, you may also see Tango Dancers dancing within the square. There is even a free tango show happening from 12:00 pm until 6:00 pm at Todo Mundo Club. We haven’t been to this show yet, but it may be a great place to see some dancing while you are in the area!
Right next to the Antique Hub, you’ll find a side street of local artist showcasing their artwork available for purchase. This street is located here, and it’s definitely worth checking out. The artwork is unique and offers more insight into the unique charm of San Telmo and Buenos Aires.
The Native Argentine Stalls & Parque Lezama
Walking from Plaza Dorrego towards Parque Lezama is where you will want to go to shop from local native vendors selling more unique items. You’ll have to cross Avenida San Juan to get to this part of the market, and we highly recommend it!
While walking around here, we also went to Miranda Coffee & Bakery. We ordered a medialuna (a traditional Argentine croissant-type pastry) and a rollo de canela (a local cinnamon bun). Both items were really tasty and made a great snack! There aren’t too many stalls in this section, but we really do enjoy exploring this part of the market!
Catch the Sunset Candombe Drummers
Be sure to watch the Candombe as the sun sets, starting past Avenida San Juan near the Parque Lezama area. We noticed that the Candombe starts in this area and makes its way through the cobblestone streets towards the Plaza Dorrego area.
It’s a unique showcase of hand drums—called the piano, repique, and chico—and dancers, known as comparsas. The music has a rich Afro-Argentine heritage. If you are still at the market around sunset, be sure to keep an eye out for them!
Mercado de San Telmo (The Indoor Market)
Mercado de San Telmo is an awesome place to head to with unbelievable food stalls! It is a major hub on Sundays. It’s a unique vibe as it blends its 1897 history and vintage charm with modern shops and local eats. With that said, do not come here in the late morning/early afternoon on Sunday, as it is absolutely jam-packed. I felt like a sardine walking around, and it honestly took away from the excitement of being there. Your best bet is to either come on another day or come back after the crowd simmers down around 4:00 pm. It’s the best market area for food; however, I do have alternative restaurant suggestions that are unbelievable to go to!
Best Foods to Try at the San Telmo Sunday Market and Where to Find Them
Choripan
Hands down, this is a staple in Argentina, and there are plenty of awesome places to get this. Simply put, a choripan is a sausage in a bun and typically dressed with a chimichurri sauce.
We have had choripans in multiple places and highly recommend getting them from Parrilla al Paso “Lo de Flora”, La Parri, or inside the market at La Choripanería.
Traveller Tip: If you’re near the Mercado de San Telmo around lunchtime on Sunday, then head to either of the places listed above outside the market to get an awesome Choripan without the long wait time!
Empanada
You can’t go too far in San Telmo without seeing a restaurant or cafe selling Empanadas!
One of our go-to places to get empanadas in San Telmo is actually at Big Pizza! They have multiple locations, and our go-to spot was here! You’ll see all the different flavours in the window, and as a bonus, the different flavours are also marked right on each empanada itself! These empanadas are tasty and extremely affordable.
Traveller tip: Try out the cheeseburger empanada here – it’s actually amazing!
While they aren’t the absolute best* empanadas, you can’t beat the price. Our favourite empanadas were found inside the market – more on that below!
There are multiple flavours of empanadas to choose from, and the common ones include: Carne picante (spicy meat – honestly, it’s not really spicy), Carne suave (savoury meat), Jamón y queso (ham & cheese), Pollo (chicken), Humita (corn, onion, & cheese), Cerolla y Queso (onion & cheese)…and the list goes on!
Milanesa
A milanesa is a traditional Argentine food that is a thin meat cutlet (usually beef or chicken) that is breaded and fried until crispy. It is an absolute staple of Argentine comfort food. You’ll be able to find these at almost all local restaurants, and we especially enjoyed having one at Desnivel and Parrilla Bodegon NK ATENEO in San Telmo.
Note: Desnivel is an amazing restaurant, and I certainly recommend that you dine here. We actually have eaten here on a Sunday twice – once for lunch and once for dinner. We had a short wait time for lunch, as they have plenty of tables in the back dining area. During dinner time, we barely had a wait at all. They don’t take reservations during the busy Sunday hours, so you may have to wait in line.
Parrilla (Grill)
Of course, when you think about food in Argentina, meat comes to mind! San Telmo is a great place to be to enjoy some great meats, which you can find at an abundance of restaurants! We loved ordering parrilla from Desnivel and La Brigada the best!
Lots of restaurants have a menu for a mixed grill for 2, 3, or 4, and it typically comes with a variation of a chorizo sausage, blood sausage, flank steak, chicken, roast beef, pork and a side dish.
It can be possible to make a substitute, depending on the restaurant, if you want to swap something out in the mixed grill. In my experience, it is A LOT of meat, and for 3 of us, we could easily split a mixed grill for 2!
Top Choices to Eat at Mercado de San Telmo
If you do find yourself at the Mercado de San Telmo, then I have three recommendations of where to go.
First Up We Have: La Choripanería
It’s a Choripanaria, featuring multiple different versions of the chorizo sandwich. I have tried both the Solapa and Gaucho, and I actually prefer the original one (Solapa) the best! It’s simply the chorizo sausage in a baguette with chimichurri sauce. They have multiple locations in the Mercado de San Telmo, and it’s easy to find a spot to eat there on non-Sundays. It’s super tasty, and I highly recommend eating here!
My Second Recommendation is: La Posta del Horneo
It’s a great place to be if you are looking for local foods, including empanadas, tamales, and locro! We have tried their empanadas, locro (hearty meat stew), and their beer on tap. It’s a popular place in the market, and everything we have tried is really good! Their empanadas are a bit more expensive, but they are our favourites in the area!.
My Third Recommendation is: NRO 53
This is a great place to enjoy Argentine meat! They even display the different meat cuts, and you can choose how you would like it grilled. They have seating right along the restaurant, or you can sit in the path/hall area in the middle (which we did). It’s a neat way to take in the market and enjoy local eats!
Crucial Safety & Shopping Tips for First-Timers
Watch Your Pockets
Pickpocketing is quite common, and it is something that you need to be aware of when staying in Buenos Aires. With the San Telmo market being an incredibly busy place, pickpocketing can certainly happen. Actually, on our second day here in San Telmo, it happened to be in the San Telmo market, and we saw someone talking to the police about their stolen phone.
My recommendation is to put your phone away in your bag and wear your bag in front instead of at your side or back. This will ensure your belongings are in sight and you can keep track of them.
Additional advice I’ve seen is that if you do need to use your phone, step into a restaurant or cafe to look for directions, and then step out when you are ready to venture out into the street.
Pay in Cash
When travelling in Argentina, you might notice that there are two different prices – a cash price and a credit card price. The price they will give you almost always first is the cash price, and then, if you ask for a card, expect to pay an additional 10%-15%. Although some vendors and restaurants will not charge an additional fee for credit card use, it’s certainly something to be aware of.
Bonus: San Telmo Se Copa (The Ultimate Wine Crawl)
We only discovered San Telmo Se Copa after we kept wondering why we saw so many people walking around with wine glasses and wandering through the markets. It typically only runs on a special holiday weekend, and it’s not a standard Sunday event – so timing is everything!
Here is the idea: You start at the restaurant Grapin and pay a deposit of 10.000 ARS for a standard wine glass. You choose the wine you want to drink for an additional 6.000ARS per glass, and then you take the glass with you and drink the wine while exploring the market! With multiple participating bars/restos, you don’t have to walk too far to reach another spot to fill up your class (for a fee), along with some food like an empanada.
As we stayed in San Telmo for 2 months, we were able to join in the second month we were there. It was a really neat event to join! We got to try a few different types of wine (different than the Malbecs we were typically enjoying in Buenos Aires), and loved hanging out at new wine bars that we hadn’t been to yet.
Some bars also have music playing outside, which really made it a neat vibe to walk around the city and drink wine. If you see lots of people walking around with wine glasses, it’s likely that you’ve arrived at San Telmo market during this event!
Check out the San Telmo Se Copa’s Instagram page to see if there is an upcoming event when you are in San Telmo!
Final Thoughts on the San Telmo Sunday Market
Without a doubt, San Telmo is where you want to be on a Sunday in Buenos Aires. Although it can be quite busy, it is truly a special market to explore! With so many local artisan stalls, you’ll be sure to find something that you’d like to purchase, whether it’s a souvenir, painting, mate cup, or more. I honestly would carve out just about your whole day to spend in San Telmo. If you are hoping to eat at Mercado de San Telmo itself, then I recommend you go shortly after it opens at 9:00 am or later on in the afternoon, after 3:00 pm.
Heading to the market in the early afternoon is the sweet spot, in my opinion, as you bypass the late morning rush to the market, you get to enjoy shopping without the massive crowds, and you’ll get a chance to see the Candombe around sunset.
In the end, I actually attended the San Telmo Sunday Market 4-5 times, and this should absolutely be added to your list when visiting Buenos Aires!
