La Plata
ArgentinaCfa
© OpenStreetMap, CARTO
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Why visit
The Museum of La Plata is a less visited place, its dinosaur halls, ethnographic collections, and the famous diorama of Patagonian glyptodonts make it one of the great natural-history museums of the southern hemisphere. The neo-Gothic Cathedral, finally completed in 1999, is really awe-inspiring inside. Walk the symmetrical Avenida 51 from the Cathedral to the Casa de Gobierno provincial palace. La Plata's calm grid is a refreshing contrast to chaotic Buenos Aires, an easy day trip on the Roca train.
When to avoid
La Plata's outskirts have higher crime. Stick to the central grid and use registered taxis at night. Football derbies (the Clásico Platense) bring serious tribalism and occasional violence, don't wear team colours unless you know what you're doing. The 2013 catastrophic flood killed dozens. Flash flooding still happens after heavy summer storms. Sunday afternoon shop hours are limited.