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Best street art destinations in South America

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Valparaíso
Colorful Hills, Art and Ocean Views
7.4
Murals by graffiti artists now cover streets, alleyways and stairways. A grassroots preservation movement in the mid 1990s helped revive the city. UNESCO named it a World Heritage Site in 2003. Cerro Alegre and Cerro Concepcion are the oldest hills and hold colonial English architecture, small squares and museums.
Highlights:
  • 🚠 Ride the historic Ascensor Reina Victoria funicular
  • 🏠 Visit La Sebastiana, Pablo Neruda’s colorful house museum
  • 🎨 Explore vibrant street art in Cerro Alegre and Concepción
Medellín
The City of Eternal Spring
7.4
Comuna 13 murals depict community figures, past violence and local injustices. Chota 13 is one of its best known graffiti artists. Casa Kolacho, a hip hop centre, runs locally guided Grafitours. At weekends the neighbourhood can receive up to 6,000 visitors a day. Escalators and two MetroCable lines connect it to the city.
Highlights:
  • 🌺 Stroll through the Botanical Garden and its orchid collection
  • 🎨 Explore Comuna 13’s colorful murals and vibrant street art
  • 🚡 Ride the Metrocable to Parque Arví for panoramic views
São Paulo
A vibrant mix of culture and cuisine
8.0
Beco do Batman lies around Rua Gonçalo Afonso in Vila Madalena. A Batman graffito painted in the 1980s gave the alley its name. Local art students then added psychedelic and cubist inspired designs. Community members regularly renovate the murals. Visitor numbers climbed during the 2014 World Cup.
Highlights:
  • 🎨 Admire street art at colorful Beco do Batman
  • 🌳 Relax in vast green Ibirapuera Park with museums
  • 🚶‍♀️ Walk vibrant Paulista Avenue, heart of São Paulo
Buenos Aires
Where Tango and Culture Thrive
8.1
Artists usually need only a property owner's or residents' association's permission. Laws are relatively relaxed. Colegiales, Chacarita, Villa Crespo and Palermo Hollywood hold many murals. Barracas has El Regreso de Quinquela, described as the world's longest mural by one artist at about 21,500 square feet. Graffitimundo runs guided tours.
Highlights:
  • 🎭 Tour the grand Teatro Colón and admire its opulence
  • 🎨 Stroll through colorful Caminito Street in La Boca
  • 💃 Watch a passionate tango performance in San Telmo
Bogotá
Vibrant Culture in the Andean Highlands
7.1
Graffiti was decriminalized in 2013, though one guide says it is only tolerated. Huge chunks of the city now work as open air galleries. Guache, DJ Lu and Bastardilla are among the named artists. Walking tours centre on La Candelaria. Capital Graffiti Tours is donation based and artist led.
Highlights:
  • 🏘️ Stroll through historic La Candelaria neighborhood
  • 🏛️ Explore the Museo del Oro with pre-Hispanic gold
  • ⛰️ Take in panoramic city views from Mount Monserrate
La Boca
Vibrant Colors and Tango Rhythms
Caminito is a pedestrian street of colourful houses and the neighbourhood's best known stretch. Genoese and other Italian immigrants shaped this old port district. Works linked to the artist Benito Quinquela Martin fill the area. Large and often political murals also cover walls here and in neighbouring Barracas.
Highlights:
  • 🎨 Explore local art galleries and street murals
  • ⚽ Visit La Bombonera stadium, home of Boca Juniors
  • 💃 Stroll along colorful Caminito street filled with tango dancers
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