6 URBAN ART DESTINATIONS IN LATIN AMERICA

ou don't need more than a walk through the streets to appreciate it: urban art, born in the United States in the 1970s, took over the world and spread across walls, bridges, viaducts and facades. In Latin America, there are several destinations that have become authentic open-air museums.

Civitatis, a leading company in sales of tours and tourist activities in more than 130 countries around the world, brought together six Latin American cities with unmissable examples of urban art. Find out more below and plan your next trip:

São Paulo Brazil

The largest metropolis in Latin America, São Paulo brims with examples of urban art throughout the city. Some of the best known are Beco de Batman, which is located in the iconic Vila Madalena neighborhood; the Minhocão viaduct, one of the city's expressways that has countless graffiti on its columns; and, finally, the Open Museum of Urban Art (MAAU), where you can admire more than 70 different murals in a space open to visitors and street artists.

Civitatis offers street art tours around São Paulo on foot or by bike.

Rio de janeiro Brazil

Another Brazilian city that stands out for street art is Rio de Janeiro. The famous Escadaria Selarón, in the Santa Teresa neighborhood, is a mandatory stop for any tourist. This work of urban art was created by Jorge Selarón, a Chilean painter and ceramist based in the wonderful city, and inspired by Park Güell, in Barcelona.

Another of the main examples of urban art in Rio de Janeiro is included in the Guinness Book: it is the giant 3,000 square meter mural by artist Eduardo Kobra, on Boulevard Olímpico. These and other iconic urban art spots in Rio de Janeiro can be explored with Civitatis' Rio de Janeiro street art tour.

Mexico City, Mexico

The Mexican capital brings together beautiful examples of urban art in its streets, with the colors and strong features typical of local art. On this urban art tour of Mexico City, you can see some examples even underground, at the Insurgentes metro station, which has a gigantic mural from 1990.

The walls and facades of Mexico City also overflow with urban art, such as the streets of Colônia Roma and the building of the Polyforum Siqueiros Cultural Center, whose iconic facade was painted by the artist David Alfaro Siqueiros.

Callao, Peru

The Callao district in Peru has become a true epicenter of urban art in Latin America and has gained fame for artistic initiatives related to graffiti. One of the best ways to get to know the region is to start a tour in the monumental area of Callao, which is home to more than 60 urban art murals. The Callao art tour is the ideal tour to discover its art galleries and murals, combining the art and culture of Peru in the midst of an emblematic place: the port of Callao.

A few minutes away by car, Villa El Salvador, one of Lima's largest suburbs, also offers hundreds of examples of street art on the walls and facades of houses, where Quechua, Aymara, Amazonian and Afro-descendant ethnicities live.

And if you want to be part of this movement, Callao also offers the opportunity to participate in a graffiti workshop, to learn street art techniques from a professional graffiti artist.

Valparaiso, Chile

The iconic port city of Valparaíso, in Chile, a cultural heritage of humanity, brings together, on its colorful facades, beautiful examples of street art. Cerro Barón, accessible by the famous Polanco elevator, is a true open-air museum, with large murals decorating the facades of the houses. The same happens at Cerro Bellavista, accessible by public transport, which also offers visitors a beautiful view of the port and the Pacific Ocean. The street art tour of Valparaíso, by Civitatis, includes all these tourist attractions, with the guidance of a local guide.

Bogotá, Colombia

The last stop on our artistic itinerary is Bogotá, Colombia. The city is considered one of the Latin American capitals of urban art and considered by some to be the “Mecca of Graffiti”, due to its huge and colorful murals.

The free street art tour through the La Candelaria district, with a local guide, takes the visitor to see the main examples of these murals, which date back to the 1980s. Many of them have a vindication character, in a protest against inequality and social injustices. . A beautiful way to learn about the city's history through art.

Text by: Agency edited by Patrícia Chemin

Featured photo by: Bruna Prado – MTUR

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