Real de San Carlos & Restored 1910 Plaza de Toros Guide: Neo-Mudéjar Bullring & Rambla

Five kilometres north-west of the Barrio Histórico at the end of the palm-lined coastal promenade of Rambla de las Américas stands one of the most unexpected architectural monuments in South America: a soaring, fifty-metre-wide Neo-Mudéjar brick and cast-iron bullring built in 1910 that hosted just eight official bullfights in its entire history before being closed for more than a century and reborn in December 2021 as a flagship cultural centre.

1. From 1761 Spanish Siege Camp to Nicolás Mihanovich's 1910 Belle Époque Resort

• Why the District Is Called Real de San Carlos: In 1761, Spanish Governor of Buenos Aires Pedro de Cevallos pitched his royal military siege camp (El Real) on this high ground overlooking Portuguese Colonia and dedicated a small chapel to King Charles III of Spain (San Carlos); you can still visit the whitewashed Capilla de San Benito a few blocks from the bullring.
• Mihanovich's 1910 Dream across the River from Buenos Aires: Because Argentina had banned bullfighting while wealthy Porteños were eager for Belle Époque entertainment, shipping magnate Nicolás Mihanovich obtained a concession from the Uruguayan government in 1908 to build a luxury tourism complex at Real de San Carlos, complete with a steamship pier (Muelle del Real), a narrow-gauge steam tramway, a hotel-casino, a power plant, a Basque pelota court, and a monumental bullring.

2. Touring the Restored 1910 Plaza de Toros & Frontón Euskaro

• Eight Bullfights, a 1912 Ban & the 2021 Restoration: Designed by architect José Marcovich and engineer Dupuy using pre-fabricated French cast-iron columns and Moorish-inspired horseshoe brick arches seating 8,000 spectators, the Plaza de Toros inaugurated on 9 January 1910 with Spanish matadors Ricardo Torres ("Bombita") and Vicente Pastor. Only eight official corridas took place before reformist Uruguayan President José Batlle y Ordóñez outlawed bullfighting nationwide in 1912. After decades as a picturesque ruin, a comprehensive structural restoration reopened the monument in December 2021 with guided tours of the ring and iron galleries, a historical museum, a restaurant, and a gift shop; check the official Plaza de Toros portal for current guided tour times.
• The 1910 Frontón Euskaro & How to Get There: Directly across the lawn stands the massive 64-by-21-metre Frontón Real de San Carlos (1910), the largest open-air Basque pelota court in South America. Rent a bicycle, electric golf buggy, or take the local urban bus along the scenic 5 km Rambla Costanera de las Américas.