Mar del Plata Travel Guide
The city of Mar del Plata, in the province of Buenos Aires, lies about 400 km south of Buenos Aires on the Atlantic Coast, is a young city, founded in 1874, by the developer Patricio Peralta Ramos, in the last 50 years has become in an important tourist destination, actually is the most important seaside resort in Argentina and receives more than 3 million tourists every year.
Mar del Plata combines the beauty of its natural resources with the excellent quality infrastructure, services, and hospitality of its people, its combination of masses of humid, hot, sea subtropical air, and a temperature of over 22ºC gives to Mar de Plata a temperate climate.
Mar del Plata is one of the preferred places that Argentines choose to go on their vacations, its surroundings offer many of the best beaches in South America, there are also ecological reserves, many fancy resorts, fishing villages, and many other attractions.
Most activities in Mar del Plata center on the beach, you can enjoy activities like swimming, bike crossings, horse rides, diving, fishing, paragliding, windsurfing, jet-skiing, tandem, or baptism flights.
After Buenos Aires, Mar del Plata is the most popular destination for conventions, the city has a wide range of services in this sector. During the summer season, Mar del Plata hosts important theatrical plays. Its exciting nightlife offers plenty of alternatives: pubs, discos, casinos, and bingos are ready to receive the most demanding tourists.
Some of the most important attractions are the Colón Square, the “Torreon del Monje” (The Tower of the Monk), the “Los Troncos” neighborhood, the Mar del Plata Sailing Club, Punta Mogotes, Barrancas de Los Lobos, De Los Padres Hill, and Lagoon, and Chapadmalal Beach apart from the Sea Museum (which includes one of the most complete collections of sea snails of the World).
Mar del Plata is an excellent place for those who search for tranquility and rest as well for those looking for noise and entertainment.
The cod fisheries are really common food in Mar del Plata. Traditionally a popular source of food in some countries, such as Argentina, it has previously been largely consumed as a cheaper and versatile alternative to cod and haddock. One of the most valuable parts of this fish is the cod liver. The reason: is located in the first position of the recognized foods high in iron.
Beaches of Mar del Plata
As a beach resort, Mar del Plata has a wide number of beaches which satisfy every taste, the perfect combination of air, sun, and sea, gives to the visitors an unforgettable experience, some of the best beaches are listed here:
Camet Beaches
Camet Beaches, they extend from Camet Park to Constitución Avenue, they are small beaches with fine, gray sand, easy to reach through the Felix U. Camet Avenue.
Northern Access Beaches
Northern Access Beaches, its good waves make these very attractive for surfers, visitors find modern facilities like restaurants, solarium, parking lot, tent hire.
La Perla Beach
La Perla Beach, it is a group of beaches connected by footbridges, with a varied offer of services like restaurants, bars, restrooms, parasol, tent hire, telephone booths, and lifeguard protection. The beaches are wide and almost always crowded.
Varese Beach
Varese Beach, located between “Torreón del Monje” and Cabo Corrientes, with fine sand, no gradient, and very soft waves, is an ideal place to practice water sports.
Playa Chica
Playa Chica, the spurs of the Tandilia System reaches the sea on this beach, it is the ideal place to bask in the sun, the magnificent view of “Playa Grande” and the port of Mar del Plata enhances the area.
Playa Grande
Playa Grande is a complex, which extends from General Roca Street, through the Park San Martin until Escollera Norte, there are exclusive resorts, restaurants, bars, shops, the beach is wide with waves very attractive for surfers and body-boarders.
Punta Mogotes
Punta Mogotes, 24 beach resorts located next to the port, connected with the Reserva Natural del Puerto (Harbour Natural Reserve) by lagoons, there are tourist services like parking lots, restaurants, bars in fine sand beaches.
Punta Cantera – Faro
Punta Cantera – Faro, from Punta Mogotes to the lighthouse, there is a modern and traditional buildings sector called Punta Cantera, with services like elegant restaurants, solarium, and beautiful pools, one of the highlights of the area is the spectacular view of the city at day and night
Nudista Beach
Nudista Beach, for those who practice nudism, visits the Nudista Beach located 25 kilometers from the city, at 400 meters from the lighthouse of Punta Mogotes, is a private beach club, with three little pools, a dressing room, and dancing rooms.
Things to do in Mar del Plata
Is a beautiful city with lots of things to do all year, many of their French-style residences have been preserved as museums. The nightlife also is great specially in summers, when many theater companies come from Buenos Aires and nightclubs open their doors all night. The city has sophisticated tourist infrastructure, casinos, theaters, dancing clubs, and other tourist attractions that can be found here.
Villa Victoria Cultural Center
One of the sights more visited is Villa Victoria, at Matheu 1851, onetime was home of the writer Victoria Ocampo, in the 1920s and 1930s, this residence was the gathering place for some artists and intellectuals from around the world, including Jorge Luis Borges, the poet Gabriela Mistral, the novelist Rabindranath Tagore, the novelist Adolfo Bioy Casares and the Russian composer Igor Stravinsky. Now is the major Villa Victoria Cultural Center.
The Mar del Plata International Film Festival
It is a ‘Category A’ festival, along with festivals like Cannes, Berlin or Venice, and the most prestigious film festival in South America, it takes place every year, during the month of March. Producers, exhibitors, distributors, and journalists from all over the world meet there, contributing to the global promotion of the event and the films. The awards are given to Best Film, Best Director, Best Actress, Best Actor, Best Script, Best Iberoamerican Film, and the judge’s special award, the awards were called, originally, Ombú, but in 2004, the name was changed to Ástor in honor to the great tango musician Ástor Piazzolla.
Museo del Mar
Located at Avenida Colón 1114, the impressive Museum of the Sea is the new attraction of the city, it has the incredible and beautiful collection of seashells of Benjamín Sisterna(some 30,000 representing 3,300 different marine species from all over the world). Modern and didactic, the museum is arranged for visitors to understand and appreciate the collection, there are also aquariums, glass cabinets, a kind of submerged cave inhabited by sea organisms, and finally, in the sky levels, you can enjoy a wonderful view of the city.
Museums
There are another two important public museums in Mar del Plata: the Museo Municipal de Arte Juan Carlos Castagnino, located Avenida Colón 1189, the museum shows paintings, sculptures, engravings, and photography by Argentine artists, and the Museo Archivo Historico Municipal, located at Avenida Lamadrid 3870, shows a good collection of early 20th century photos of the Mar del Plata’s history. There are also two private museums, the Juan Manuel Fangio museum and the museum of the tennis player Guillermo Vilas.
Iglesia Stella Maris
The Stella Maris Chapel located at Brown 1054, is a temple with great architectural value, its a neo-Gothic building, displays exquisite ornamentation details: a nut tree carved altar and a tower crowned by a cross made of brass. Its Sea Virgin, sculpted by a Rodin disciple, is the patron saint of anglers of Mar del Plata.
“El Paraiso” Zoo
Located at Km 16.5, route 266, offers the possibility to see a wonderful collection of South American, domestic, and exotic animals (lions, pumas, monkeys, llamas, and other animals) in open spaces that recreate their natural environments. It also works as a botanic garden, the wide variety of trees generate a special micro-climate where visitors have the feeling that they are crossing a natural forest. There are also children’s playgrounds and recreational areas.
Mar del Plata Aquarium
Built in 1997 and located at 5600 Martinez de Hoz Avenue. is one of the best aquariums in Argentina, offers a wide range of marine attractions (seals, dolphins, penguins, tortoises, flamingos, many kinds of fish), the seals and dolphins shows are the most popular. Additionally, there is a cinema which features great Large Format film experiences.
The Banquina de Pescadores
The Banquina de Pescadores, is located near the port, beyond Playa Grande and the Mar del Plata Golf Club, declared “National Heritage”, is a picturesque wharf with many colored boats making a rainbow fleet where fishermen carry out their daily routine, there are also many restaurants and cafeterias, the multicolored fishing boats and the sea lions passing at the end of the day, are very attractive subjects for photography.
Eating in Mar del Plata
The city has an ample supply of restaurants offering a wide selection of food, the city’s most active restaurant and nightlife areas are located on Avenida Alem and surrounding streets.
You must try also the “Alfajores” (a cake with “dulce de leche”, the best are at the Havana shops), the “Dulce de Leche” (a cream caramel), and the Parrillas (mixed grills, with very low prices). But the best food in Mar del Plata is the seafood; the port, is a good zone to know and try very fresh seafood, restaurants have a large variety of dishes to offer, you may try fish like Hake, Salmon, Pollack, Tuna, Sole, Chernia, Sardines, Mackerel, Squid, Octopus, Mussel and Snails, especially don`t miss the “mariscos” and “rabas”.
You could visit the next restaurants:
Amigos del Mar Sushi Restaurant, attended by the Komiyama family, seems to be the only one really Japanese restaurant in Mar del Plata
Address: 2056, Guido
Telephone: +54-223-4916054
El Palacio del Bife, one of the best parillas in Mar Del Plata is Palacio del Bife.
Address: 1857, Córdoba
Telephone: +54-223-4947727
Zafarrancho, another excellent Grill and Argentine-style Barbecue
Address: 2361, Belgrano
Telephone: +54-223-4947342
Pampita, Grill and Argentine-style Barbecue, located around Güemes zone
Address: 1326, Alvarado
Telephone: +54-223-4516335
Los García, a very nice Grill and Argentine-style Barbecue, with excellent service.
Address: 2657, Olavarría
La Marca, is famous to serve a whole cow on special events for groups of fifty or more people.
Address: 253, Almafuerte
Telephone: +54-223-4518072
La Marina, an amazing place, you can have a sit in front of the sea.
Address: 3147, 12 de Octubre Street
Telephone: +54-223-4899216
El Maute, Grill and Argentine-style Barbecue and traditional dishes.
Address: 5582, Juan B. Justo Av.
Telephone: +54-223-4812470/7983
Nightlife in Mar del Plata
In summer Mar del Plata is the capital of the entertainment in Argentina, many theater companies perform plays and musical events. The city’s most popular bars are located at Mitre Square, near San Luis Street, there are also many live music and discos along Constitución Avenue, it is known as the “Avenida del Ruido” (Noisy Avenue), Alem Avenue and surrounding streets are another of the most active pubs, bars, and nightclubs areas.
The best places to go include:
Juan Martín de Pueyrredón Cultural Center offers events including theater, music, film, and lectures.
Address: 3108, 25 de Mayo Street
Telephone: +54-223-4997876
E-mail: [email protected]
The Teatro Auditorium, one of the centers of summer musical theater imported from Buenos Aires.
Address: (Blvd. Marítimo 2280,
Telephone: +54-223-4937786
The Teatro Municipal Colón
Address: 1665 Yrigoyen
Telephone: +54-223-4948571
Mardel’s Casino Central, the perfect place to start the night and burn some money.
Address: 2148 Maritimo Peralta Boulevard
Telephone: +54 223-4957011
Chocolate, One of the most famous discotheques and restaurant
Address: 4451 Constitución Avenue
Telephone: +54-223-4794848
Divino Beach, an ideal place for people between 18 and 30, a lot of fun
Address: Paseo Costanero Sur, Presidente Illia
Telephone: +54-223-4671506
Go! Disco
Address: 5780 Constitución Avenue
Telephone: +54-223-4796666
Complejo Sobremonte, Discotheque
Address: 6690 Constitución Avenue
Telephone: +54-223-4797930
Gap Disco
Address: 5780 Constitucion
Telephone: +54-223-4796666
Amsterdam, the best gay disco in the City
Address: 3045 Castilli
Telephone: 15-5278606
Coyote, a club with salsa and merengue music all night.
Address: 6670 Constitución Avenue
Telephone: +54-223-4797930
Playa Grande CLUB, a restaurant, disco, bar, with the best live music
Address: 238 Quintana
Telephone: +54-223-4863727
Casa del Folklore, traditional music shows
Address: 2543 San Juan
Telephone: +54-223-4723955