There many cities in the world that looks as if
it is one but at the same time it looks like many others. In fact, it happens
due to its diversity and unusual geographical characteristics. One of those
cities is in Argentina. It is two cities in one because when summer comes it is
completely transformed. Its population grows by more than 300%, its sky clears
and even languages multiply.
This is Mar del Plata, where millions of
tourists from all over the world come every year attracted by the moment of
greatest splendor of the Argentine Sea.
The first European, who described these coasts,
was the Portuguese Fernando de Magallanes. He found this place when he was on
his way around the world. This territory has been an object of desire for
Western civilization, though it was a space of passage in the process of
searching food for indigenous people. It never was a place for settlement.
By the mid-nineteenth century, the territory
belonged to the Portuguese consul José Coelho de Meyrelles. But, it was
acquired by the Buenos Aires merchant Patricio Peralta Ramos in 1860, who
decided to found a town because this place had a different destiny.
In the letter that Patricio Peralta Ramos sent
to the governor of the region to approve the foundation of Mar del Plata, the
merchant predicts that there, with all certainty, will live the happiest
inhabitants of the province. But the founder never imagined that this happiness
would be shared by so many foreigners. He did not think that each year the
population would triple in the summer.
The word “tourism” was far from the imaginary
of this Argentine merchant of the nineteenth century, although it seems to be
the whole of the arrival of summer.
There are so many attractions in the city that
most visitors come from other corners of same Argentina because the road
systems of the country seem designed to empty there as well as the tourists
arrive in these beaches automatically.
There are so many attractions, and we are going
to name some of the bests. Try not to lose your sanity in an effort of
organizing a schedule when visiting Mar del Plata.
The Beaches
There are 28 kilometers of beaches in Mar del
Plata. Tourists prefer those located to the south and the center of the city
because of the transportation facilities. They are also among the safest
beaches in Latin America because one of the points of pride of the city is its
body of lifeguards, which is composed of more than 500 people who watch every
inch.
Hotel Provincial and
Casino Central
This complex is National Historical Heritage.
The hotel is a symbol of the history and progress of the city; the casino is
one of the largest in the world.
In the place, there is also the Teatro
Auditorium Centro Provincial de las Artes, where events of the highest national
level are held, such as award ceremonies and other activities related to the
show.
Torreón del Monje
El Torreón del Monje is one of the most
emblematic places in Mar del Plata. Currently, there are coffee shops and
facilities on the beaches as well as an exhibition hall and a viewpoint, but
the mysticism behind the building is the main attraction of the place.
There is a legend of love between soldier Alvar
Rodríguez and an indigenous woman of the nearby mission that ended in tragedy,
a story that has more myth than verifiable facts but is part of Mar del Plata
as much as its sea and sky.
Plaza del Milenio
This is a marvelous show. The full name of this
square is Plaza del Milenio - Fuente de Aguas Danzantes. It was originally
created it for having a better view of the Hotel Provincial and Casino Central,
but the beauty and importance of the place went out of hand to the builders and
today is a mandatory reference of the city.
In the middle of the square, there is a
fountain of forty meters diameter whose waters literally dance to the rhythm of
six songs by the Argentine musician and composer Litto Vitale. In other points
of the square, there are palm trees that the citizens protect with zeal because
some of them date from years as remote as 1895.
Alfonsina Storni
Monument
Mar del Plata has the painful honor of being
the place where the brilliant poet Alfonsina Storni has decided to commit
suicide. Lovers of Latin American literature should go at least once to see
this sculpture by Luis Perlotti that records one of the saddest episodes of
American art. The simplicity of the monument does not diminish the character's
greatness and rather demonstrates that this is where the pain came from.
A Complete tour through
the City
Of course, time is always a problem. For this
reason, the best thing that you can do is to take a complete tour of the city.
A tour to go to places of interest with expert guides. Then, to the Paseo de la
Plaza Milenio are added the Plaza Colón, the Monumento al Lobo Marino, the Paseo
Güemes, the Plaza del Agua, Los Troncos, the Fabric Factory, the Gruta de
Lourdes and the banquita de Los Pescadores, spaces unavoidable to understand
Mar del Plata in depth.
The wild side of Mar
del Plata
Once the emblematic places of the city of Mar
del Plata are already known, it is necessary to turn attention to the less
civilized and get away from the city. For that, there is a tour that goes
through the towns of Pinamar, Villa Gesell, and Ostende, but goes further
because it faces tourists to experience the indomitable side of the region.
This tour allows a perfect view of the most
beautiful cliffs of the Atlantic coast, goes into the Natural Reserve Querandi
Lighthouse and allows moments in idyllic beaches of Mar Chiquita and Mar
Azul.
Laguna de Los Padres
Just 20 kilometers from Mar del Plata, this
lagoon transformed into a huge public park is a reserve that captivates
visitors for its huge landscapes and activities. In this complex is the José
Hernández Museum, where the famous author of Martín Fierro lived. There is also
a fishing club and free wooded areas to enjoy with the family.
Traveling to Ciudad de
Tandil
Two hours from Mar del Plata there is another
experience: Tandil, a city that lives on tourism, livestock, and fishing. The
tour that departs from Mar del Plata takes tourists to the emblematic Monte
Calvario, where 195 steps separate the rest of the world from a monument to
Jesus Christ, through a walk that recreates each of the stations of the Way of
the Cross.
The trip continues through Cerro Centinela,
from where you can see an incredible view of Tandil. Then the tour arrives at
Dique del Lago del Fuerte and a viewpoint of the Fortín Independencia to
culminate in Época de quesos, declared historical heritage of the region.
Miramar
Another tour is one that you can take from Mar
del Plata to the city of Miramar, which is located only 50 kilometers. The tour
consists of traveling for a few minutes to reach a hotel where you can enjoy
the most attractive beaches and then have the opportunity to discover the
emblematic Miramar, with its children on bicycles, its energetic forest, and
its local color.
The Unusual Mar del Plata Aquarium
You have to go! It is next to Punta Mogotes
lighthouse and has penguins, fish, marine mammals, exotic birds, trained
dolphins, sea lions... It is a park at the level of the most famous in the
world, but with the particularity that all the species present are typical of
the region.
Although most Argentines go to Mar del Plata for its beaches, here we have
shown that there is much more to justify the population tripling every time
summer arrives. However, most of the mentioned are available all year.