Mar del Plata in photos

December, 2009

I finally got to Mar del Plata, Argentina’s much loved and much maligned seashore. Those guilty of the latter have certainly not grown up in New Jersey where the seashore sports some of the same grit. The tango—at Milonga de Gente Madura, at 3540 Gascon near España—was wonderful (phone: 54-223-495-2196).

I don’t gamble (at least not with my money) but I loved the casino – a bit of Atlantic City, Monte Carlo, and the French Riviera. Its architecture is eye pleasing. Yes, there are a lot of unsightly highrises, too, near the beach—but the same is true of every world-famous resort city I’ve ever been to—the aforementioned, plus Copacabana, Ipanema, Ixtapa, y mas.

Actually, Mar del Plata is not all that dirty. There was an accumulation of trash on one beach at shoreline. But many, if not most, beaches are clean. I swam at Cabo Corrientes, which was quieter and much less crowded than the popular La Perla. The water was in the high sixties (Farenheit), which is warm to me since I swim in SF Bay (as low as 55 degrees)

I took the bus, Pulsamar, from Retiro Station in Buenos Aires—took about five hours. I stayed at the comfortable Punta del Este hotel at 2563 Moreno, about five blocks from the beach (200 pesos/night, buffet breakfast included; room was small but fine; info@hotelpuntadeleste.com.ar, 54-223-494-2000). I loved walking along the long seacoast – much of it very scenic. I loved walking in Los Troncos and Divino Rostro barrios—they are stunning, see photos below. I found Villa Victoria – V. Ocampo’s home on Matheu, now a museum and her sister Silvana’s former villa, on Tucuman. In case you don’t know her, Victoria was a well-endowed Argentine intellectual in the 1900s. She published a famous literary magazine, Sur, that showcased many great writers from Jorge Luis Borges to Henry Miller.

I can recommend one restaurant, Casa Mama on Belgrano, about the 2200 block; steer clear of Montecatini – yuk. The city feels safe and I walked everywhere. I loved its seaside resort energy and bustle. Disfrute!

strolling along the malecon

Strolling the lovely barrios, Troncos