ACTIVITIES, WALKS AND EXCURSIONS TO DO IN MAR DEL PLATA 365 DAYS A YEAR.
IN THE WORLD THERE ARE CITIES THAT ARE ONE AND AT THE SAME TIME SEVERAL DUE TO THEIR DIVERSITY AND UNUSUAL GEOGRAPHICAL CHARACTERISTICS. BUT IN ARGENTINA THERE IS ONE THAT IS TWO BECAUSE WHEN SUMMER ARRIVES 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 ARRIVE EVERY YEAR ATTRACTED BY THE MOST SPLENDID MOMENT OF THE ARGENTINE SEA. & NBSP;
THE FIRST EUROPEAN TO DESCRIBE THESE COASTS WAS THE PORTUGUESE FERNANDO DE MAGALLANES WHEN HE WAS ON HIS WAY TO GO AROUND THE WORLD. SINCE THEN THE TERRITORY HAS BEEN AN OBJECT OF DESIRE FOR WESTERN CIVILIZATION, AND THAT FOR THE INDIGENOUS PEOPLE IT WAS A SPACE OF PASSAGE IN THEIR SEARCH FOR FOOD AND NEVER ONE OF SETTLEMENT.
BY THE MIDDLE OF THE 19TH CENTURY THE TERRITORY BELONGED TO THE CONSUL OF PORTUGAL JOSÉ COELHO DE MEYRELLES, BUT IT WAS ACQUIRED IN 1860 BY THE BUENOS AIRES MERCHANT PATRICIO PERALTA RAMOS, WHO DECIDED TO DONATE IT AND FOUND A TOWN THERE BECAUSE FOR SOMETHING BIGGER EVERYTHING WAS DESTINED THAT.
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 IN ALL SAFETY, THE HAPPIEST INHABITANTS OF THE PROVINCE WILL LIVE. WHAT THE FOUNDER NEVER IMAGINED WAS THAT THIS HAPPINESS WOULD BE SHARED BY SO MANY OUTSIDERS, MUCH LESS THAT EACH YEAR THE POPULATION WOULD TRIPLE IN THE SUMMER.
IT IS THAT THE WORD 'TOURISM' WAS FAR FROM THE IMAGINARY OF A 19TH CENTURY ARGENTINE MERCHANT, ALTHOUGH IT SEEMS TO BE THE WHOLE OF THE ARRIVAL OF SUMMER. & NBSP;
THERE ARE SO MANY THE ATTRACTIONS OF THE CITY THAT MOST VISITORS COME FROM OTHER CORNERS OF ARGENTINA ITSELF BECAUSE THE NATION SEEMS DESIGNED IN ITS ROAD SYSTEMS TO FLOW THERE AND SO THAT ALL THE WILLS AUTOMATICALLY REACH THOSE BEACHES.
< DIV STYLE = "TEXT-ALIGN: JUSTIFY;"> THERE ARE SO MANY ATTRACTIONS, THE BEST THING TO DO IS TALK ABOUT SOME OF THEM SO AS NOT TO LOSE YOUR SANITY TRYING TO ORGANIZE YOURSELF WHEN VISITING MAR DEL PLATA.
THE BEACHES
MAR DEL PLATA HAS 28 KILOMETERS OF BEACHES. FOR TRANSPORTATION FACILITIES, TOURISTS PREFER THOSE LOCATED TO THE SOUTH AND THE CITY CENTER. THEY ARE ALSO AMONG THE SAFEST BEACHES IN LATIN AMERICA BECAUSE ONE OF THE CITY'S PRIDES IS ITS LIFEGUARD CORPS, WHICH IS MADE UP OF MORE THAN 500 PEOPLE WHO WATCH EVERY CENTIMETER OF EACH SPA.
THE PROVINCIAL HOTEL AND CENTRAL CASINO
THIS COMPLEX IS NATIONAL HISTORICAL HERITAGE. THE HOTEL IS A SYMBOL OF THE HISTORY AND PROGRESS OF THE CITY; THE CASINO, ONE OF THE LARGEST IN THE WORLD.
IN THE PLACE THERE IS ALSO THE AUDITORIUM THEATER PROVINCIAL CENTER OF THE ARTS, WHERE EVENTS OF THE HIGHEST NATIONAL LEVEL ARE HELD SUCH AS AWARDS CEREMONIES AND OTHER ACTIVITIES RELATED TO THE SHOW.
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TORREÓN DEL MONJE
EL TORREÓN DEL MONJE IS ONE OF THE MOST EMBLEMATIC PLACES IN MAR DEL PLATA. CURRENTLY, THERE ARE CONFECTIONERIES AND SPA FACILITIES AS WELL AS AN EXHIBITION HALL AND A GAZEBO, BUT THE MYSTICISM BEHIND THE BUILDING IS THE MAIN ATTRACTION OF THE PLACE. & NBSP;
IT IS A LOVE LEGEND BETWEEN SOLDIER ALVAR RODRÍGUEZ AND AN INDIAN FROM THE NEARBY MISSION THAT ENDED IN TRAGEDY, A STORY IT HAS MORE MYTH THAN VERIFIABLE FACTS BUT IT IS PART OF THE MAR DEL PLATA AS MUCH AS ITS SEA AND SKY.
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MILLENNIUM SQUARE
HERE'S A SHOW. THE FULL NAME OF THIS SQUARE IS "PLAZA DEL MILENIO - FUENTE DE AGUAS DANZANTES". IT WAS ORIGINALLY CREATED TO GIVE TOURISTS A BETTER VIEW OF THE "HOTEL PROVINCIAL Y CASINO CENTRAL", BUT THE BEAUTY AND IMPORTANCE OF THE PLACE GOT OUT OF HAND OF THE BUILDERS AND TODAY IT IS A MANDATORY REFERENCE IN THE CITY.
IN THE MIDDLE OF THE PLAZA IS A FOUNTAIN ABOUT FORTY METERS IN DIAMETER WHOSE WATERS LITERALLY DANCE TO THE RHYTHM OF SIX SONGS BY THE ARGENTINE MUSICIAN AND COMPOSER LITTO VITALE. AT OTHER POINTS THERE ARE PALM TREES THAT THE CITIZENS PROTECT WITH ZEAL, SINCE SOME OF THEM DATE BACK AS FAR BACK AS 1895.
MONUMENT TO ALFONSINA STORNI
MAR DEL PLATA HAS THE PAINFUL HONOR THAT THE BRILLIANT POET ALFONSINA STORNI HAS DECIDED TO TAKE HER OWN LIFE COASTS. LOVERS OF LATIN AMERICAN LITERATURE SHOULD GO AT LEAST ONCE TO SEE THIS SCULPTURE BY LUIS PERLOTTI THAT RECORDS ONE OF THE SADDEST EPISODES IN AMERICAN ART. THE SIMPLICITY OF THE MONUMENT DOES NOT DETRACT FROM THE GREATNESS OF THE CHARACTER AND RATHER DEMONSTRATES THAT THIS IS WHERE THE PAIN CAME.
COMPLETE CITY TOUR
OF COURSE, TIME IS NEVER ENOUGH FOR EVERYTHING. SO THE BEST THING IS TO DO A COMPLETE TOUR OF THE CITY TO GO TO PLACES OF INTEREST WITH EXPERT GUIDES. THUS, TO THE PASEO DE LA PLAZA MILENIO ARE ADDED THE PLAZA COLÓN, THE MONUMENT TO THE SEA LION, THE PASEO GÜEMES, THE PLAZA DEL AGUA, LOS TRONCOS, THE FABRIC FACTORY, THE GROTTO OF LOURDES AND THE FISHERMEN'S BENCH, 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 KNOWN, IT IS NECESSARY TO TURN ATTENTION TOWARDS THE LESS CIVILIZED AND GET A LITTLE OUT OF THE CITY . FOR THIS THERE IS A WALK THAT RUNS THROUGH THE TOWNS OF PINAMAR, VILLA GESELL AND OSTENDE, BUT THAT GOES FURTHER BECAUSE IT CONFRONTS TOURISTS WITH THE EXPERIENCE OF ENJOYING THE UNTAMED SIDE OF THE REGION.
THIS WALK ALLOWS A PERFECT VIEW OF THE MOST BEAUTIFUL CLIFFS ON THE ATLANTIC COAST, GOES INTO THE FARO QUERANDI NATURE RESERVE AND ALLOWS MOMENTS ON IDYLLIC BEACHES OF MAR CHIQUITA AND MAR AZUL. & NBSP;
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LA LAGUNA DE LOS PADRES
JUST 20 KILOMETERS FROM THE DOWNTOWN OF MAR DEL PLATA, THIS LAGOON TRANSFORMED INTO A HUGE PUBLIC PARK IS A RESERVE THAT CAPTIVATES VISITORS FOR ITS EXTRAORDINARY 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 AS A FAMILY.
TRAVEL TO THE CITY OF TANDIL
TWO HOURS FROM MAR DEL PLATA THERE IS ANOTHER EXPERIENCE: TANDIL, A CITY THAT LIVES ON TOURISM, LIVESTOCK AND FISHING. THE TOUR THAT LEAVES 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 VIA CRUCIS. & NBSP;
THE TRIP CONTINUES THROUGH CERRO CENTINELA, FROM WHERE AN INCREDIBLE VIEW OF TANDIL CAN BE SEEN. THEN THE TOUR ARRIVES AT THE LAKE OF THE FUERTE LAKE AND A VIEWPOINT OF THE FORTÍN INDEPENDENCE TO END AT THE "ÉPOCA DE QUESOS" POST, DECLARED A HISTORICAL HERITAGE OF THE REGION.
TRIP TO MIRAMAR
ANOTHER OF THE WALKS THAT LEAVE MAR DEL PLATA IS THE THAT LEADS TO THE CITY OF MIRAMAR, LOCATED JUST 50 KILOMETERS FROM IT. THE TOUR CONSISTS OF TRAVELING FOR A FEW MINUTES TO 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 VERY INTERESTING MAR DEL PLATA AQUARIUM
YOU HAVE TO GO. IT IS NEXT TO THE 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 ITS OWN 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 COMES. HOWEVER, MOST OF THE ABOVE IS AVAILABLE YEAR-ROUND.