Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Calle 6 no. 1701 (at the c orner of 33); 7607 M iramar. & 2291/433-017. www.hosteriavillasol.com.ar. 8
units (4 doubles, 4 apts). From $115 (£78) double; $188 (£127) apt. Rates include breakfast. AE, MC, V. Free
parking. Amenities: 2 r estaurants; snack bar ; lounge; fitness c enter; bic ycles; c oncierge; bab ysitting;
laundry; dry cleaning. In room: Fans, TV, Wi-Fi, kitchen (in some), minibar, hair dryer, safe, alarm system.
WHERE TO DINE
Círculo de A migos ARGENTINE/SEAFOOD This is one of the best seafood
restaurants in Miramar, just a block fr om the Plaza Central. Some of the fish ar e inter-
national and come fr ozen; others are caught in M ar del Plata and driven in. The menu
lists more than 30 fish recipes. Sole and bass are the highlights; other specialties include
oysters cooked with mushr ooms and lobster casser ole. Some beef and v egetable dishes
round out the offerings. The restaurant is enormous, and the white, blue, and gold table-
cloths and furnitur e give it a P rovençal air. Naturally, there is a large selection of white
wine, much of which is stored on shelves in the back, so you can take a look and decide
what you want.
Calle 21 no. 1246 (at 28th St.). & 2291/422-226. www.restcirculo.com.ar. Main courses $4-$12 (£2.70-
£8.20). No credit cards. Daily noon-3pm and 8pm-midnight (sometimes later on weekends).
162
Van D yke Resto Bar AR GENTINE/INTERNATIONAL On a corner plot of a
diagonal street, with enormous plate-glass windows, this fun restaurant and bar feels like
the center of it all, with gr eat food and live music every Thursday night. In summer, it's
open 24 hours a day , and fr om 6:30am to 2am in winter . It's the only bar in M iramar
with torre jirafas (giraffe towers), elongated funnel-shaped beer kegs with spigots that sit
at tables and stand a meter tall. They also hav e an extensiv e mixed drink menu. P izza,
empanadas, and a parrilla round out the food offerings.There's also sidewalk seating with
a view of the Plaza Central. Even when the music isn't live, there's always music blasting.
The owners say that on some nights, patrons just start dancing between the tables when
they feel like it.
Calle 21 no. 1401 (at Diagonal F ortunato near the c orner of Calle 30). & 2291/423-255. Main courses
$3-$8 (£2-£5.40). No credit cards. Daily 24 hr. in summer; daily 6:30am-2am in winter.
6
3 LA PLATA
55km (34 miles) S of Buenos Aires
La Plata began its histor y with the unification of Argentina in 1880. The new nation's
leaders decided that if Buenos Aires was to be the capital of the new country, then Buenos
Aires province needed a new capital of its own. Thus was born La Plata, south of Buenos
Aires along the Río de la Plata. Construction began in 1882. Many residents in La Plata
claim it is the first planned city in Argentina, but this is a some what misleading claim
considering how many cities the Spanish built long before La Plata was even a blueprint.
The city is, ho wever, the first planned city in unified Argentina, cr eated after indepen-
dence from Spain. Part of what will strike you about this metropolis is the large number
of parks and plazas, as w ell as its diagonal str eets that cut acr oss the city, creating vista
points and complex, confusing intersections. This urban pattern earned La P lata the
nickname “ The Checkerboar d City .” The to wn is center ed on the enormous P laza
Moreno, defined by the cathedral and municipal palace that face each other acr oss this
vast grassy expanse. The city is also a quintessential college to wn, and home to the Uni-
versidad Nacional de La P lata (www.unlp.edu.ar), which has about 75,000 students, a
 
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