Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
4
Mar del Plata
Road map
C3. 250 miles (400 km) S of
Buenos Aires.
k
£
@
Founded in 1874, Mar del Plata
is Argentina's seventh-largest
city. Its Gothic cathedral, which
has some interesting stained-
glass windows, was inaugurated
in 1905. Originally an important
port, the city soon became a
popular beach resort, attracting
rich porteños from Buenos Aires.
During the 1930s and 40s,
many of the resort's luxury
residences were built in
pintoresco
style, which drew on
European influences ranging
from Swiss chalets to mock-
Tudor cottages. Most of these
houses, however, were
demolished in the 1960s to
make room for today's generic
condos and skyscrapers.
Mar del Plata has long ceased
to be a getaway solely for the
wealthy. With the 2002
devaluation of the Argentinian
peso making international trips
prohibitively expensive for
middle-class families, there has
been a resurgence in the
resort's popularity. During the
peak season in January and
February, the town's population
swells to over three million,
ensuring that its 11 miles (17
km) of beaches are always
crowded. Much of Buenos
Aires's entertainment, fashion,
and sporting industry moves to
Mar del Plata in summer,
bringing with them a lively
cultural scene. The city's inter-
national film festival is held in
the off-season in November.
educational facilities, and fun
exhibition spaces focusing on
Argentinian celebrities; one
hugely popular recent display
was dedicated to Pope Francis.
E
Museo Municipal de
Ciencias Naturales Lorenzo
Scaglia
Ave Libertad 3099.
Te l
(0223) 473-
8791.
Open
10am-6pm Mon, Wed-
Fri; 3-6:30pm Sat.
& 8
(0223) 473-
8791.
7
-
=
∑
mardelplata.
gob.ar/museolorenzoscaglia
Originally founded in 1938, this
excellent museum houses the
extensive fossil collection of Don
Lorenzo Scaglia, who moved to
Argentina from Italy in 1877 and
settled in Buenos Aires. The
museum moved to its current
location in 1967. As well as
exhibiting fossils from all over
the world, the museum has a
number of well-organized
exhibition spaces
devoted to different
disciplines within the
natural sciences,
including geology,
paleon tology, ornitho-
logy, and taxidermy.
There is a vast collec-
tion of stuffed birds,
including
chimangos
and
ñandúes
. The museum also
has a salt and freshwater
aquarium, where visitors will find
small sharks, piranhas, and some
of Argentina's most common
freshwater species, such as
pacú
and dorados. A trip to the
museum can be followed by a
meal at one of the fine seafood
restaurants clustered around the
port area.
Mar del Plata's cathedral, dedicated to the
apostle Peter and the martyred St. Cecilia
E
Museo de Arte Contem
-
poráneo de la Provincia de
Buenos Aires (MAR)
Ave Felix U. Camet & López de
Gomara.
Te l
(0223) 471-6792.
Open
noon-8pm Mon, Tue, & Thu; noon-
10pm Fri-Sun.
&
7
-
=
A new addition to
Mar del Plata's culture
scene, MAR has
introduced an
innovative and
vibrant approach to
contemporary art and
culture. Covering an
immense 75,000 sq ft
(7,000 sq m), the
museum is primarily dedicated
to pop works by local artistic
legends such as Eduardo
Gimenez and Marta Minujín,
whose outdoor installation of a
vast, 36-ft- (11-m-) tall sea lion
greeted visitors at MAR's
inauguration. The stark, cinder-
block-built exterior conceals
galleries, an auditorium and art-
house cinema, interactive and
A butterfly display, Museo
de Ciencias Naturales
A sunny day at the busy seaside resort of Mar del Plata
For hotels and restaurants see pp278-83 and pp288-99
