Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
0 Balcarce
Road map C3. 32 miles (52 km) NW
of Mar del Plata. * 42,000. @
n Calle 17, 67, (02266) 425-758.
_ National Potato Fiesta (Mar).
 sierrasdebalcarce.com.ar
Most Argentinians associate
the name of Balcarce with cars,
potatoes, and small traditional
cookies called alfajores . The land
around the town is especially
good for growing potatoes,
grains, and aromatic grasses for
the many cattle-rearing farms.
This low-key resort town is pop-
ular with Buenos Aires families.
The town is famous as being
the birthplace of Juan Manuel
Fangio, and the Museo del
Automovilismo Juan Manuel
Fangio is a popular tourist
site. Along with soccer stars
Maradona and Messi and tennis
player Guillermo Vilas, Fangio
remains a legendary sportsman.
He was a record-making
Formula 1 driver during the
1950s, the first decade of
Formula 1 racing. He won the
world championship
five times, the
same as Michael
Schumacher until
the latter took his
sixth title in 2003.
The museum is
housed in a century-
old building, filled
with Fangio
memorabilia and a collection
of old cars. The most impressive
exhibit is located on the top
floor - the original Mercedes-
Benz Silver Arrow that Fangio
drove to victory in 1954.
Also worth visiting in Balcarce
are the town hall and cemetery
entrance, both of which were
designed by architect Francisco
Salamone in Art Deco style. The
town is also the arena for the
annual National Potato Fiesta.
Cerro El Triunfo (Triumph Hill),
located a mile (2 km) away, is
good for walkers and trial
motorcyclists.
Rows of tents lining Miramar beach on a sunny day
8 Miramar
Road map C3. 28 miles (45 km)
S of Mar del Plata. £ @ n
Calle 28, 1086, (02291) 420-190.
 miramarense.com.ar
calmer and more picturesque
than the high-rise beachside
developments that plague the
busier resorts to the north. Half
a dozen beaches, pretty woods,
a lake, an amphitheater in the
Parque Miguel Lillo , fossils at
Punta Caballido, and the
thriving fishing harbor provide
enter tainment for families. There
is ample opportunity for hiking,
cycling, dune trips, and rafting
on Río Quequén. Windsurfers,
jet-skiers, and sailors enjoy the
gusting sea breezes off
Necochea. Popular
among divers is
Punta Negra, just 3
miles (5 km) from the
center. A little farther
up the coast is Cueva
del Tigre, famous for
its fishing spots.
A small Danish
community and a
significant Basque community
thrive in the town. Some Basque
restaurants here specialize in
local seafood.
Well-known as a resort for
families and children, Miramar
is known as Ciudad de los
Niños y de las Bicicletas (City of
Children and Bicycles). Popular
during the 1980s, it is now
somewhat faded and lacks the
smart restaurants, trendy bars,
pretty houses, and hotels of the
resorts to the north. A small
surfing community sets up
shop every summer to make
use of Miramar's extremely
powerful wave breaks.
High-rise buildings
overshadow the main prom-
enade, but a short walk away
is the Vivero Dunícola
Florentino Ameghino , a group
of forested dunes. Here, there
is a barbecue area, a small
nature museum, a children's
playground, and the Bosque
Energético (Energy Wood),
where an unusual variety of
conifers and pines grow.
Juan Manuel Fangio in
one of his racing cars
9 Necochea
Road map C3. 60 miles (97 km) SW
of Miramar. ~ £ @ n cnr Aves
79 & 2, (02262) 425-983.
 necochea.gov.ar
Residents of towns deep inside
the southern Buenos Aires
province and northern
Patagonia often choose to visit
Necochea over Mar del Plata.
The waters are cool here, but
summer daytime temperatures
soar as high as 33° C (91° F). The
resort's wide strip of dunes is
E Museo del Automovilismo
Juan Manuel Fangio
Cnr of Dardo Rocha & Mitre.
Te l (02266) 425-540.
Open 10am-7pm daily. & 7 -
=  museofangio.com
The lush forest in Parque Miguel Lillo,
Necochea
 
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