Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
a show, dance until dawn at the city's many dis-
cos, or spend a quiet evening at a pub or
confitería
.
Tip
When it opened in 1939, Mar del Plata's
Casino Provincial was the largest in the
world. Though that position has since
been usurped by its counterparts in Las
Vegas and Atlantic City, it is still im-
pressive.
History
In 1581, one year after founding Buenos Aires,
Juan de Garay landed in what is now Mar del
Plata. However, little in the way of develop-
ment occured in the area until 1746 when the
Jesuits founded the region's first mission, La
Reducción de Nuestra Señora del Pilar, on the
shores of what was then called the Laguna de
las Cabrillas. They intended to convert the
nomadic Indians who inhabited the region to a
sedentary Catholic lifestyle, but were forced to
abandon the mission in 1751 following an
Indian attack. The lake was renamed Laguna
de los Padres in their honor.
The current
building on the
Laguna de los
Padres is a
reproduction of
the original
reducción or
mission. It was
built in 1968
using straw and
adobe, as
required by tra-
dition.
In the mid-19th century, the region began to
develop economically. In 1856 Coelho de
Meyrelles, representing a consortium of Portu-
guese businessmen, set up a factory on Avenida
Luro between Avenida Santiago del Estero and
Avenida Santa Fe to salt leather prior to its
