Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
cluding bird-watching, fishing, water sports, biking, hiking and rock climbing. You can
camp near the lake, and there are good places to eat in the pleasant town of Sierra de los
Padres, 4km further west. Bus 717 (from Av Luro in Mardel) goes to Sierra de los
Padres, passing by the lake's northern shore en route.
The area was first settled in 1746 as a Jesuit Mission aimed at rounding up the nomad-
ic tribes of the area - there's a replica of the original chapel by the lake's shore.
Beaches
Mar del Plata's beaches are mostly safe and swimmable. Downtown fronts onto the most
central beach,
Playa Bristol
, with its wharf and restaurant; the boardwalk here, next to
the casino area, is always packed with activity. The next beach to the north is
Playa La
Perla
, favored by a younger crowd and filled with
balnearios
(bathing resorts, or sec-
tions of beach with services such as beach chairs and parasols). To the south of Punta
Piedras (Torreón) are
Playa Varese
and
Cabo Corrientes
, a pair of small beaches that
are protected by small rocky headlands.
South of these beaches, at the more fashionable end of town, lies Playa Grande, also
crowded with
balnearios
. About 11km south of the center, just past the port, you'll find
the huge
Punta Mogotes
complex - slightly more relaxed and favored by families, who
fill the
balnearios
to overflowing in January. This is also the location of
Playa Waikiki
, a
popular spot for surfing.
Beyond the lighthouse is a less urbanized area. Though the beaches here are still filled
with yet more
balnearios
in the summer, they're a quieter option. And for the adventur-
and possibly Argentina's only legal nude beach. Bus 221 gets you there.
Activities
Mar del Plata and its surrounds offer plenty of opportunity to enjoy outdoor activities and
adventure sports.
Biking is a good, green way to get around town. The streets of Los Troncos are relat-
ively calm and pleasant for cycling. Bicycles can be rented from
Bicicletería Madrid
OFFLINE MAP
(
494-1932; Yrigoyen 2249; per hr/day AR$30/120;
GOOGLE MAP
9am-1pm & 3-7pm)
.
Surf is best in March or April.
Kikiwai Surf School
( 485-0669;
www.kikiwaisurfclub.com.ar
;
Av Martínez de Hoz 4100)
, run by surf pioneer Daniel Gil, offers
surfing classes and rents boards; find it at Waikiki beach (about 11km south of center).
