Mar del Plata, Argentina’s happy city.

From our childhood, most “porteño’s” vacations have taken place in Mar del Plata. We remember our dazzled first steps on its sands as a precious fragment of our childhood, and as we feel mostly tied up to the city by an emotional reaction, for us who were born close to a river, Mar del Plata is like the open door of desire, meaning freedom, sunshine and friendship. Though extremely familiar, every time we arrive in Mar del Plata along the northern access, which ends up in the seafront, we feel overwhelmed by the magnificent Atlantic Ocean, which gives the modern city a dazzling image. Few seaside metropolises in the world enjoy such extensive beaches as Mar del Plata, which gives every visitor the choice of a different profile, the most pleasing at the time of spending their time by the sea, enjoying the seafront and the moonlight reflected on the endless ocean in the evenings. Beach volleyball, swimming, beach tennis and the popular tejo take control at the moment of enjoying the benefits of “La Feliz” (“The happy city”, as Mar del Plata is popularly known). But the tourist has infinite options of having a great time: fishing for bluefish, the salmon and the great sea variety. Go into Mar del Plata Yacht Club, where all the sport boats that go fishing in the high seas are moored. Go scuba diving, (going 12 km off shore, you can get a 5 to 15 meters visibility).
If you want to see Mar del Plata from the sea, the departure from the harbor is an experience hard to be forgotten. The picturesque fishing boats, painted in yellow, give the scenery movement and aroma. Men emptying their nets with what they had fished during the day wave at you when you pass by. The postcard is unforgettable. The splendor of the city may be appreciated only from this perspective or from the air. From the water, it looks silent, slow and tranquil. The Sheraton International Hotel building, the legendary Marales and the most ancient constructions in the place rise like the protectors of the seaside resorts.
Towards 1900, Mar del Plata was the leisure spot chosen by the Argentinean society aristocratic families to spend the summer. It was the buildings raised in those days the ones that defined the city architectural style.
Just go to Mar del Plata and find your own “pearl of the sea” in Argentina.