Mar del Plata is on the southwest coast of the Argentinian sea. It is the second most touristic city in the country after Buenos Aires. You can go to Mar del Plata by plane, by bus, by train or by car. It is 400 km from Buenos Aires approximately. You can take route 2 if you are driving, but you must pay a toll. There are magnificent beaches, wide bays and wonderful cliffs, which alternate in 47 km of coast line. At night you can go to the theatre and then choose a good restaurant.
Photos: Wikimedia Commons contributors.
The most popular time to come to Mar del Plata is from December to March. In January and February there are a lot of tourists and the weather is hot. People visit the beaches, theatres, casino, port, aquarium, museums and restaurants. It is also a good place for fishing and for sports. The weather in Mar del Plata is variable. In summer it is hot and windy, in the evenings often the temperature lowers and the people need shelter. In autumn and spring it is warm and humid. In the winter it is very cold and very humid.
Taxis are very cheap, around US$5 per 4 kilometers (year 2010) take into account that Argentina has +/- 20% annual inflation, prices change in ARS but remain the same in USD. Cab drivers are plentiful and pretty honest. There is a very large local bus network. You need a bus card in order to use it, which can be bought in the bus terminal or in a bus office (usually in downtown) and reloaded in drugstores. Another transportation service is Remisse, is like a cab with a discount, you have to call "the remiseria", a sort of small terminal with an operator at phone. Almost for sure, no one speaks English, so be ready to make signs or talk in Spanish with the drivers.
The main activities are the port, fishing, tourism and textiles. The main activities in the port are fishing, oil ships and grains. The city has a new passenger terminal for cruise ships and a naval submarine base. It has a lot of industries such as horticulture, construction and mechanical industries. Mar del Plata has a sports complex, which co-hosted the World Cup in 1978, where the Pan American games in 1995 were based and where the final of the Davis Cup was played in 2008. The city coastline extends for over 28 km. The most popular beaches in Mar del Plata for tourist are primarily those located in the south of the city and downtown. Museo MAR Av Felix U.
Get to the beach early to beat the crowds, and once you are there do not be offended by the Argentinian tradition of kicking sand on your blanket and face :) Tango shows at Teatro Colón are fantastic and at only 15 pesos for Buenos Aires dance companies, they are a steal. Enjoy mate, the very bitter and caffeinated but addictive beverage. Buy a mate gord, thermos, yerba and ask for agua caliente almost anywhere. No one in MDP leaves home without their mate. Make the trek to Waikiki beach on the outskirts of town. It's a more relaxed environment than Punta Iglesia or Playa Grande and provides enough room to spread out.
The most important restaurants are Trattoria Napolitana, Taberna Baska, Mando, Casimiro Restaurante, Parrilla La Gringa; in the port: Sarasanegro, Sur Restaurante, Justiniano, La Casa Vieja, Alito and the others, when you can eat seafood. In the Avenida Costanera where is the Casino and the San Martin Street, there is a pedestrian street. The modern city center and shopping area is on Güemes Street, where there are restaurants, bars and shops. In this city you can enjoy yourself day and night, that is why it is called “The happy city”. Great fish.
Alem street is full of high end restaurants and some pubs. If what you want is to drink beer and/or some cocktails you should go to Olavarria street, near Guemes. Almost all discos, such as Bruto, Mr Jones and Quba, are located in the 'Playa Grande' area.
Guide content from Wikivoyage contributors (CC BY-SA) — abridged; the full article has much more.
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In Oct, Mar Del Plata typically sees ~19°C daytime highs and 11 rainy days.
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