Spending a Weekend in Mar Del Plata

3 Comments Print

Mar Del Plata Beach Bar Just mentioning the words “Mar del Plata” will make any Argentine’s face green with envy. Mar del Plata is a picturesque city on the coast of Argentina, as well as a hot vacation spot for Argentines. A few friends and I decided to take a quick weekend trip there, and as expected, we had an amazing time. The city, the cottage-like homes, the beach, the restaurants and of course…the clubs are all divine.

We arrived at our hostel late Friday night. We stayed at the Casagrande Hostel, which was decent and recommendable. It was clean, fun and the staff was very friendly. However, due to so little time at Mar del Plata, we did not stay at the hostel long. We dropped our bags off and headed straight to the restaurants and bars.

The first place we visited was a Cuban bar called La Bodeguita del Medio. We arrived too late to eat dinner, (believe it or not!) but the waiter was really nice and brought us peanuts, bread and cheese. Fortunately, this bar is known for their Cuban-style mojitos, so it was well worth staying! We then went out dancing, and every club we went to was great. While techno music is very popular in Capital Federal, Latin music (which I prefer) is much more common in Mar del Plata. I was very excited about this, and we danced until the sun came up (literally!)

Mar Del Plata Beach The following day, we all went to the beach. It was gorgeous, but it was a bit too cold to strip down to the bathing suit. We visited Mar del Plata at the beginning of November, so you might want to give it a few more weeks to warm up. However, I have also heard that Mar del Plata is so crowded during the months of December, January and February that you can hardly see the sand on the beach. In addition, there is a lot of traffic on the roads. Consequently, it is a trade off. You can go for the beautiful view and nightlife without any ocean dips, or you can fight the crowds for a few rays. It depends on what you want.

All of the restaurants we ate at were spectacular. One restaurant many Argentines recommend is Manolo. It has a great outdoor deck and is known for their churros con dulce de leche (caramel). Unfortunately, if you do not get there early enough, the line is out the door. We were too hungry to wait, but it is on the top of my list for next time.

Another important fact to know is that it is very cold at night, so bring a coat and close-toed shoes. I was not a happy camper with my flip-flops and heels! Overall, we had a marvelous time. Mar del Plata is close enough to go for a weekend. If you sacrifice a little sleep, you can do it all…the beach, the restaurants, the bars and the clubs at night! Soon, you too will turn green with envy when you hear the words…Mar del Plata!

Casagrande Hostel, Mar Del Plata Casagrande – Hostel and Student residence
Jujuy 947, Mar del Plata
54 (0223) 476-0805
www.casagrandealbergue.com.ar

La Bodeguita Del Medio – Bar Restaurante Historico Cubano
Castelli 1252, Mar del Plata
54 (0223) 486-3096

Manolo Churros
Rivadavia 2371, Mar del Plata
94-5671 ó 95-6201

3 Comments

Ivan Torossian on December 7, 07

Hi, I am an argentine, but now living in Chicago. Let me correct something… Mar del Plata is an amazing city.. but it is still a city with a sea. If you want something “divine” or a real summer vacation or short trip, try Villa Gesell and/or Pinamar they are really close to each other. By the way, I will be there this January! 🙂

[…] Del Plata is Argentina’s biggest beach and the seventh biggest city in the country. Mar Del Plata, aka Mardel, is famous for its casino, its nightlife, and an industrial port full of sea lions. Home to […]

[…] Unfortunately, in January 2009, there was a 15% decrease of these figures compared to the same month in 2008 and these numbers are expected to go down 30%.  However, the Argentinean government together with the private sector are not giving up on Americans; they are strongly promoting Argentina as a desirable and affordable destination: […]

What Do You Think?