Mar Del Plata, Argentina 38.0055°S, 57.5426°W
Our first trip outside of Buenos Aires was to Mar Del Plata, a beach town about five hours to the south. To get there, we opted for the bus, a preferred means of intra-country traveling for Argentinians and tourists alike. We’ve had some less-than-great bus experiences during our travels, so we were really surprised when we got to the Retiro Bus Station and boarded our Flechabus. The seats were huge, comfortable, and there were even snacks and unlimited coffee!
Sarah likes this bus
The views weren’t great for the ride, but we did pass this huge field of sunflowers which was worth a photo
Mar Del Plata is one of the most popular beach destinations in Argentina. This was abundantly clear as we looked out the window of the cab we took from the bus station to our hotel. The driver took us along Route 11, right next to the ocean. Neither of us had ever seen so many people on one beach. You actually couldn’t see the sand in many places because of the crowds.
Where’s the beach?
A day at Mar Del Plata’s beach is a great way to enjoy the nice weather and tackle your fear of claustrophobia…
Driving into the city we also saw a big billboard with the city’s Te Hace Fiesta! slogan, which translated means It Makes You Party. This made us a little nervous since we were hoping for a low-key couple days on the beach. I had visions of crazy street parties, late night fights outside the hotel, and other things you would expect from such a mass of people on their summer vacations. In reality, while the beaches were constantly packed, the overall scene in Mar Del Plata was very relaxed. At night, we never ran into crowds and couldn’t figure out where all of the people on the beaches were. Our best guess was that because we were in bed before the average Argentinian’s dinner time, we never really saw the crazy nightlife the city offers. But we ended up really liking Mar Del Plata. We did a little surfing, had some amazing fresh fish, and spent most of the two days on the beach.
This hake from one of the food truck parks along the beach was incredible
Enjoying the late afternoon sun and the hake
….and a post-meal G&T
Sunset over Varese Beach
A crowd of people (and one distracted pup) watching couples Tango in the street
South American marks our 6th of the 7 continents that we’ve surfed. Antarctica here we come!
Lots of food trucks in Mar Del Plata
Mar Del Plata during the day….
…but at night the beach becomes a ghost town.
Keeping entertained in Mar Del Plata
It Takes Two
After our little beach vacation, we headed back to Buenos Aires on the bus (wish all bus travel was like this!). We were looking forward to having plenty of time to visit the various museums, gardens, and parks throughout the city.
But first, we dance.
Buenos Aires is considered to be the birthplace of Tango, a dance (and music) style created in the late 19th century as a result of the fusion of cultures that was taking place in Argentina at the time. You can’t really experience Buenos Aires without trying to Tango, so Sarah and I decided to take a lesson that was combined with a home-cooked dinner. We signed up for an Airbnb Experience, a relatively new service from the company that matches travelers with locals offering personalized experiences in a handful of cities around the world.
Our hosts were Aye and Diego, who live in the San Telmo neighborhood of Buenos Aires. Over the course of a delicious Italian-inspired dinner prepared by Diego, Aye shared with us the history of Tango and why it is such an important part of Argentina’s past and present. San Telmo and the La Boca neighborhood to its south are the areas in the city most famous for Tango. In San Telmo’s Plaza Dorrego, there are public milongas (Tango sessions) every night.
Diego and Aye
Prepping the main course
Gnocchi!
Post-dinner Tango session
Sarah and I did not look this coordinated
La Boca’s colorful streets
Just off of Caminito, the most popular street in La Boca
This guy’s wearing his La Boca Juniors blue and gold (see stadium picture below)
Lots of statues commemorating local heroes and immigrants throughout La Boca
La Boca
More of La Boca
I took a great bike tour through La Boca and other neighborhoods in the south of the city. Thanks BA Bikes!
Some of the colorful shops along the Caminito
Even the bathrooms are colorful along the Caminito!
The stadium for one of Argentina’s most famous soccer teams, the Boca Juniors
In addition to Tango’ing couples everywhere, La Boca has lots or parrillas. Once we saw this grill situation we had to get lunch.
That’s our dinner being prepared. Not pictured: Me salivating.
A street corner in San Telmo, also known for its Tango history
San Telmo’s indoor market
The streets of San Telmo
Sarah working in her studio?
The pigeons in Buenos Aires are not shy, and in San Telmo they are very courageous. This guy just stared at me as he ate my peanuts. What a dick.
Professional Tango dancers in Plaza Dorrego
Nuestra Parrilla in San Telmo
Pork Bondiolita….so good
Lots of street musicians perform at San Telmo’s Sunday market
I See Dead People (Literally)
One of the most popular attractions in Buenos Aires is the Recoleta Cemetery. It’s famous for being home to the graves of many famous people, including former first lady Eva Perón, the Irish-born father of the Argentinian Navy William Brown, and many former presidents of Argentina. The cemetery is extremely unique in that the graves are above ground, each of them designed differently according to the wishes of the deceased and their families. It was unlike anything I’ve ever seen, and I’m 100% sure I would never visit there after sunset.
Inside Recoleta Cemetery
One of the many elaborately decorated graves
This is where the ghosts wander at night
After this women passed in 1970, her family created a grave to look like her bedroom and included a statue of her dog
The grave of the father of the Argentina Navy, William Brown.
There were lots of stained glass windows built into the memorials
Probably the most famous site in the cemetery, the grave for former first lady Eva Peron. The musical and 1996 movie Evita was based on her life, and she remains a hugely important figure to most Argentinians.
Buenos Aires by Foot
In addition to visiting the various tourist destinations in Buenos Aires, we loved just wandering the streets. We got into a habit of walking nearly everywhere in Buenos Aires, even though the public transportation system is pretty good. The wide avenues and shaded sidewalks make it easy to walk long distances in the hot summer sun, and there is so much on every block – we loved it all. While we were really enjoying the livability of the city, we were also looking forward to heading west for our next stop: Mendoza, Argentina’s wine country and capital of adventure sports.
