Located about 418 kilometres south of Buenos Aires on the Atlantic Coast, the city and its surrounding areas offer miles of some the best beaches in South America. Along with the natural beauty of the area’s windswept dunes and dramatic cliffs, there are ecological reserves, fancy resorts, and charming fishing villages, plus the culture and vibrant nightlife of the city itself.

Compared with some of Argentina’s other cities, Mar del Plata is young. It was founded in 1874 by a developer named Patricio Peralta Ramos, who turned the town into an industrial centre. The true wealth of the city came with the flood of tourism that took place during the last half of the 20th century. While many of the resorts were once reserved for the rich, today Marl del Plata is a favourite of middle-class families and students.