Mar del Plata: the Atlantic's seaside pearl

Preferred beach destination of Buenos Aires' elite since the late nineteenth century, Mar del Plata remains Argentina's primary seaside city.

The waterfront and center can be comfortably visited on foot.

Built in 1904 on a rocky spur, the Torreón del Monje, a small castle-like building, became the most reproduced image of the city on postcards.

Descending towards the beach, one walks along Playa Bristol, the city's main beach since Argentine seaside tourism first began right here.

Continuing towards the port, one observes from the pier the colonies of South American sea lions gathering throughout the year among fishing boats, oblivious to the constant traffic of fishermen around them.

Towards evening, the Casino Central, symbol of Mar del Plata's more elegant early 20th-century identity, closes the day in the neighbourhood that gave the city its tourist fame from the time of the first wealthy families on vacation.

Sea lions from the harbor have become a permanent fixture alongside the fishing boats, to the point where they're now one of the city's most photographed free attractions.

Mar del Plata transforms dramatically between the crowded austral summer and the near-silent winter months, when most hotels close their doors.