Buenos Aires' Interbalnearia

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Raúl having missed out on most of the summer in the Northern Hemisphere, we headed down the coast of Buenos Aires province to the Interbalnearia, an area which comprises a number of beachside resorts. Staying in Villa Gesell and with access to a car, we hoped to explore some of the settlements along the Atlantic seaboard.

Given the time of year, Villa Gesell was not yet in full swing. Quite a few of the bars and discos were still shuttered up from the previous summer, though there were some chilled out restaurant-bars such as Sutton 212 and La Vieja Jirafa functioning. The town was fairly quiet and uninspiring, with local disenchanted youth whiling away the evenings in dingy gaming arcades, so we spent the next two days wandering around the nearby resorts of Mar de las Pampas/Mar Azul, and the upmarket Cariló.

Both Mar de las Pampas and Cariló feature dusty trackways leading to charming houses hidden in the woods, bijou shopping areas, dunes and sandy beaches. The former resort - along with the adjoining Mar Azul - has apparently assumed the role of boho hangout that was once Villa Gesell's. (Though 'boho' in this instance seems to be Quiksilver outlets and a population made up of Abercrombie models). The somewhat exclusive Cariló possesses some more ostentatious abodes as well as a wider variety of architectural styles, and appears to draw an older crowd. At Mar de las Pampas the extensive beach and the romantic bolt-holes available for rent, along with the promise of hip young things descending on the place in high-season, made us consider a return visit during the summer months. Our other excuse was that we hadn't managed to visit the Faro Querandí, a lighthouse with reportedly great views located in a nature reserve about 30km from Villa Gesell.

On the road north to the capital, we stopped at Pinamar, holiday haunt of celebs and politicos. The hilly outskirts are crowded with chalets, the central and seafront avenues downtown with restaurants. The place seemed somewhat sleepy and deserted, again no doubt reflecting the off-season date. Those who were around appeared to be huddled in the one trading seafront establishment, avoiding the forbidding rainclouds. The beach looked promising, but our promenade was cut short by the increasingly nasty weather, and we ended up taking refuge in the car and in the fact that we would now reach Buenos Aires at a reasonable hour.

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Photos

Little house on the Pampas
Mar de las Pampas real estate