Getting to and around in Mar Del Plata, Argentina

April 30, 2007 8:56 PM

I am planning a trip to Mar Del Plata, Argentina, in October (World Wind Energy Conference). I am looking for some advice on actually getting to Mar Del Plata (from Toronto), and for places to stay and things to see. Thanks in advance!

I had thought the conference was in Buenos Aires (the city), so flights from Toronto, ON looked simple, but upon closer investigation, the conference is actually being held in Mar Del Plata. You can't fly direct from Toronto to Mar Del Plata, but some sites I have seen tell me I can fly from Buenos Aires to Mar Del Plata or take a train, but can't find info on the train option. Any advice? Is the scenery on the train ride worth it, or is it cheaper than the flight from Buenos Aires to Mar Del Plata?

The conference is being held at the Sheraton Mar Del Plata, but that's clocking in at $125 minimum per night USD, which is a bit pricey for me. Are there other hotels in the $75 a night range that aren't too dodgy and would be a fairly central location?

Any sites or attractions I should not miss? I am trying to build in an extra day or two if I can afford it to see the sites and take some walking-around time.

Potential complications: I don't speak spanish, I am a 32-year old female travelling alone on my first international trip. So, ideally, any place I stay probably needs to be able to understand english - I understand that limits my options. Even links to good travel guides would be welcome.

posted by Cyrie to travel & transportation (2 comments total)

wikitravel has short summaries to get the bare bones...

but can't find info on the train option
The internet (Spanish) says the train is 5.5 hours from BA to Mar del Plata, and airplane is only 30 minutes. The bus - are you up for that? - is only 5 hours. First-class buses in Argentina are cheap and comfortable.

Even links to good travel guides would be welcome
The Lonely Planet Buenos Aires, I'm pretty sure, has Mar del Plata as a day-excursion. It's not the bestest city guide overall, but does have the information on Mar del Plata.

Potential complications
Unless you're inclined to be anxious anyway, please don't be. Argentines are overall friendly, and communication not impossible, though you will find a lot of people (outside of tourist industries) who don't speak English. Most of your reservations can be done online, even through machine translation.

Suggestions common to many places, but especially Argentina, and more Buenos Aires than Mar del Plata: Take a licensed taxi from the airport taxi stands if you end your flights in Buenos Aires. Taxis are cheap; take them at night. Keep an eye on your belongings and surroundings. Try to talk to people, wander around, and ask questions. Stay at least those two extra days - this is your first trip, Argentina's a beautiful country. If you really want a challenge, take the ferry from Buenos Aires into Montevideo. There are fewer tourists in Uruguay, but it's an amazing place to visit (and your 2nd new country!!).
posted by whatzit at 10:20 PM on April 30, 2007

Hah. This question couldn't come at a better time. I was just there this weekend, so it's all fresh in my mind.

Don't take the train. I know it sounds appealing, but it's pretty run down. The bus is your better bet. It's about $15 each way for a fully reclinable seat. The scenery is not all that much, but it's cool in its own way only because it's relentlessly flat and remarkably unpopulated . . . and you'll be able to say you've seen the legendary Pampas.

Flying is an option, too, if it's in the budget. Is the plan to arrive from Toronto and head directly to Mar del Plata (no day or night in BsAs first?) Because the flight almost certainly won't leave from the same airport -- there's an international and domestic airport.

In Mar del Plata, I stayed at the Hotel Guerrero. They were very friendly. I'm betting someone on staff spoke English (send them an email). My room was not spectacular but it was really fine. It was $40 a night. If you're willing to spend more, you'll have more options I'm sure. The Guerrero was a 30 or 45-minute walk (along the beach) to the Sheraton, or maybe a $3 or $4 cab ride.

As for not speaking Spanish, don't worry too much about it. Mar del Plata lives off the tourist trade. Granted, most of its visitors are Argentines, but they're not going to be traumatized by someone who doesn't speak the language. Learn a few courtesy words and use your hands.

Things to do: I enjoyed walking up and down Güemes street, which is a sort of a cafe and boutique area. The fisherman's port is also a good place to look around. There is a clump of seafood restaurants not far from the port area, some of which are buffet style (meaning you can just point at what you want! no language necessary). At the port itself, the sea lions are so cool to watch. There are some hanging around the docks, but off to one side is a whole colony of hundreds of them. (It wasn't immediately obvious to me where this was, it was sort of off to the right of the fishing area.)

My blog is linked in my profile. The top entry has some photos from Mar del Plata.
posted by veggieboy at 3:23 AM on May 1, 2007