Argentina Guide
The Atlantic resorts and the Pampas
Mar del Sud
If you want a complete break from the bustle of places like Mar del Plata, tiny MAR DEL SUD provides it. One of Argentina's least-developed beach resorts, Mar del Sud is in many ways one of its most appealing. It is becoming increasing popular with in-the-know Porteños looking for something a little different, but the atmosphere remains tranquil, with a friendly, community feel and the occasional party. Its beaches are far less frequented than those further north and, if you venture a few hundred metres away from the small clutch of beachgoers grouped around the bottom of the grandly named Avenida 100, you won't have much trouble finding a stretch of soft sand to yourself. The town's pleasantly unassuming buildings are dominated by the crumbling faded-pink walls and steeply pitched roof of the ex-Boulevard Atlantic Hotel, an elegant, French-influenced construction built in 1886. It's now a wonderfully creepy old building, its once glamorous rooms taken over by doves and scattered with chunks of plaster. Guided visits are possible during the day on request from Eduardo Gambo, who runs the place and is something of a local personality.
In Mar del Sud, though the main section of the Boulevard Atlantic is uninhabitable, there are some slightly musty but well-equipped apartments adjoining the hotel, with a definite Gothic appeal as well as cooking facilities ( 
02291/491135; Price: $45-75). The only hotel on the seafront itself is the Hostería Villa del Mar on the corner of Avenida 100 ( 02291/491141; Price: $75-90; closed Feb– Nov), which has small rooms overlooking the sea and a lovely breakfast area with a hearth. La Posada, at calles 15 and 98 ( 02291/491274; Price: $75-90), is two blocks from the beach and has comfortable, simple rooms with shared bath; it's one of the few places open year round. The town's few places toeat are mostly around the bottom of Avenida 100; the best is Croat restaurant Makarska, which does goulash as well as a tasty vegetable and ricotta strudel. The JR Café is a family-friendly bar that also houses the town's locutorio.