The unexplored and unexploited beaches of Las Grutas are located in the southern and chillier half of Argentina’s long coastline.

Despite its location closer to Antarctica than popular beaches to the north, the Gulf of San Matias boasts the warmest and bluest waters, at almost 27 C, on the entire eastern seaboard.

Located only 15km from San Antonio Oeste, Las Grutas, or ’The Caves,’ is so named for the coastal cliffs that line the beach. Here, clear waters are swimmable late into the fall, when vacationing crowds are thinned out and prices are low.

So, for those sick of the sticky, city summer heat who don’t want to join the ranks across the river to Uruguay or get squeezed onto a towel-sized spot of land in Mar de Plata, you can take an overnight bus ride from Buenos Aires (16 hours) and arrive in Las Grutas just in time for lunch.

Golfo de San Matias

At first, Las Grutas was only a popular picnic spot for Rio Negro provincials but in the 1980s developers stumbled upon the natural beauty here and decided to bring in running water, electricity, and a casino.

Nowadays, there is a year-round population of 3,500 people and a tourist influx of 250,000 a year. When the out-of-towners flood the sleepy pueblo between December and February, it can make for long lines at the ATMs and kiosks. But with plenty of quiet peaceful beaches to escape to nearby, there is enough space to feel practically alone.

Because of the strong coastal currents of Bahia de San Antonio, the tide in Gulf of San Matias gets sucked far out to sea, leaving almost an entire kilometer of exposed coral and sand at low tide. When the water recedes, and the sun heats up the green rock surface it warms the water to tepid temperatures. That, in combination with 12 hours of sunlight per day and average weather forecasts of 30 C, makes for a balmy beachside experience. There are also large rectangular pools visible at low tide, carved into the rock and flagged off by lifeguards that act as natural sandy-bottomed swimming pools popular with kids and parents.

The white-washed walls and strikingly blue waters of the golf are reminiscent of a Grecian seaside but, as the locals are quick to point out, come at a fraction of the cost. With a meandering rambla (boardwalk) that hugs the cliff side, filled with cyclists and roller-bladers, you can enjoy the view overlooking the ocean and then stroll down one of the 12 designated bajadas (descending staircases) to chase the tide back and forth along the beach.

Beachside Activities in Las Grutas

If you came for playa (beach) there are plenty to pick from in this region, such as the tranquil Playa de Piedras Coloradas, the sharp shell-beach of La Conchilla or the hidden Rinconada. You can buy a few inflatable toys at one of the many seaside shops or a game of paleta (rubber-ball tennis) and join the hundreds of people snoozing under umbrellas sipping hot mate.

Along the three km stretch of beach, you’ll find everyone from grandparents sporting skimpy swimwear to young couples getting cuddly and little ones learning to kick a soccer ball in the sand. There are white horses to rent for moonlight rides, popular kite-surfing classes, recreational diving through crystal-clear water or shore-fishing for sea bass and groupers. A common fisherman’s catch are cornalitos, small neotropical silversides. Abundant on local menus, they are usually fried whole. They make a tasty snack — if you don’t mind the little black eyeballs staring straight back at you.

Once you have soaked up some sunshine, you can head outside the city to hike some surrounding sand dunes; explore the Fuerte Argentino plateau, an 80-meter high natural balcony overlooking the gulf; or go on a jeep safari through Los Alamos, where you can track endangered Andean Condors through binoculars.

There is also the ever-popular and well-advertised Las Grutas Bikini Open in February, along with the two beauty pageants, Fiesta Nacional del Golfo Azul and the 38^th annual Fiesta Provincial del Mar y del Acampante. All bring girls from across the country to compete for the ‘summer’s best booty.’

Voyeurism aside, it’s no wonder year-round crowds are drawn to the mild temperatures, warm clear waters, and scarce rainfall of Las Grutas. This cozy seaside gem remains an ‘undiscovered’ treasure that the Patagonians feel hesitant to share with their beach-seeking neighbors to the north. So if you go, don’t tell the masses. Otherwise, next year you may find yourself jostled among a slew of stampeding porteños, all speeding southbound towards Las Grutas.

— by Kathryn Elgee

→ Las Grutas Travel Information — Getting There, Hotels & Restaurants

Anyone arriving in Buenos Aires for the first time during the month of January will find themselves in an empty metropolis and questioning, ‘Where are all the people?’ The answer is that everyone clears out of the sweltering city in the summer and heads to the beach.

The seaside city of Mar del Plata is the over-crowded beach of choice for many Argentines who don’t seem to want to break away from the Buenos Aires bustle, but there are other, more laid-back towns to choose from along Argentina’s sprawling coastline.

WA-destinations-mardeajo-cover — photo courtesy of the Atlantic Coast Tourism Department

Mar de Ajó, a five-hour bus ride from the big city is one alternate seaside choice that you probably won’t find listed in your guidebook. Near the tip of the Atlantic coast in Buenos Aires province, this 19th century fishing village was officially founded in 1935 when tourism first arrived in the area.

Today families of middle-class porteños (as Buenos Aires’ residents are known) looking for a more relaxed seaside refuge come here to wind down during the summer months. In the last ten years, with increased migration from other provinces and the addition of the Atlántida Argentina University here, Mar de Ajó’s populace has swollen from 13,000 to 25,000.

The Town

With its 1960’s/70’s seaside town vibe, Mar de Ajó is admittedly tacky in places, but that’s part of its scrappy allure. The buildings are a combination of old hotels, apartment blocks and lovely little shacks. As with many of Argentina’s less-expensive beach destinations, the shopping and restaurant precinct is decidedly tawdry.

At dusk the main drag becomes a pedestrian-only affair, jam-packed with people looking to be fed and entertained. There is a good mix of restaurants, gaming arcades, pizza parlors and ice cream shops, replete with street performers, a cinema, a theater and a casino/bingo hall. Accommodation and food prices are just slightly higher than in the city of Buenos Aires.

Before the 1914 construction of the Panama Canal, Argentina’s Pacific coastline saw a lot of navel traffic with boats headed for the Strait of Magellan. Many who ventured too close to the coast found themselves run aground by the strong winds at Mar de Ajó and now form part of the town’s ‘ship graveyard.’

The most famous wreckage here is the Margaretha, a German vessel that ran aground in 1880. For many years Mar de Ajó was know as Playa La Margarita, in honor of the battered tanker. The Margeretha’s remnants can still be seen sticking out of the sand at low tide.

Another Mar de Ajó attraction is the town’s large pier where fishermen catch Southern Kingcroaker, Seabass and Stingray to fry up for dinner.

reinodemardeajo — photo: ReinodeMardeAjo

The Beach

Regular beach goers bring their own umbrellas and chairs to the shore here – or, as in Mar de Plata — lease private tents or carpas by the day, week or even month. A revealing bathing suit is the dress code of choice, no matter what the size or shape of the body, and the deeper, more pre-cancerous-looking the tan, the better.

As at most Argentine beaches mate (Argentinean tea pronounced mah-tay) is the beverage of choice throughout the day, prompting hot water sellers and churro-doughnut vendors to roam the sands in droves.

Groups of weathered men play Tejo, a beach game similar to the Italian game of Bocce, except that rather than rolling balls, flat wooden discs are used. The idea is to try and get them as close to the small white jack as possible. Although played casually on the beach with the ‘court’ drawn out on the sand, you will see that Tejo can be taken as seriously as the World Cup Finals.

Compared to its more upscale counterpart, Mar del Plata, the beaches at Mar de Ajó are marginally cleaner and a lot less crowded, with some of the fine beige sand visible between all the sun worshipers. The cool Atlantic water provides some respite from the sizzling sun, and here it is slightly less bone-chillingly cold than in Mar de Plata, as it sits 157km further north up the coast. The wind often creates swell that makes for some modest surfing, challenging swimming, and fun kite and bodysurfing.

Mar de Ajó is evidence that one cannot experience Porteño culture by only visiting the capital; here you’ll see another side to the urban dwellers, who really can let the city chaos slip away with the sea breeze.

—by Carly Pocock

→ Mar de Ajó Travel Information