• Museo del Mar Avenida Colón 1114. Featuring a massive (tens of thousands) collection of seashells from all around the world and a tidal pool exhibit. Good for a visit on a rainy afternoon. The small Confitería Gloria Maris, when open, severs coffee, cold drinks and light snacks surrounded by floor-to-ceiling fish tanks. Entrance: Ar$ 3, students Ar$ 2.
• Aquarium Mar del Plata Av. Martinez de Hoz 5600. (223) 467-0700.
• Museo Municipal de Ciencias Naturales Lorenzo Scaglia Av. Libertad 3099 (at Plaza España). Natural science museum and aquarium featuring local sea life. AR$2 adults, aR$1 for children under 11. Open Monday - Friday 9am - 5pm; Saturday- Sunday and holidays 4pm - 8pm.
• Museo Archivo Histórico
• Zoológico El Paraíso Ruta 226 km. 16 (C. de Acceso a Sierra de los Padres) (223) 463-0347. 300 species of exotic and domestic animals roam free (with a few exceptions) over an 8 hectare nature park. Night and day tours available.
• Banquina de Pescadores
• Historic homes Mar del Plata is chock full of Victorian summer homes, including some very electic choices in design and materials. Try strolling around Barrio La Perla or the waterfront Patricio Peralta Ramos Boulevard.
• Museo del Hombre del Puerto Cleto Ciocchini

By air

Aerolineas makes the 90 minute flight several times a day during the high season.

By train

Daily trains arrive from Buenos Aires. The train station is about 2km from the boulevard.

By Road

Buses are faster and cheaper than train, and incredibly clean.

Manuel Tienda Leon Collectivo service is available at the Buenos Aires Airport for around 80 Pesos one way. The trip is 5 hours through the Argentine Pampas and scenery wise it is very boring - bring a book or a pillow.

Taxis are very cheap, plentiful, and pretty honest. If you want to walk, Mar del Plata is perfect.

• Avenida Juan B. Justo
• Diagonal de los Artesanos

Great fish. The "Puerto" of Mar del Plata is a nice zone to know and try "mariscos", "rabas" and as many possibilities as you can.

"Alfajores" (a cake sandwich with dulce de leche)are found all over Argentina, and go perfect with cafe con leche. Many say the best are at the Havana shops that are all around MDP. They make great gifts to bring home.

The Argentines love dulce de leche, which is a cream caramel, and put it on almost anything sweet. Medialunas (mini-croissants) and dulce de leche are a staple breakfast. Dulce De Leche Granizado Ice Cream (Helado) combines chocolate flakes into caramel ice cream. The best by far is found in the Alem section of town.

Parillas (mixed grills) are also ubiquitous and with the great exchange rate, eating steak almost every day is very possible. Sirloin Steak is referred to as Bife de Chorizo, not to be confused with the sausage of the same name. One of the best parillas in MDP is Palacio del Bife.

Empanadas in Argentina are great for the first few days, but once you realize that unless you plan well in advance, this is the only food you can get during the daily siesta for lunch. Bariloche on Calle Mitre has some of the best around.

After you've entered a beef coma and can't take any more steak, Amigos Del Mar sushi restaurant is the only Japanese food in Mar Del Plata. There are several oriental "Tenedor Libres" (cheap buffet style restaurants) and some trendier restaurants in Alem that claim to do Chinese or Japanese food but just don't cut it.

Alem street is the heart of nightlife in the city. You will find countless pubs, bars, nightclubs in about a 6 square block area. The discos are located north of town: for 30 pesos, Sobremonte is quite an experience. Chocolate and Gap also are a lot of fun on the right night.