Map of the city with beaches description.

Bristol is the most traditional beach located in the heart of Mar del Plata. Its shore has a wide stretch of sand, enlarged through coastal erosion works carried out some years ago. This beach has been the scenery of social changes from the ‘20s up to the present. In the past, tourists used to stroll and get into water but did not sunbathe, and they stuck to strict social etiquette. As time went by, so fashion habits did, and nowadays, everyone visiting the city in summer dreams of lying on a rush mat to get a suntan. There are public beaches for the tourist who looks for a piece of sand to land on and look at waves breaking. There, they can choose any place on the beach to spend the day with his parasol and mat. Franchised beaches offer their users a spot with a wide range of services: the daily, weekly, monthly or whole season rent of a tent or parasol, together with dressing rooms, showers, spas (in some cases), varied gastronomy, including haute cuisine, and facilities to play such sports as tennis, paddle and volleyball, among others.

In southern Mar del Plata, there are private resorts with broad areas of forests and beaches where members are offered a wide variety of facilities and services like spas, high level gastronomy, nautical piers and a peaceful and quiet environment to get some rest and relax. They can also make use of the golf courses nearby. Mar del Plata coastline is irregular, and this is why there are rocky breakwaters, cliffs, slopes and different landscapes.

In northern Mar del Plata, next to Playa Popular beach, you can find Punta Iglesia beach complex and the Espigón del Club de Pesca fishing club with restaurants open all year round. This is called Paseo de las Américas, a broad open area overlooking the shore, ornamented with seats and walking paths leading to Paseo Dávila drive, built at the bottom of Santa Cecilia hill slope.

Punta Iglesia, designed by Clorindo Testa is adjacent to España square. Beach resorts here offer varied gastronomy, the rent of tents and parasols with tables and chairs. Heading north, there are public beaches and private resorts over a narrow stretch of sand, where many T and L-shaped sea defense walls have been built in order to protect these beaches against sea erosion. There are magnificent staircases by the shore that connect Patricio Peralta Ramos Boulevard with the beaches at sea level.

Every turn in the drive compels anyone to take a photo that will make a perfect postcard of Mar del Plata coast. Fishing options are available in every spot where there is a sea defense wall, a pier or a rocky area. Even from the shore, with the proper equipment, catching fish of great sizes is also possible.

From the Bahía de la Playa Bristol to the south, you can find Paseo Hermitage, another well-known beach resort with many services, excellent gastronomy and a hotel opposite.
Torreón del Monje is a traditional medieval construction located in Punta Piedras. It has been recently restored and now it looks just as it was originally built, with a bridge over Paseo Galindez drive that connects the Torreón with Patricio Peralta Ramos Boulevard. Torreón del Monje is a gastronomic complex with broad terraces to sunbathe and a room to hold all kinds of events open all year round.

Heading south, lie Playa Varese and Cabo Corrientes, these beaches were recovered due to the building of two sea defense walls made of quartzite. This place is excellent for swimming, fishing, and sailing in small motor boats for rent. This sector has two beaches with varied gastronomy. Playa Chica and Cabo Corrientes constitute the end of the Tandilia rocky mountain system. Cabo Corrientes sinks in the sea, and the whole sector, including Parque General San Martín (park), are part of this system.

Playa Chica is another beach resort with a swimming pool and exquisite gastronomy. It is possible to sunbathe lying on the rocks but visitors are advised not to swim in this area. Opposite Playa Grande neighborhood lies the beach of the same name with well-known resorts, gastronomy and a wide range of sports facilities. There is a new gastronomic complex in this place which includes an art gallery and rooms for events. Playa Grande has traditionally been the place chosen by surfers for the practice of this sport. This sector includes a large parking lot, sports facilities and a solarium with a swimming pool, all of them independent from the beaches. All entrances to public beaches in this area and throughout the coast are signaled, as well as public restrooms and sanitary stands.

Beyond the Port, there is a broad sand area called Punta Mogotes Resort, which has 24 beaches equipped with tents, some of them with spa services, swimming pools, sport facilities, gastronomy, nautical piers and public sectors.

Punta Mogotes ends in Punta Cantera, another rocky breakwater on the coast with beaches providing for tents, parasols and reclining chairs for rent, as well as grills to cook barbecues in an ideal setting to sunbathe by the sea.

Just before reaching the Aquarium, there are a few more beaches in a wild area.

Heading south, and beyond the lighthouse and the roundabout, there is access to Paseo Costanero Sur Presidente Illia (drive) on Ruta 11, which connects Mar del Plata with the neighboring city of Miramar. Along this road, lined with pine forests and other tree species settled by the existing dunes, there are private, public and franchised beaches. On the other side of the Illia drive, there are neighborhoods with permanent dwellers. The landscape is also made up of golf courses, tourist resorts, restaurants and pubs. Beaches are narrow in some areas and can be reached through staircases and elevators.
A different choice is the naturist beach where anyone can sunbathe freely, protected by the beach rules.

All the beaches try to offer different services to their users like the rent of reclining chairs, valet parking, gastronomic service supplied in the tent, jet ski rent, scheduled swimming in the sea, sailing in motor boats, and fishing, among others. Beach pubs and drink stalls compete for special drinks and novelties. In the swimming pool area and other exclusive places, AM and FM radios broadcast their programs. At night, beach parties are a must. Huge musical shows, electronic dance parades and firework festivals are some of the proposals during summer time.

Other attractions include surf and volleyball tournaments, swimming with rescue in open waters contests, windsurfing, boat racing, marathons, and triathlons on the coast and in the city. Have a go at the beach in winter. Long walks on cold, sunny days with tourists dressed in thick clothing are typical of this season. A few beach resorts keep on offering their gastronomic services during the weekends and put up tents in places protected from the winds for those interested in having an everlasting golden tan.