Cariló

Cariló was planted from the 1910s onward on bare dunes, first with pines and later with a wide mixture of conifers and broadleaf species, and the village that grew inside the forest kept unusual rules: streets are unpaved sand, there are no traffic lights or street numbers, houses are set among the trees rather than in rows, and building density is deliberately kept low. Streets are named after trees, in Spanish for one direction and other languages for the cross-streets. The effect is a quiet, expensive enclave where the beach lies at the end of the forest and the noise of the coast road never reaches. A small commercial centre holds boutiques, cafes and restaurants aimed squarely at the summer crowd from Buenos Aires.

What you actually see

• The sand streets - unpaved lanes winding through dense planted forest.
• The forest houses - low-density homes hidden among pines and broadleaf trees.
• The beach - Atlantic sand at the forest's edge, quieter than neighbouring towns.
• The village centre - a compact cluster of boutiques and cafes.

When to go

December to March for the season, and January if you want the village at full life, which also means peak prices. March and December are calmer with warm water. Winter is very quiet with limited services.

Honest expectations

Cariló is expensive by any Argentine measure, in accommodation, food and shops. The sand streets are hard going for ordinary cars after rain. Outside high summer much of the village shuts down.

Nearby

Pinamar adjoins to the north; Villa Gesell lies south along the coast.