Pinamar

Pinamar was founded in 1943 by Jorge Bunge, who set out to stabilise shifting coastal dunes by planting pines, acacias and tamarisks, and then laid out a town among them with curved streets following the contours rather than a grid. The result is a resort of shaded avenues where the forest reaches the beach, quite different from the flat coastal towns nearby. It draws a well-off summer crowd from Buenos Aires, with beach clubs, restaurants and shops along Avenida Bunge, and activities in the dunes north of town, where four-wheel-drive excursions and sandboarding run over open sand. The neighbouring villages of Ostende, Valeria del Mar and Cariló form a continuous strip along the same coast.

What you actually see

• The pine forest - planted woodland running through the town to the dunes.
• The beaches - wide Atlantic sand with beach clubs and services.
• The dunes - open sand north of town used for excursions and sandboarding.
• Avenida Bunge - the main street of shops and restaurants.

When to go

December to March for the season; January is peak, crowded and expensive, while December and March are calmer with warm water. Outside summer the town is quiet and many businesses close.

Honest expectations

Pinamar is one of the pricier coastal resorts, and January rates reflect that. The beach is wide but crowded in season, and windy days blow sand hard. There is little to do outside the summer months.

Nearby

Cariló adjoins to the south; Villa Gesell lies further down the coast.