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Mar del Plata is an important port and resort city of Argentina located in the littoral of the Argentine Sea, southeast of Buenos Aires province. It is the head of General Pueyrredón and the most important tourist city of Argentina after Buenos Aires. It has one of the widest hotel infrastructures of the country. .

Population
In the last national census 541,733 inhabitants were counted (INDEC, 2001) in Mar del Plata. This number represents an increase of 5,6% in comparison to the 512,809 inhabitants (INDEC, 1991) of the previous census. Due to this low demographic increase, it is concluded that there was an exodus during the last decade. A projection for January 2009, based on both censuses, placed the population of the city around 562,000 inhabitants. This quantity places the city as the seventh more populated center of Argentina and the third of Buenos Aires. From a Geographic point of view, it is considered the more populated seaside town of Argentina..

Mar del Plata is placed within the seaside tourist corridor together with other beach centers. From north to south they are: San Clemente del Tuyú, Las Toninas, Santa Teresita, Mar del Tuyú, Costa del Este, Aguas Verdes, Lucila del Mar, San Bernardo del Tuyú, Mar de Ajó, Pinamar, Ostende, Cariló, Valeria del Mar, Villa Gesell, Mar Chiquita, Santa Clara del Mar, Mar del Plata, Los Acantilados, Playa Chapadmalal and Estación Chapadmalal, Miramar, Quequén and Necochea.
The city is one of the main tourist centers of the country, and receives during each summer Season between two and three million visitors approximately, which gives way to a huge step in the number of inhabitants, which in some cases has increased trice. With the purpose of receiving that quantity of visitors, it has a complete tourist infrastructure. Apart from the summer offer, the so called Atlantic Treasure or the “Argentine Biarritz" – because of the similarity with that French city – has a varied offer during low Season: sport, ecologic, adventure, fishing tourism and cultural events are just some of the alternatives this city offers to its visitors as well as an interesting historical and natural heritage.
Mar del Plata is one of the par excellent tourist cities due to the fact that it counts with different factors that make it more accessible for internal tourism. The accessibility to the city is given by area and terrestrial routes (own transportation, bus and train).
The city has a total of 56,771 hotel accommodations of different characteristics for the recreation of its tourists. Besides, there are 1,590 gastronomic establishments with different services according to the preferences demanded. For nocturnal entertainment, there are 129 establishments such as bars, discos, pubs and others. However, the main recreational activity is the Central Casino or the different Bingos placed in the city, as well as the Bingo del Puerto, the pedestrian street, the Bingo del Sol, and the Bingo del Mar.
Mar del Plata has different fairs and markets placed in different points of the city. The most popular one may be, for its geographical location, the craftsman diagonal over the Puyrredon diagonal, at the centre of the city, half block from the Colon Theatre and one block from the Cathedral. The traditional flea market and the Antique Fair located at Rocha Square on XX September and Colon Streets; also the Agro ecologic Green Fair organized by the National Institute of Agricultural Technology, the National University of  Mar del Plata and the National Development Ministry. Two of the most known fairs of the city are placed strategically over the cost in the area of Varese, Paseo Galíndez, and other in Casino Rambla; both with the same exposure characteristics and craftsmanship sale and all kinds of handicraft. Over Camet Park is the Old Craftsman Fair where typical craftsmanship and handicrafts from the beginning of the Century are exposed, all made in wood.
20 km from this city we can find Los Padres Lake and the Residential Neighborhood Los Padres Mountain Range that offer a different option for their visitors, in a natural area and with invaluable landscapes. Every year, the “Mar del Plata Cinema Festival” takes place. It is the unique of “A” class in South America and gives way to an important influx of spectators and artists of the local and international show business.
North to South Beaches

Varese Beach, the former English Beach, between the Torreón and Cabo Corrientes
La Perla Beaches (Punta Iglesias). That is the place where Alfonsina Storni ended her life. Piletones de Camet
Sun Rider Beach and Estrada
Acevedo Beach
North La Perla Beaches  (Puerto Cardiel and Bahía Bonita)
La Perla Beaches (Alicante, San Sebastián, Saint Michel, Alfonsina)
Punta Iglesias
Popular Beach, Fishing Club Pier
Bristol Beach
Varese Beach
Cabo Corrientes
Chica Beach
Calu Beach
Grande Beach
Port Beach  
Punta Mogotes and Beach resort complex
cero Beach resort
Sirena complex
Waikiki Beach
Humana Beach (former mariano Beach)
Guillermo
Marbella
Honu Beach
Aquarium
Camping Municipal
La Reserva
Mirador Nueve
La Caseta
El Taino
Piedra Marina
Peralta Ramos
Aquamarina
El chiringo
Tamarindo
San Jacinto
La Serena
San Patricio
San Carlos
La Paloma
La Balconada
Argentina
Los Acantilados
Escondida Beach (Naturista)
Agustín Santiago Rodríguez Beach

Panoramic view  of Bristol Beach.
The most popular beaches at present are the ones located at the south and centre of the city. This is highly related to the means of transport of Mar del Plata tourists and to the temporal means of transport from the costs to the hotels and other accommodations.
The last reports from the  Tourism Local Entity of General Pueyrredón show that the highest precedence of tourists is internal, with a distribution, according to season 2006-2007 of 34.3% coming from Capital Federal; 25.5% from  Gran Buenos Aires and 16.2% from the rest of the province of Buenos Aires; the latter mostly from La Plata. Another great characteristic of Mar del Plata tourists is that it is a city that receives mainly families, and not so many groups of friends; coming from high socioeconomic levels. For this reason, the main means of transport is particular cars.