Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires is Argentina’s second largest province and home to 40% of its population. The seaside city of Mar del Plata on the Atlantic coast is the province’s largest city, celebrated for its annual film festival, sandy beaches, sea lions, and in 2018, its G20 meetings. Every year, several million visitors are drawn to its wind-swept beaches, water sports and vibrant nightlife.
Buenos Aires province benefits from a diversified economy and a large workforce. It exports roughly USD 18 billion worth of goods a year. Its proximity to the capital and other population centres, and to major ports helps keep distribution costs down. Key sectors marked for investment over the coming years are renewable energy, agribusiness and infrastructure.
Overview
- Population: 17 million
- Area: 307,571 km²
- Capital: La Plata
- Top export: Cars
Main Attractions
From the popular Bristol beach just a stone’s throw from the city centre to serious surfer hub Playa Grande, Mar del Plata boasts 47 km of beach coastline. The city’s iconic beach-side walk, designed by architect Alejandro Bustillo, snakes around the shoreline. Further along the Atlantic coast are several smaller beach towns, like Pinamar and Cariló, enveloped in pine forests and sand dunes, and buzzing with activity every summer.
The sleepy town of Tandil is 175 km west of Mar del Plata, nestled in the pampas. It is famous throughout Argentina for its pungent cheeses and cured meats, while its surrounding foothills and valleys draw outdoor sports and wildlife enthusiasts.
The province also stretches north of Buenos Aires city along the Río de la Plata. Some 30 km away, Tigre is a vibrant waterside retreat, replete with stilt houses, worn Gatsby-style mansions, rowing clubs and craft markets. It is the gateway to the spectacular labyrinthine web of islands and canals known as the Paraná Delta, the fifth largest delta in the world.
For a more traditional Argentine gaucho experience, the old colonial town of San Antonio de Areco beckons visitors seeking the slower pace of ranch life.
The ranches of the province have long produced the cattle which have made Argentina famous for its beef. The fishing boats which dock at Mar del Plata have also infused the local cuisine with seafood, paired with locally brewed draft beers which have expanded to sell throughout Argentina.