i woke up at 4 am because the ocean was whispering in my ear and i forgot to close the window. mar del plata isn’t a place its a mood. a mood i fell into while stealing souvenirs from old men at the market. someone told me to wear sandals here because the locals hate sneakers. i wore them anyway. they hissed. i left my wallet. now i’m writing this with a pen I found in a bottle.

quick answers

q: is this place worth visiting?
a: only if you want to lose yourself to something that feels both real and fake. the ocean here doesn’t care if you’re lost. it’ll just swallow your bad decisions.

q: is it expensive?
a: no. unless you’re a tourist. then suddenly everything costs like 10x. a croissant is ars 10. a local pays ars 2. sucks.

q: who would hate it here?
a: hipsters. they’ll judge the sand. the sand is beaches. it’s not supposed to be a metaphor.

q: best time to visit?
a: when it’s raining. the humidity makes the air taste like wet regrets. you’ll need a raincoat made of tears.

i saw a street artist yesterday painting a seagull mid-flight. the seagull looked terrified. i asked what he was doing and he said, ‘the bird doesn’t know it’s in a painting yet.’ i left him a peso. he told me to ‘ask the ocean for answers.’

here’s the weird part: the weather. it’s 3.33°C but feels like 1.87°C. that’s not a trick of the thermometer. that’s the ocean hugging you so hard it steals your soul. the humidity is 93%. you’ll sweat into your socks and still feel cold. it’s a contradiction that makes sense.

someone warned me about the surfers. they said they’re like cult members. wear a hat, don’t look them in the eyes. but i didn’t. i walked into a wave earlier and they just handed me a beer. said, ‘you’re part of the ritual now.’

i stayed at a hostel for ars 15 a night. the owner was a disillusioned consultant who had once worked for a bank. he kept talking about how he hated spreadsheets. i asked if he’d ever left argentina. he said, ‘no. i hate flights. they make me feel tiny.’ we bonded over this. he taught me to make empanadas with saltwater instead of oil. it tasted like regret. delicious.

the local warned me about the sea life. not the usual stuff. he said, ‘don’t swim at sunrise. the fish are smarter then.’ i ignored him. swam anyway. a jellyfish stung my toe. it wasn’t painful. it was a lesson. i now carry that jellyfish in a bag as a pendant. it hums when i’m near water.

this place is a patchwork of contradictions. the beaches are overcrowded but feel empty. the markets sell things you don’t need but you buy them anyway. the weather is both a relief and a punishment. it’s like being in a relationship where you know it’s doomed but you can’t stop touching.

safety vibe? sketchy in some spots. ask a local. they’ll tell you which streets to avoid. but overall? it’s safe if you don’t look lost. locals don’t mind tourists. they just want money. and respect.

you can fly from buenos aires in 1.5 hours. that’s not long. i took a bus. it felt like a lifetime. the bus driver played bad music. loud reggaeton. it made me want to cry. but also dance. that’s the vibe here. chaotic and loud.

i heard a story about a guy who got lost in the forest near mar del plata. he survived for three days by eating ants. he told me this while I was eating empanadas. i asked if he’d recommend it. he said, ‘only if you’re already dead inside.’

mar del plata isn’t for everyone. it’s for people who like chaos. people who defined by their failures. the ocean here doesn’t give a fuck. neither do the locals. they’ll judge you but also sell you a drink.

photo credit: some random unsplash guy. the second image is of a skyscraper. why is there a skyscraper here? mar del plata isn’t a skyscraper city. but there it was. under a blue sky. like it’s trying to be happy.

if you’re coming, pack a change of heart. the ocean might steal it. but you’ll get it back. maybe.

links: TripAdvisor, Yelp, Reddit, LocalGuide.

mar del plata is not a beach town its a satanic favoritism circus

You might also be interested in:

About the author: Topiclo Admin

Comments (0)

Join the conversation

Comments (0)

Join the conversation