Argentina is a country with a massive coastline, so as you can imagine there are quite a lot of beautiful beaches and nice little places to visit in the summertime. One of these places is Pinamar. Since I have never been to Pinamar, I have decided spontaneously to go there last weekend.
I went online and booked a hotel (actually I was really lucky to get one in such a short time notice because it is the high season), which is 10 minutes away from the beach, and the bus tickets to Pinamar. On Friday afternoon, I packed a small backpack, my girlfriend and I left the apartment for the bus station in Retiro.
When we finally found our platform in the immense bus station, we showed the bus driver our tickets, and hopped on to the bus without problems. The bus we booked was a “semi-cama” (half bed), so we had nice and inclinable comfortable seats (for me it was more comfortable than the seats on an airplane). They also served us a small snack and water.
After I had my snack, I watched a movie on board and after 5 hours we have arrived on time at the Pinamar bus station. We then took a taxi and another 10 minutes later, we checked into our hotel room. The hotel was not a fancy one. There were no champagne and fruit basket waiting for us on the table, but the room was clean, and had all the basic amenities that we needed.
Since it was already dinner time and we were really hungry, we decided to go to the center to find a nice place to eat. After walking around we felt a little bit overwhelmed by a huge amount of restaurants, bars and clubs, so we asked a taxi driver if there was a good restaurant where we could get good fish. He told us that he would bring us to the best fish restaurant in Pinamar for only 15 pesos. We jumped into the taxi and went to a small fish restaurant near the beach. It was a really small place and we had to wait 20 minutes to get a table, but it was totally worth it. The wooden furnishing gave the restaurant a certain flair, the staff was super friendly, and the fish was to die for (we ordered a mixed fish plate from the region). After a very satisfying dinner, we had a nice walk home to the hotel.
The next day we got up really early because it was a beautiful day. We wanted to spend the day on the beach, so we had a small Argentine breakfast, which was included at the hotel, and we headed out towards the beach. Since it was still very early in the morning (8-ish), the beach was not crowded yet, just some people running, surfing and fishing. I was very impressed by how tranquil the beach was and how fresh the air smelled. With only hearing the sound of the waves, it was very peaceful. We settled down somewhere on the beach with our towels, and the first thing i did was jump into the water. It was not as warm as I have expected, but after the first shock it was really refreshing and comfortable to stay a little longer. The only thing I should have done was probably put some sun protector on my skin, but I totally forgot because there was always a gentle cool breeze and I did not feel the sun. It was surely a big mistake, particularly when you are such a fair-skinned person like me.
We stayed on the beach until late afternoon and now with my burnt-red skin, I would have preferred to go back to the hotel as soon as possible, but my girlfriend saw the timing a little bit differently. It was a time when all the fancy shops were open, so we spent another couple of hours doing some shopping.
After I took a short (but ice cold) shower back at the hotel, I was ready to explore the nightlife. We spotted a tiny, nice looking Italian restaurant on the other side of our hotel, and decided to start the night with pasta and wine. Before we left we asked the waitress for some recommendations about the nightlife, and she suggested us to go to the promenade along the beach, where a nice jazz concert was taking place (it was the Blues and Jazz week in Pinamar). It was a wonderful way to enjoy our last night in Pinamar with cool vibes on the beach.
The next morning, we took the bus back to Buenos Aires and I came home feeling rejuvenated and relaxed after just a couple of days. I highly recommend Pinamar if you are looking for a beach front to escape from the big city, even if it is only for a weekend. I look forward to going there again next Summer.
Ben
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