Argentina's climate varies greatly from season to season. During the southern summer, the temperature sometimes becomes stifling, easily exceeding 30 degrees in the shade. This heat is all the more trying because it is accompanied by very high humidity. The inhabitants of the capital suffer more than those in the countryside from this situation. The result is a mass exodus to the beaches, especially to Mar del Plata, Argentina's famous seaside resort. It is located on the Atlantic coast, some 400 kilometres south of Buenos Aires. Thousands of tourists and holidaymakers frequent Mar del Plata, especially during the months of January to March, when the summer holidays take place. In addition to the pleasures of bathing, water sports and fishing, the city offers its occasional residents everything that an urban centre has to offer in terms of entertainment. Tourists stay in luxurious hotels, can rent houses or flats, thus escaping the heat of the capital and the main cities in the centre of their country. - 1973
