Argentine Atlantic Coast

In Argentina, especially in tourism-related contexts, the term Atlantic Coast (Spanish: Costa Atlántica), or simply "the Coast" (la Costa), commonly refers to the Atlantic frontage of the Pampas plain in Buenos Aires Province, characterized by a chain of seaside resorts for beachgoing along the Argentine Sea in the South Atlantic Ocean. The tourist corridor's sandy beaches, temperate climate and wide range of tourist services have made it the country's main vacation destination, particularly during the summer season, which in Argentina runs from December to March. The city of Mar del Plata serves as the main regional hub and the country's quintessential tourist city, being the most visited destination by domestic tourists and the second most visited overall after the city of Buenos Aires. The term "Atlantic Coast" may also be used more broadly to include the country's entire Atlantic coastline, extending into Patagonia; for this reason, the expressions "Buenos Aires Atlantic coast" (costa atlántica bonaerense) or "Pampas Atlantic coast" (costa atlántica pampeana) are sometimes used, in contrast to "Patagonian Atlantic coast" (costa atlántica patagónica), to distinguish between these areas. On the Atlantic coast of Patagonia, resort towns with sandy beaches suitable for beach tourism are concentrated in Río Negro Province, the northernmost province of the region, with Las Grutas as the main seaside resort; further south, the coastline is largely encompassed by protected areas and attracts a different type of tourism focused on scenic landscapes, sightseeing and wildlife observation, such as on the Valdés Peninsula.

The coastline of Buenos Aires Province developed primarily as a leisure and recreation area for the Buenos Aires Metropolitan Area, the country's main demographic and economic center, a dynamic that has limited the diversification of local economic activities beyond tourism. The area became a new territorial frontier driven by the tourist appeal of the city of Mar del Plata, founded in 1874, which emerged as the epicenter of the region. Until then, the area had been sparsely populated and largely consisted of the coastal edges of large estancias with little livestock-related productive value. Originating as a settlement around a saladero, Mar del Plata became the preferred tourist destination of the Buenos Aires elite in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and in the following decades developed into a mass tourism destination for broader sectors of society. Its tourism boom, together with the valorization of the coastal edge of large estancias for real estate purposes, fostered the emergence of nearby seaside resorts. During the late 19th century, seaside resorts first appeared to the south, including Necochea (1881), Miramar (1888) and Mar del Sur (1889). In the 20th century, a marked phase of tourist expansion followed, particularly toward the north of Mar del Plata, producing increasing territorial fragmentation and the creation of new developments; among the most notable are Ostende (1908), Villa Gesell (1931), Mar de Ajó (1934), San Clemente del Tuyú (1935), San Bernardo (1943) and Pinamar (1943).