Villa Gesell

After slightly snooty Pinamar, the relaxed and vaguely hippyish feel of VILLA GESELL comes as a welcome relief. The resort carefully cultivates its laid-back image, much in the same way as Pinamar cultivates its exclusivity, and while it may not be the bohemian mecca it once was, Villa Gesell is still one of the more enjoyable places to sample Argentinian beach life. The town is named after its founder, Carlos Gesell, a mildly eccentric outsider of German descent. In 1931, Gesell bought a stretch of coastal land, largely dominated by still moving and seemingly useless sand dunes. After some experimentation Gesell managed to stabilize the dunes by planting a mixture of vegetation including tamarisks, acacias and esparto grass and began to sell lots, many of which were bought by Germans and Central Europeans escaping from the war. In the Sixties the resort became a particular favourite with young people and, though some high-rise construction has diminished the natural feel which first attracted them to the town, Gesell remains a firm favourite with parties of Argentinian youth holidaying away from the family.   Something of the bohemian feel that once distinguished Gesell can still be discerned in the small resort of Mar Azul , some 15km down the coast: in between the two lies the even smaller and notably tranquil Mar de las Pampas , a good spot to head for if all you want to do is relax. Beyond Mar Azul lies the Faro Querandí , a lighthouse set amongst a reserve of dunes. Half-day trips to the lighthouse can be made with various companies in Villa Gesell. The Resort   Villa Gesell is a friendly resort whose winding streets - many of them unsealed - do their best to defeat the order imposed by a complex system of numbered avenidas (which run parallel to the sea), paseos, calles and alamedas. The town's main street is Avenida 3, which is pedestrianized in the evening when it becomes the centre of the town's lively nightlife. To the west lies a pleasant residential district with houses set back from the roads, which are lined with high sandy banks.   At the northern end of the town, entered from Alameda 202, lies the Reserva Parque Cultural . Designed by Carlos Gesell, the park's wooded walkways offer welcome shade on hot days, and the dunes which separate it from the beach to the east are a particularly good spot for quiet sunbathing or picnicking. If you fancy something a bit livelier, however, head for one of Gesell's popular balnearios, such as Windsurf, El Agite, Pleno Sol or Cocoplum, which vie with each other every year to become the season's in spot. The balnearios are spread out along the length of the beach and lure regulars with the music from their bars - some of which even have Jacuzzis. Windy, on the beach at the bottom of Paseo 104 (tel 02255/460430), runs a windsurf school. Since the 1960s, Gesell has been a magnet for artisans and there's a good artisan fair selling a mixture of locally made crafts, jewellery and leather goods, every evening from about 8pm on Avenida 3 between paseos 110 and 112, in front of the central plaza. The town has a lively cultural life and of its numerous mini festivals, the most important is the Fiesta Nacional Semana de la Raza en el Mar , celebrated in mid-October with a procession of floats, followed by kayak competitions, several concerts and a giant paella. There are various places to rent bikes in town; try Casa Macca on Avenida Buenos Aires between Paseo 101 and Avenida 5 (tel 02255/468013; $15 a day), or Rodados Luis on Paseo 107 between avenidas 4 and 5 (tel 02255/463897; $12 a day). Horseriding is also popular, at schools such as the well-established Tante Puppi on Boulevard and Paseo 102 (tel 02255/455533) which organizes rides in the woods and dunes or, more informally, from various points along Avenida 3 between Villa Gesell and Mar de las Pampas.