TANDIL , 70km southeast of Azul, is set amongst the central section of the range of hills known as the Sistema de Tandilia . The range begins some 150km to the northwest of Tandil, running southeast across the province to Mar del Plata, on the coast, and only rarely rising above 200m. Around Tandil, however, there are peaks of up to 500m. This is not wild trekking country, but Tandil's hills - somewhat reminiscent of the landscape of Wales or Ireland - are good for activities such as horseriding and mountain-biking, with various companies operating out of the town. Tandil also has the quirky distinction of being famous for something that's no longer there. For many years, the enormous Piedra La Movediza (literally "the moving stone") rested at an inconceivably steep angle on one of the town's many rocky outcrops, before finally smashing to the valley floor eighty years ago. Such is the fame of this 385-tonne rock, many Argentinians think it's still there and the place where it once stood remains one of Tandil's most-visited spots. The town's most famous remaining stone is the impressive but not quite so precarious El Centinela , a seven-metre high boulder perched upright on a small hill some 5km southwest of the town centre.

Rocks aside, Tandil is famed for its Vía Crucis procession (stations of the cross) each Easter, which ends at Monte Calvario, a small hillock topped by a giant cross to the east of the town centre. It's also a popular weekend destination and has a lively and enjoyable feel in the evenings, thanks to the bustle of holidaymakers and locals strolling around the town centre.