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.