History

Pinamar is located at the 28 leagues that belonged to José Suárez and where known at the beginning of the 19^th century as Montes Grandes de Juancho. The property was later given by the Governor of Buenos Aires, Juan Manuel de Rosas, to Félix de Alzaga for having led the regiment El Restaurador (The Restorer).

When Alzaga died his son Martín inherited the property. He had married Felicitas Guerrero who after becoming a widow was murdered by a rejected suitor. As the marriage had no descendents the property was inherited by the wife’s father, Carlos Guerrero. When he died the property passed to his seven sons, who divided the property among them. This division was carried away in 1886 and the 25 km.(15,5 miles) of sea coast were allotted to the estancias (rural properties) Martín García, La Invernada, El Rosario and Manantiales.

Enrique Guerrero, one of the estancias owners, was named City Commissioner of the village called Divisadero on the 12 th of November of 1907. One year later that village became head of the Tuyú department and in 1910 was renamed as Juan Madariaga. At the same time the Ferrocarril del Sud (South Railway) opened up the train station called Juancho at the property that belonged to his brother José.

In 1908 the Belgiums Fernando Robette and Agustín Poli arrived in the area with the idea of opening up a sea side resort similar to their natal place: Ostende.  They bought the dune area of the property that belonged to Manuel Guerrero. Thus an urban project that foresaw diagonals, public buildings, a railway station, a cemetery and a municipal enclosure was born. The Thermas Hotel was built in 1912. Antoine Saint-Euxpéry, the aviator and author of The Little Prince, stayed there.

In 1909 the French engineers François de Roumefort, Albert Grouward and A. Bisset bought José Guerrero’s stripe of sea coast to create another sea side resort, Montecarlo.

Around 1918 Héctor Manuel Guerrero, who owned the property called Dos Montes that included a stretch of sea coast, decided to start a forestation on the dunes. During the ‘40s over half a million trees had been planted. In 1945 that place was named Cariló.

In 1938 Valeria Guerrero de Russo, helped by the architect Jorge Bunge, started to plant trees at her property to create another sea side resort. An agreement was signed and the urban designer paid $41.000 for 2684 hectares (6600 acres) and kept most of the shares. Mrs. Guerrero would recover the dunes if the project failed. The resort was named Pinamar and opened up to the public on the 14^th of February of 1943.

Around 1947 Valeria Guerrero considered her rights as share holder would not be granted. So she decided to create her own sea side resort at the land she still had. The first building of the resort that was named Valeria del Mar was inaugurated in 1962.

The railway that until 1914 was used to transport lumber was inaugurated once more in 1949 as a passenger transport railway. Around this time immigrants from Italy that had fled Europe after the Second World War settled at Pinamar for good. The company Pinamar S.A. donated land for the construction of a school and a first aid post.

Bunge died the 13^th of August of 1961.

A year later the telephone cooperative was created and the service it provided was the best in the country.

The construction boom took place during the ‘70s. Residences for several families were built.

The Municipio Urbano de Pinamar (Pinamar Urban Municipality) was created the 1^st of July of 1978 and covered part of the territory belonging to the Partido de General Madariaga (General Madariaga County). On the 23^rd of May of 1983 its name was changed to Partido de Pinamar (Pinamar County). 

Geography

Location

Pinamar is located in the province of Buenos Aires, by the Atlantic Ocean, 340 km. (211 miles) south of Buenos Aires city.
Pinamar is the head of a county that also includes Montecarlo, Mar de Ostende, Ostende, Valeria del Mar and Cariló.

How to get there

The access roads to Pinamar are: National Route Nr. 2 and then Provincial Route Nr. 63 or Provincial Routes Nr. 29 and 74. You can also get there by train, bus or plane. The nearest airport is at Villa Gesell.

Population: 12.000 inhabitants.

Economy

Pinamar and the surrounding area are a tourist oriented region. The City Government organizes free courses on hotel related activities and gastronomy for residents. That, along with its good lodging turns it into a city that provides an excellent service for visitors.
 
Climate

The climate is Pampean mild, with oceanic influence. The annual average temperature is 21,5 °C (70,7°F) in summer and above 15°C (59°F) in winter. Annual precipitations go between 800 mm. (31,5 inches) and 900 mm.(35,4 inches).

Topography

The area is a sea coast plain with dunes to the west.

Flora

The native flora presents sand friendly species: partillo and tupe. The exotic species are: eucalyptus, acacia, pine, cypress, birch and aromo.

Fauna

Some of the fish that you may find are: corvine, dogfish, lisa, chucho, burriqueta, catfish, sole and tonina. You may also see sea wolves and penguins.
Some of the terrestrial mammals are carpincho, deer and armadillo. The forests host birds such as the hummingbird, parrot, thrush, woodpecker, goldfinch, calandra lark and siete colores.