The area around Necochea was first charted by Jesuit clergymen José Cardiel and Thomas Falkner, who reached the mouth of the Quequén Grande River in 1748.

[1] Necochea became an important domestic tourism destination in Argentina during the 20th century, and the number of registered hotel rooms surpassed 50,000 by 2011; occupation by then exceeded 95% during the summer high season.

[4] Other local landmarks and attractions include seashore grottoes (notable among them Cueva del Tigre, named for a 19th-century gaucho who reputedly evaded authorities for years by hiding in the grotto later named for him); the Parish of Our Lady of Lourdes (consecrated in 1957); the Necochea Golf Club (founded in 1955); the Fishermen's Pier (1970); the Quequén Grande River rapids; and Quequén port, which features two breakwaters (1908), a lighthouse (1921), and a South American sea lion reserve.

Some of the most popular recurring events in Necochea are the National Festival of Children's Shows (Fiesta Nacional de Espectáculos para Niños), held since 1962 at Miguel Lillo Park on each Epiphany Day (January 6); and the Festival of Cultures (Fiesta de las Colectividades), celebrating the contributions of the numerous immigrant communities and their descendants to both Necochea and Argentina.

The festival, held at the end of January, includes stands representing the immigrant cultures common to much of Argentina (Italians, Spaniards, Danish Argentines, Middle Easterners, and Germans, among others), as well as Chileans in the recent years.