[1] The Bristol opened in 1888, and was patronised by wealthy families of Buenos Aires and other parts of the country who would come to bathe in the sea.

[1] When Mar del Plata was declared a city in 1907 the resort was called the "Biarritz of Argentina".

[1] In the late 1920s wealthy families began to build chalets and mansions near the Hotel Bristol, and spent their days at the beach.

[4] More than eight hundred false killer whales beached themselves on the shores of Mar del Plata, mostly on the Playa Bristol, on the afternoon of 10 October 1946.

[5] Mar del Plata became a resort for Peronist "social tourism", no longer restricted to the wealthy.

They are an impressive complex of buildings along the Rambla Casino, which has a monumental staircase with stone sculptures of sea lions on each side.

[1] The beach is the most popular in Mar del Plata, mainly due to its proximity to the commercial centre of the city.

[2] Playa Bristol and Plaza Colon, in front of the Casino Central, are the focus of the town for visitors.