Gualeguaychú

The small city of Gualeguaychu in the Argentine province of Entre Rios is a summer resort town for Argentines not wanting to deal with the overwhelming crowds of Punta del Este, Uruguay or Mar del Plata. Outside of hosting the yearly Carnaval, the city is quite bland but charming. The layout is much like the Palermo neighborhood in Buenos Aires, with small buildings constructed in the late 1800's.

Because the city borders a river, it offers a good selection of regional fish, including surubi and pacu. Surrounding the city are small riverside beaches, plenty of farmland for camping, and two spas with pools and facilities. There is also a casino and several discos (boliches) including the oh-so-famous Osama nightclub.

It's about a 3-4 hour drive from Buenos Aires, depending on traffic, and is a compact city that is easily walkable. I didn't find the people there to be as friendly as they were in San Antonio de Areco or Mar del Plata but this could be, in large part, due to burnout from the town being taken over every summer by drunken portenos and tourists coming for Carnaval.

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