Villa Gesell, Argentina

Welcome to Villa Gesell, a beautiful seaside resort city in the Buenos Aires Province of Argentina. Founded in 1931, the city was initially intended to be a timber plantation. However, with the growth of the city, it was able to annex nearby cities such as Mar de las Pampas, Las Gaviotas, and Mar Azul. The city was named after Carlos Idaho Gesell, son of German economist Silvio Gesell, who bought 16.48 km2 of sand dunes in 1931 with the intention of planting pines somewhere near Mar del Plata to reduce costs. Gesell was not planning to build a city at that point. Héctor Guerrero, the owner of most lands in the region, told him about the sand dunes on sale for 28,000 pesos, and Gesell bought them when he checked for the existence of groundwater in the area. The coastline was 10 km long. He immediately began to forest the area and built a house for himself in 1932, which is now a municipal museum. The forestation work did not proceed as expected: the strong saline winds moved the sand and harmed the plants, exposing and drying their roots. Gesell hired German agronomist Carlos Bodesheim in 1934, who implemented two new ideas. First, he planted a high number of beneficial weeds, capable of surviving in the dunes, in order to anchor the sand in place. He planted trees with tubed roots, so that the roots sought water deeper in the ground and the wind could not tear them. Losses were still high, but decreasing. In 1938 he learned about the Australian Acacia longifolia, which was well adapted to the sand and the saline winds and increased the ratio of nitrogen fixation. The Acacia was a success, and he arranged the plants so that the Acacias protected the pines from the wind. Villa Gesell has been a popular tourist destination since the 1940s. Being a coastal city, the main tourist attraction in Villa Gesell is the beach. The Villa Gesell beach is 10 km long with a soft slope and a variety of spas built alongside. The annexed cities of Mar de las Pampas, Las Gaviotas, and Mar Azul extend the beachside to 21 km. The city has a staff of 150 lifeguards. There is a lighthouse 30 km to the south, surrounded by a forest, which is also the focus of adventure tours. It is the second-highest lighthouse on the coast of Buenos Aires province, second only to the one in Bahía Blanca. The area around the lighthouse operates as a nature reserve as well. The city has a zoo, a golf course, a market of crafts and many discos. Whether you are seeking relaxation or adventure, Villa Gesell has everything you need for a perfect vacation. Come and experience the natural beauty, rich history, and warm hospitality that Villa Gesell has to offer.