Las Grutas

Las Grutas is a beach resort in southern Argentina, located on the Atlantic coast of the province of Río Negro. It has an extremely rapid growth and is now one of the most important seaside resorts in the country, with about 250,000 tourists per season. 3,500 inhabitants currently live permanently in place. Administratively, it is a district of the city of San Antonio Oeste.

The name ( German: the grottoes ) comes from the excavations ago that has eaten the surf at the cliff near the village. This cliff gives the beach a unique character.

The town was founded in 1964. The scenic beauty of the beaches in the area soon led to the opening of numerous campsites that attracted above all peace seekers. Since the 1980s, however, the place was fast becoming a fad. It flourished in the numerous hotels and places of amusement, and the center was modeled after the urbanized cities in the Mediterranean coast. Today, Las Grutas is the largest and most important seaside resort of Patagonia.

Negative side effects of unchecked growth are the increasing pollution of the water in the area and despite the small population and the formation of slums.

One of the attractions of the place is its unusually high water temperature, resulting from the high sunshine duration in the region and its sheltered position in the Golfo San Matías.