With more than 600,000 inhabitants, Mar del Plata is amongst the seven biggest cities in Argentina. At the highpoint of summer, it is first and foremost the touristic heart of the country: its appeal leads to its population doubling or tripling during the school holidays. This seaside resort, located 400 km south of the capital, was for a long time the favoured retreat of Buenos Aires’ richest inhabitants, earning it the nickname of the Argentine Biarritz. The development of the transport networ

The competitors will be getting to the heart of the sporting matter on 1st January, after the starting ceremony at Mar del Plata. Used to journeying through Argentina, the riders, drivers and crews will this time be making a bee-line for the Andes Mountains. Only a few familiar landscapes as well as some first-rate sections, including dunes and canyons, have been selected for the Argentine part of the programme in 2012.