Villa Gesell
Encyclopedia
Villa Gesell is a seaside village in Villa Gesell Partido
, Buenos Aires Province
, Argentina
. It was founded in 1931, afforestating
a dune field. The growth of the city allowed it to annex the nearby cities of Mar de las Pampas, Las Gaviotas and Mar Azul
.
. Carlos Gesell bought wood at Tigre
for his business, and wanted to plant pines somewhere near Mar del Plata
to reduce costs. Gesell was not planning to build a town at that point. Héctor Guerrero told him of 16.48 km² (6.36 sq mi) of sand dunes on sale for 28,000 pesos, and Gesell bought them in 1931 when he checked for the existence of groundwater
in the area. The coastline was 10 km (6.21 mi) long. He immediately began to forest the area, and built a house for himself in 1932. This house 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 could not find a solution. He then implemented two new ideas. First, he planted a high number of beneficial weed
s, 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.
Carlos Gesell lived permanently in the area from 1937 on. He began to run out of money in 1940, so he built a small timeshare
named "La Golondrina" . The first tourists were the Starks. Mr. Stark was manager of the local branch of the Siemens
corporation. The Starks promoted the town back in Buenos Aires
, and more tourist accommodations were built. The town was linked to Provincial Route 11 in 1943.
With new houses for tourists and the local population, the area was turned into a proper urban settlement, so Gesell began to see after the needed urban services, such as the supply of food, electric power, gasoline and a car workshop. He banned alcoholic beverages, cigarettes and any other things he deemed as a vice
. He strongly opposed the establishment of a local casino, which was finally established at the nearby town of Pinamar
. The city saw a large European immigration during World War II
, who built the first hotels and themed restaurants. Most Italians worked as construction laborers, and most Spaniards administrated the shops and hotels. Urban development grew even more in the 1960s, as people that bought land and built houses in six months or less were refunded half the of the land's original price.
The settlement gradually expanded stretching along the coastline, and today continues its growth has annexed three more resorts to the south, namely, Mar de las Pampas, Las Gaviotas and Mar Azul
. Villa Gesell has been a popular tourist destination since the 1940s.
In recent years Villa Gesell was known as a touristic destination for teenagers, but the current administrations seek to change this and aim instead for mature tourists. The "Gesell Rock", an annual rock festival
, is not celebrated anymore, replaced for family-oriented musical shows.
Being a coastal city, the main tourist attraction in Villa Gesell is the beach
. The Villa Gesell beach is 10 m (33 ft) 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 m (69 ft). The city has a staff of 150 lifeguard
s.
There is a lighthouse 30 m (98 ft) to the south, surrounded by a forest; some houses organize adventure tourism
visit to the forest. It is the second highest lighthouse in the coast of the Buenos Aires province, second only to the one in Bahía Blanca
. The area around the lighthouse works as a natural reserve as well.
The city has a zoo, a golf field, a market of crafts and many discos.
Villa Gesell and Pinamar, both tourist cities, have a regional rivalry about the type of tourist trade they cater to. Pinamar aims for wealthy Argentine tourists, while Villa Gesells aims for those in the middle class. Prices in Villa Gesell are lower, but crime is higher.
Villa Gesell Partido
Villa Gesell Partido is a partido located on the Atlantic coast of Buenos Aires Province in Argentina.The provincial subdivision has a population of about 24,282 inhabitants in an area of 285km², and its capital city is Villa Gesell, which is located around 380km from Buenos Aires.-Economy:The...
, Buenos Aires Province
Buenos Aires Province
The Province of Buenos Aires is the largest and most populous province of Argentina. It takes the name from the city of Buenos Aires, which used to be the provincial capital until it was federalized in 1880...
, Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
. It was founded in 1931, afforestating
Afforestation
Afforestation is the establishment of a forest or stand of trees in an area where there was no forest. Reforestation is the reestablishment of forest cover, either naturally or artificially...
a dune field. The growth of the city allowed it to annex the nearby cities of Mar de las Pampas, Las Gaviotas and Mar Azul
Mar Azul, Buenos Aires
Mar Azul is a small coastal settlement in Buenos Aires Province, Argentina. It is located in the Villa Gesell Partido.The settlement has a recorded population of 569 after the 2001 census, an 800% increase from 92 residents recorded after the 1991 census....
.
History
The town is named after Carlos Idaho Gesell, the son of German economist Silvio GesellSilvio Gesell
Silvio Gesell was a German merchant, theoretical economist, social activist, anarchist and founder of Freiwirtschaft.-Life:...
. Carlos Gesell bought wood at Tigre
Tigre Partido
Tigre Partido is a partido or municipality of Buenos Aires Province, Argentina, situated in the north of Greater Buenos Aires. The department covers a large section of the Paraná Delta and its low-lying islands...
for his business, and wanted to plant pines somewhere near Mar del Plata
Mar del Plata
Mar del Plata is an Argentine city located on the coast of the Atlantic Ocean, south of Buenos Aires. Mar del Plata is the second largest city of Buenos Aires Province. The name "Mar del Plata" had apparently the sense of "sea of the Río de la Plata region" or "adjoining sea to the Río de la Plata"...
to reduce costs. Gesell was not planning to build a town at that point. Héctor Guerrero told him of 16.48 km² (6.36 sq mi) of sand dunes on sale for 28,000 pesos, and Gesell bought them in 1931 when he checked for the existence of groundwater
Groundwater
Groundwater is water located beneath the ground surface in soil pore spaces and in the fractures of rock formations. A unit of rock or an unconsolidated deposit is called an aquifer when it can yield a usable quantity of water. The depth at which soil pore spaces or fractures and voids in rock...
in the area. The coastline was 10 km (6.21 mi) long. He immediately began to forest the area, and built a house for himself in 1932. This house 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 could not find a solution. He then implemented two new ideas. First, he planted a high number of beneficial weed
Beneficial weed
|thumb|right|Clover was once included in grass seed mixes, because of its great benefits to yard healthA beneficial weed is any of various plants not generally considered domesticated, but which nonetheless has some companion plant effect, or else is edible or somehow beneficial...
s, 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
Acacia longifolia
Acacia longifolia is a species of Acacia native to southeastern Australia, from the extreme southeast of Queensland, eastern New South Wales, eastern and southern Victoria, and southeastern South Australia. Common names for it include Acacia Trinervis, Aroma Doble, Golden Wattle, Coast Wattle,...
, which was well adapted to the sand and the saline winds, and increased the ratio of nitrogen fixation
Nitrogen fixation
Nitrogen fixation is the natural process, either biological or abiotic, by which nitrogen in the atmosphere is converted into ammonia . This process is essential for life because fixed nitrogen is required to biosynthesize the basic building blocks of life, e.g., nucleotides for DNA and RNA and...
. The Acacia was a success, and he arranged the plants so that the Acacias protected the pines from the wind.
Carlos Gesell lived permanently in the area from 1937 on. He began to run out of money in 1940, so he built a small timeshare
Timeshare
A timeshare is a form of ownership or right to the use of a property, or the term used to describe such properties. These properties are typically resort condominium units, in which multiple parties hold rights to use the property, and each sharer is allotted a period of time in which they may use...
named "La Golondrina" . The first tourists were the Starks. Mr. Stark was manager of the local branch of the Siemens
Siemens
Siemens may refer toSiemens, a German family name carried by generations of telecommunications industrialists, including:* Werner von Siemens , inventor, founder of Siemens AG...
corporation. The Starks promoted the town back in Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
, and more tourist accommodations were built. The town was linked to Provincial Route 11 in 1943.
With new houses for tourists and the local population, the area was turned into a proper urban settlement, so Gesell began to see after the needed urban services, such as the supply of food, electric power, gasoline and a car workshop. He banned alcoholic beverages, cigarettes and any other things he deemed as a vice
Vice
Vice is a practice or a behavior or habit considered immoral, depraved, or degrading in the associated society. In more minor usage, vice can refer to a fault, a defect, an infirmity, or merely a bad habit. Synonyms for vice include fault, depravity, sin, iniquity, wickedness, and corruption...
. He strongly opposed the establishment of a local casino, which was finally established at the nearby town of Pinamar
Pinamar
Pinamar is an Argentine coastal resort town located on the coast of the Atlantic Ocean in Buenos Aires Province. It has about 20,000 inhabitants as per the ....
. The city saw a large European immigration during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, who built the first hotels and themed restaurants. Most Italians worked as construction laborers, and most Spaniards administrated the shops and hotels. Urban development grew even more in the 1960s, as people that bought land and built houses in six months or less were refunded half the of the land's original price.
The settlement gradually expanded stretching along the coastline, and today continues its growth has annexed three more resorts to the south, namely, Mar de las Pampas, Las Gaviotas and Mar Azul
Mar Azul, Buenos Aires
Mar Azul is a small coastal settlement in Buenos Aires Province, Argentina. It is located in the Villa Gesell Partido.The settlement has a recorded population of 569 after the 2001 census, an 800% increase from 92 residents recorded after the 1991 census....
. Villa Gesell has been a popular tourist destination since the 1940s.
In recent years Villa Gesell was known as a touristic destination for teenagers, but the current administrations seek to change this and aim instead for mature tourists. The "Gesell Rock", an annual rock festival
Rock festival
A rock festival, or a rock fest, is a large-scale rock music concert, featuring multiple acts.The first rock festivals were put on in the late 1960s and were important socio-cultural milestones. In the 1980s a minor resurgence of festivals occurred with charity as the goal.Today, they are often...
, is not celebrated anymore, replaced for family-oriented musical shows.
Tourism
Beach
A beach is a geological landform along the shoreline of an ocean, sea, lake or river. It usually consists of loose particles which are often composed of rock, such as sand, gravel, shingle, pebbles or cobblestones...
. The Villa Gesell beach is 10 m (33 ft) 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 m (69 ft). The city has a staff of 150 lifeguard
Lifeguard
A lifeguard supervises the safety and rescue of swimmers, surfers, and other water sports participants such as in a swimming pool, water park, or beach. Lifeguards are strong swimmers and trained in first aid, certified in water rescue using a variety of aids and equipment depending on...
s.
There is a lighthouse 30 m (98 ft) to the south, surrounded by a forest; some houses organize adventure tourism
Adventure tourism
Adventure travel is a type of tourism, involving exploration or travel to remote, exotic and possibly hostile areas. Adventure tourism is rapidly growing in popularity, as tourists seek different kinds of vacations. According to the U.S...
visit to the forest. It is the second highest lighthouse in the coast of the Buenos Aires province, second only to the one in Bahía Blanca
Bahía Blanca
Bahía Blanca is a city located in the south-west of the province of Buenos Aires, Argentina, by the Atlantic Ocean, and seat of government of Bahía Blanca Partido. It has a population of 274,509 inhabitants according to the...
. The area around the lighthouse works as a natural reserve as well.
The city has a zoo, a golf field, a market of crafts and many discos.
Villa Gesell and Pinamar, both tourist cities, have a regional rivalry about the type of tourist trade they cater to. Pinamar aims for wealthy Argentine tourists, while Villa Gesells aims for those in the middle class. Prices in Villa Gesell are lower, but crime is higher.