Travel Guide La Barra – Manantiales

In the 1940s, Barra was a small fishing village until the aristocratic families of San Carlos began to build their second homes there. Since then, La Barra has become a summer resort, a chic and trendy place that attracts the happy few who have left Punta and its aging buildings, especially wealthy Argentine and Brazilian tourists. By extension, Manantiales, located near Barra in the direction of José Ignacio, is the new hot spot of the area. The resort has many hotels and restaurants, bars and nightclubs attracting a wealthy clientele. It is very crowded in summer! The establishments are upscale, and in high season the prices are mind-blowing. The tourists who come here to stroll between luxury furniture stores and art galleries have a well-stocked wallet... Because most of the customers have villas to furnish and decorate on the spot. The restaurants offer a sophisticated cuisine but with a very expensive bill. In season, concerts and electro evenings give rhythm to the nights. If the central beach is pleasant (and quite popular with local surfers), the large Montoya beach that separates Barra and Manantiales along the 2x2 lane road from the noisy Ruta 10 lacks charm and is dangerous. All the animation of the resort is concentrated along this same road, always jammed, so the Frenchman used to beautiful pedestrian walks will be disappointed. One comes more for the bling bling and festive atmosphere than for the natural setting in Barra.