Mar de Ajó Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Mar de Ajó
Mar de Ajó, Argentina
Mar de Ajó Location in Buenos Aires Province Show map of Buenos Aires Province Mar de Ajó Location in Argentina Show map of Argentina
Country	Argentina
Province	Buenos Aires
Partido	La Costa
Elevation	6 m (20 ft)
Population (2020 census [INDEC])
• Total	25,520
CPA Base	B 7109
Area code(s)	+54 2257
Climate	Cfb

Mar de Ajó is a city located right on the coast in Buenos Aires Province, Argentina. It sits at the southern end of the beautiful seaside area known as La Costa Partido, which means "the Coast District." This whole region is also called the Tuju Corner, or Rincón del Tuyú.

What's in a Name? The Meaning of Mar de Ajó
A Look at Mar de Ajó's History
Famous People from Mar de Ajó
Gallery
See also

What's in a Name? The Meaning of Mar de Ajó

The name Mar de Ajó comes from the Guarani people, who were the first people to live in this area. The word "Ajó" means Soft Mud.

When the explorer Hernando Arias de Saavedra arrived in 1580, some Guarani people helped his group. They called this area "Tuju," which meant there was white mud on the coasts and at the bottom of the river. That's why this place became known as the Rincón del Tuyú, or "Tuyú Corner."

There's also a small river called the Ria Ajó. The Guarani people called it "Ajo" because of the soft, white mud in its bed. This mud made the ground tricky to walk on. So, the Spanish started calling this river "Ría Ajó."

A Look at Mar de Ajó's History

Mar de Ajó was officially created as a town on December 21, 1935. But even before that, it was known as the original Partido de Ajó district, named by Governor Juan Manuel de Rosas in 1839.

In the 1920s, people started to get interested in Mar de Ajó for tourism. The local mayor, Jorge Gibson, helped by making the beaches better.

The Famous Pier

A big step for the town was when its pier was finished in 1936. This pier is 270 meters (886 feet) long! It's the longest of the five piers in the La Costa District.

Growth and Popularity

Mar de Ajó has grown to be the biggest town in the La Costa District by population. It's also a very popular spot for tourists, just like San Clemente del Tuyú to the north.

In the 1990s, the town grew even more. A university, the Universidad Atlántida Argentina, opened in 1994. A casino also opened in 1996, giving visitors more fun things to do.

Cool Places to Visit

There are many interesting places in Mar de Ajó:

The Rubén Luis Di Palma Regional Racetrack: This is where exciting car races, like the TC2000 rally, take place.
The Historical Museum and Archives: Here, you can see amazing fossils from ancient times, like those of glyptodons.
The Parish of Santa Margarita María de Alacoque: This is a beautiful church.
The ship graveyard at Nueva Atlantis: This is a unique spot where many old merchant ships from the 1800s crashed. You can sometimes see parts of these shipwrecks, like the Margaretha, an old German ship that ran aground in 1880, especially when the tide is low.

Today, Mar de Ajó has about 25,520 people living there all the time. The town covers an area of about 35 square kilometers.