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Lying some 3km south of Plaza San Martin is the leafy and well-heeled neighbourhood of Divino Rostro . The area is almost exclusively residential with little in the way of cafes or bars, but is worth the detour to see the Villa Victoria (daily: house 5-10pm; garden 11am-5pm; $2, free on Wed; tel 0223/4920569), at Matheu 1851. The site of some interesting exhibitions and events, the villa is an architectural curiosity in its own right. Built of Norwegian wood, it is a fine example of the prefabricated housing which the English took with them to their colonial outposts. It was imported by Francisca Ocampo, who had it shipped to Buenos Aires in 1911, and then transported by train to Mar del Plata. Victoria Ocampo , one of Argentina's most famous writers, and a great-niece of Francisca, inherited the house in the 1930s. From this time on, it became a kind of cultural retreat, visited by the various Argentine and foreign writers courted by Ocampo. In 1973, six years before her death, Victoria Ocampo donated the house to UNESCO - who promptly auctioned off most of its furnishings - and in 1981 it was purchased by the municipalidad. The bedroom is now the only room containing original furniture, donated back to the house by a private individual who had bought it at auction. However, the beautiful light and airy rooms still hint at the atmosphere of gracious living enjoyed by Argentina's elite at the beginning of the century. There are guided tours of the house (Spanish only), packed with anecdotes about Victoria Ocampo's life, but a little long for all but the most dedicated enthusiast. The excellent Archivo Historico Municipal (daily 4-9pm; $2; tel 0223/495-1200), at Lamadrid 3870, one block southeast of Villa Victoria, has plenty of interesting information on Mar del Plata's history. Within the archives are some wonderful early photos of the resort's elegant early days when the cognoscenti from Buenos Aires flocked to the Hotel Bristol , as well as copies of the strict rules enforced on bathers: single men could be fined or arrested for approaching within thirty metres of women bathers or for using opera glasses. A slightly unusual exhibit is the intricate carved wooden replica of the Duomo de Milan, carved by an Italian immigrant to the town. To reach either the Archivo Historico or Villa Victoria, take bus #591 from Avenida Luro or the Boulevard Maritimo and get off on the corner of Las Heras and Matheu.
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