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he origins of the city of Balcarce are related to the history of Mar del Plata, due to the conflicts that took place in these towns around 1860. At that time, the settlers were divided into “coastal” and “mountain”. The former were in favor of the incipient town growing around the port of the Laguna de Los Padres and the latter preferred that the founding of the head town of the party take place in the mountainous area. In 1874, the plans for the Balcarce port or Laguna de los Padres port were approved. But, two years later, the serranos manage to found the town of San José de Balcarce, to honor the brigadier gral. Antonio González Balcarce, who was Second Chief of the First Expedition to Upper Peru.

General Balcarce had taken over the army commanded by General Ortíz de Ocampo. Under his command, the patriotic troops defeated the royalists at the Battle of Suipacha on November 7, 1810, the first victory for the campaign. In his important career, Balcarce was also appointed Second Chief of the Army of the Andes and Supreme Director of the United Provinces of the Río de la Plata.



The census carried out in 1869 gave a figure of 4,198 inhabitants, included in the region currently occupied by the districts of Balcarce, Gral. Pueyrredón and Gral. Alvarado. The conflict over the determination of the capital city ended on October 15, 1879, when the party division law was sanctioned, by which San José de Balcarce became the capital city of the Balcarce party.





San José de Balcarce is a mountain, agricultural, cattle-raising city, head of the homonymous district, in the southeast of the province of Buenos Aires.



A few km away is the INTA Balcarce Integrated Unit and the Faculty of Agrarian Sciences of the UNdMdP. There is also the Balcarce Earth Station (pioneer in satellite communications by the former ENTel).

on the southeastern margin of the province of Buenos Aires, 400 kilometers from the Federal Capital, the city of Balcarce offers a landscape of mountain ranges, lagoons, streams and fertile valleys. The undulating relief breaks with the vast Pampean plain, surrounds the city and protects its productive lands, mainly dedicated to agriculture and livestock.



Balcarce was founded in 1876 by José A. Cháves and José de la Cuadra with the name of San José de Balcarce, in honor of the winner of the Battle of Suipacha and head of the army of San Martín in Chile. Its population amounts to 41,560 inhabitants and, nevertheless, it preserves the charm of the provincial towns, with streets lined with leafy trees, statues and public buildings.



The racetrack and the Juan Manuel Fangio Automobile Museum, which pays tribute to the five-time Formula 1 world champion, a native of Balcarce, are one of the main prides of the city. To these attractions are added the Cerro El Triunfo Municipal Park, the Brava lagoon and the San José church, one of its most valuable architectural heritage. An ideal corner to rest and connect with the countryside, Balcarce offers a complete accommodation and gastronomy proposal to its visitors.



The tourist options offered by the city include fishing trips, excursions on mountain bikes, trekking, ascents, tandem flights in paragliding and hang gliding.

Due to the oceanic influence, its climate is temperate, with temperatures that average 11ºC in winter and 25ºC in summer.



There are different communication routes that allow access to Balcarce. Its urban center is only 4 kilometers from the junction of National Route 226 and Provincial Route 55. Different companies provide transport services to this city, as well as to Mar del Plata and the main cities of the Buenos Aires coast.



Juan Manuel Fangio Racetrack



In the Sierra La Barrosa, 4 km from Balcarce. Its circuit extends over 4,592 m built on the mountain slope of the Sierra La Barrosa. [5] It was inaugurated in 1972 and was named after the motorist born in this city.

Cerro El Triunfo

Located very close to the center of Balcarce. In natural setting. Since 1986, the Argentine Singing Festivals are held in its amphitheater. It is also the venue for the National Potato Festival.



Before 1990, it was exploited as a quarry for tosca, and it was transformed into a natural amphitheater of singular beauty. Cerro El Triunfo offers accessible roads for traveling by car, infrastructure: sports center with athletics track, velodrome and basketball court, grocery store, grills, playgrounds, etc. At its highest peak is a monument to La Madre and the Our Lady of Fatima grotto.

Automobile Museum ´´Juan Manuel Fangio´´ [edit]

Main article: Museum of motorsport ´´Juan Manuel Fangio´´



The Juan Manuel Fangio Automobile Museum, located in Balcarce, in the Center of the city, located a few blocks from the house where, on June 24, 1911, Fangio was born.



In this museum you can see a great exhibition, with 27 cars and all the trophies of the Formula One world champion. Since the reconstruction of the Ford A (1929) with which Juan Manuel Fangio debuted; the original of the fabulous "Negrita" that propelled his destiny to Europe; the Chevrolet 39, in which the Buenos Aires-Caracas ran; as well as cars belonging to fellow runners, such as Oscar and Juan Gálvez's, Finochietti's Ford V8, Eduardo Casa's, and the Emiliozzi brothers' Baufer. It has a guided visit on the personal history of the corridor: Road Tourism.



In 1986, the Juan Manuel Fangio Automobile Museum Foundation was created by Juan Manuel Bordeu and Juan Manuel Fangio, with the aim of disseminating the activities carried out in the Juan Manuel Cultural Technological Center and Automobile Museum. Manuel Fangio. This organization is not only dedicated to the management and maintenance of the Museum but also organizes sporting events and cultural events in the city in which it is installed.

Local parties



There are two traditional festivals. The most important festival is the ´´National Motoring Festival´´, which takes place in February coinciding with some date of national motoring (TC, TC2000). Another party with less impact is the ´´Balcarce dessert party´´, where there are competitions and exhibitions of the traditional ´´Imperial Russian´´ (popularly known as ´´Balcarce dessert´´, although that name is not used for be a registered trademark of the Mar del Plata company ´´Postres Balcarce SA´´)

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