Pinamar Webcam – Surf and Sand at Carilo and Ostende

The Pinamar Webcam streams two beaches on the Atlantic coast of the Partido de Pinamar, the seaside district of Buenos Aires Province in Argentina. The main camera stands at the Hemingway beach club in Carilo, about 7 kilometers (4.3 miles) south of central Pinamar, and looks straight out over a broad sand beach to the open sea. Lines of surf break across the middle of the frame, and even on a winter afternoon people walk the waterline with their dogs. The second tab switches to La Rambla in Ostende, the town that borders Pinamar to the south, where a rooftop camera looks over a lifeguard hut, the shore break and, on a good day, a few surfers waiting for a set. Neither camera shows the streets of Pinamar itself: both are pointed at the sand and the sea.

About Pinamar and Its Beach Towns

Pinamar is both a town and a partido, and the partido takes in four resorts strung along the same beach: Pinamar, Ostende, Valeria del Mar and Carilo, from north to south. The district lies less than 400 kilometers (249 miles) from Buenos Aires. Architect Jorge Bunge founded Pinamar on February 14, 1943, after large-scale work to fix the moving dunes and plant them with pines had begun in 1941, and he laid the streets out in curves and arabesques rather than a grid.

Ostende is older. Belgian Fernando Robette and Italian Agustin Poli arrived in 1908 and made it the first town in what is now the partido. Work on its seafront rambla began in 1912, a promenade designed 6 meters (20 feet) wide with 16 chalets along it, but the sand slowly buried it, and it was only excavated and preserved in the 1990s. The Hotel Ostende opened in December 1913 with 80 rooms. Antoine de Saint-Exupery spent two summers there in room 51 and wrote some of his first texts during his time in Argentina. The La Rambla camera sits on the same stretch of beach as that old promenade.

Carilo began as a private forest. In 1918 Hector Manuel Guerrero started fixing and planting the live dunes of his estancia, Dos Montes, with trees brought from far away: stone, maritime and Aleppo pines from the Mediterranean, Monterey pine from California, slash and loblolly pines from the southeastern United States, and Australian eucalyptus. The planning code still keeps lots large and building density low, and the streets follow a simple rule, with those running toward the sea named after plants and those parallel to it named after the region’s birds. Four beach clubs, Hemingway, Neruda, Divisadero and Cozumel, line about 1.4 kilometers (0.9 miles) of sand, with Hemingway the northernmost.

Weather and Climate in Pinamar

Pinamar has a mild ocean climate. January, the height of summer, averages highs of about 26 C (78 F) and lows of 16 C (60 F). From December to March the Hemingway club rents out umbrellas and chairs on the sand, so summer is when the main camera is most likely to show a crowded beach. Autumn cools steadily, and April highs average 20 C (69 F) with nights around 11 C (51 F).

Winter is cool rather than cold. July highs average 13 C (56 F) and lows 5 C (41 F), and the beach in front of Hemingway is often close to empty apart from a few walkers in heavy coats. Spring warms slowly, with October highs near 19 C (66 F) and lows of 9 C (49 F). After dark both cameras switch to a grainy black-and-white picture in which only the white lines of the breaking surf stand out, so the clearest view comes between sunrise and sunset, Argentina time (UTC minus 3).

Things to Do Near Pinamar

In Carilo, a walk south along the sand from Hemingway passes Neruda, Divisadero and Cozumel in well under 2 kilometers (1.2 miles). Inland, the planted forest is the town’s main draw, and the Bosque Aereo, an aerial adventure park, is set among its trees. The street names make the layout easy to read on foot: walk along a plant-named street and you are heading for the beach.

Ostende is a short ride north. Two pillars of the original 1912 rambla still stand near the Hosteria Rambla, a few steps from the beach the La Rambla camera watches, and the Viejo Hotel Ostende, open since 1913, is the hotel where Saint-Exupery stayed. Valeria del Mar lies between Ostende and Carilo, and further north, central Pinamar is reached along Avenida Bunge, which runs down to the beach.

Similar Webcams You Might Like

More of Argentina’s Atlantic beaches, further down the Buenos Aires coast:

• Mar del Plata Webcam
• Necochea Webcam
• Monte Hermoso Webcam

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is Pinamar located?

Pinamar is on the Atlantic coast of Buenos Aires Province, Argentina, less than 400 kilometers (249 miles) from the city of Buenos Aires. The partido of the same name runs south from Pinamar through Ostende and Valeria del Mar to Carilo, and the two cameras on this page are in Ostende and Carilo.

What can you see on the Pinamar Webcam?

The main camera at the Hemingway beach club in Carilo looks straight out to sea over a wide beach, with the surf breaking across the middle of the frame and the horizon above it. The La Rambla tab in Ostende shows the beach from a rooftop, with the tiled roof of a beach building in the bottom left corner, a lifeguard hut on the sand and the shore break beyond.

Does the webcam show the town of Pinamar or Pinamar Norte?

No. Both cameras point out to sea from beaches south of the town, so Pinamar’s streets and Pinamar Norte are out of view. La Rambla is about 2.5 kilometers (1.5 miles) south of central Pinamar, and Hemingway about 7 kilometers (4.3 miles).

Is Carilo part of Pinamar?

Yes. Carilo is one of the four towns of the Partido de Pinamar, together with Pinamar, Ostende and Valeria del Mar, and the southernmost of them. It is known for its planted pine forest and its low-density building.

What is the weather like in Pinamar?

Mild for most of the year. January averages highs of 26 C (78 F) and lows of 16 C (60 F), while July averages 13 C (56 F) by day and 5 C (41 F) at night. Spring and autumn sit in between, with October highs near 19 C (66 F) and April highs around 20 C (69 F).

Can you check the surf in Pinamar on this webcam?

Yes, roughly. Both cameras face the sea head on, so the size and spacing of the breaking waves are easy to judge, and surfers can sometimes be seen in the water in front of La Rambla. For wave heights in numbers, pair the picture with a marine forecast.

Can you watch the Pinamar Webcam at night?

The streams keep running after dark, but the picture turns to a grainy black-and-white image in which only the white lines of the surf and the edge of the sand stand out. Daylight hours, Argentina time (UTC minus 3), give the clearest view.

Source: Estado del Mar