Tandil is a city of about 130,000 people in the Sierras de Tandil, a range of low granite hills in the Buenos Aires province, roughly 350 kilometres south of the capital. It's the most characterful city in the bonaerense interior — a place where the flat pampa suddenly folds into something hillier, greener, and more European in feel. The city was founded by immigrants from Spain, France, Italy, and the Basque Country in the 19th century, and that heritage shows in the architecture and especially in the food.
Tandil is justifiably famous throughout Argentina for its dairy and charcuterie — the locally made cheeses, cold cuts, and particularly the longaniza sausage are excellent. The Mercado Municipal is the place to stock up, and the parilla restaurants around the city centre are consistently good. The hills provide trails and rock formations to explore, including Cerro El Centinela with views over the city, and the Dique del Fuerte reservoir makes for pleasant afternoon walks.
The Fiesta de Pascua (Easter festival) here is one of the more unusual in Argentina: an outdoor Passion Play performed on the Via Crucis hillside above the city, watched by tens of thousands. The city is a popular weekend escape from Buenos Aires and fills up considerably in summer and during major holidays.