Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Empresa Calebus runs an 11:45am bus from Tacuarembó to Valle Edén, returning at
7:15pm (UR$50, 20 minutes).
EASTERN URUGUAY
The gorgeous 340km sweep of beaches, dunes, forests and lagoons stretching northeast
from Montevideo to the Brazilian border is one of Uruguay's national treasures. Still
largely unknown except to Uruguayans and their immediate neighbors, this region lies
nearly dormant for 10 months of each year, then explodes with summer activity from
Christmas to Carnaval, when it seems like every bus out of Montevideo is headed some-
where up the coast. For sheer fun-in-the-sun energy, there's nothing like the peak season,
but if you can make it here slightly off-season (in March or the first three weeks of
December), you'll experience all the same beauty for literally half the price.
Near the Brazilian border, amid the wide-open landscapes and untrammeled beaches
of Rocha department, abandoned hilltop fortresses and shipwrecks offer mute testimony
to the time when Spain and Portugal struggled for control of the new continent. Where
lookouts once scanned the wide horizon for invading forces, a new wave of invaders has
taken hold, from binocular-wielding whale watchers in Cabo Polonio to camera-toting
celebrity watchers in Punta del Este.
HOSTEL-HOPPING UP THE COAST
Summer Bus
(summerbus.com)
is a convenient hop-on, hop-off bus offering door-to-
door transport between hostels up and down Uruguay's Atlantic coast. With a
single US$95 ticket, you can start your journey at the hostel of your choice and vis-
it all 12 destinations, from Montevideo to Punta del Diablo; alternatively, buy a one-
way ticket between any two destinations (US$12 to US$45, depending on distance
traveled).
TOP OF CHAPTER
Piriápolis
POP 8800
With its grand old hotel and beachfront promenade backed by small mountains, Piriápol-
is is vaguely reminiscent of a Mediterranean beach town and exudes a certain old-school
coastal resort charm. It was developed for tourism in the early 20th century by Argentine
