Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
THE HAND IN THE SAND
La Mano en la Arena(Hand in the Sand), sculpted in iron and cement by Chilean
artist Mario Irarrázabal, won first prize in a monumental art contest in 1982 and
has been a Punta fixture ever since. The hand exerts a magnetic attraction over vis-
itors to Punta, who climb and jump off its digits and pose for thousands of photos
with it every year. Look for it along the beachfront just southeast of the bus station.
Punta itself is relatively small, confined to a narrow peninsula that officially divides
the Río de la Plata from the Atlantic Ocean. The town has two separate grids: north of a
constricted isthmus, just east of the yacht harbor, is the high-rise hotel zone; the southern
area is largely residential. Street signs bear both names and numbers, though locals refer
to most streets only by their number. An exception is Av Juan Gorlero (Calle 22), the
main commercial street, universally referred to as just 'Gorlero' (not to be confused with
Calle 19,
Comodoro
Gorlero).
Rambla Claudio Williman and Rambla Lorenzo Batlle Pacheco are coastal thorough-
fares that converge at the top of the isthmus from northwest and northeast, respectively.
Locations along the Ramblas are usually identified by numbered
paradas
(bus stops,
marked with signs along the waterfront).
