Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Sights
Beaches & Islands
Beaches are the big daytime draw in sunny Punta and there are plenty to choose from.
On the west side of town, Rambla Gral Artigas snakes along the calm
Playa Mansa
on
the Río de la Plata, then passes the busy
yacht harbor
, overflowing with boats, restaur-
ants, nightclubs and beautiful people, before circling around the peninsula to the open
Atlantic Ocean.
On the eastern side of the peninsula the water is rougher, as reflected in the name
Playa Brava
(Fierce Beach); the waves and currents here have claimed several lives.
Also on the Atlantic side, you'll find surfer-friendly beaches such as
Playa de los
Ingleses
and
Playa El Emir
.
From Playa Mansa, heading west along Rambla Williman, the main beach areas are La
Pastora, Marconi, Cantegril, Las Delicias, Pinares, La Gruta at Punta Ballena, and
Portezuelo. Eastward, along Rambla Lorenzo Batlle Pacheco, the prime beaches are La
Chiverta, San Rafael, La Draga and Punta de la Barra. In summer, all have
paradores
(small restaurants) with beach service.
from the sands of Playa Brava.
Boats leave every half-hour or so (daily in season, weekends in off-season) from Punta
del Este's yacht harbor for the 15-minute trip to
Isla Gorriti
, which has excellent sandy
beaches, a couple of restaurants and the ruins of
Baterías de Santa Ana
, an 18th-century
fortification.
About 10km offshore,
Isla de Lobos
is home to the world's second-largest southern
sea-lion colony (200,000 at last count), as well as South America's tallest lighthouse. The
island is protected and can only be visited on an organized tour.
Other Sights
Casapueblo
GALLERY
( 4257-8041;
carlospaezvilaro.com
.
uy/nuevo/museo-taller; admission UR$160; 10am-sun-
set)
Gleaming white in the sun and cascading nine stories down a cliffside, Uruguayan
artist Carlos Páez Vilaró's exuberantly whimsical villa and art gallery sits atop Punta
Ballena, a jutting headland 15km west of Punta del Este. Visitors can tour five rooms,
view a film on the artist's life and travels, and eat up the spectacular views at the upstairs
