Punta del Este



Punta del Este is a beach resort town in Uruguay complete with casinos, beaches, yachts and lots of tourists from all over the world. Many of these tourists come from the other side of the Rio de la Plata from Argentina to get some nice fun in the sun on a beach away from the brown waters of the Rio de la Plata. Punta del Este is located in Maldonado Department, adjacent to the departmental capital of Maldonado, on the Atlantic Coast in the south of the country. The city had a population of 9,300 people in 2011.

Popular tourist spots include La Barra, Punta Ballena, Casa Pueblo, Pan de Azúcar or the island where you can swim with sea lions.

Understand
The unspoilt Uruguayan peninsula of Punta del Este is all heavenly beaches, exotic sophistication, beautiful people and an ardent night scene. Punta del Este is sometimes called the Monaco of South America. There are many travel sights, including the amazing restaurants. Urbanization and the construction of high-rise buildings are obscuring the sun, however. Tourist season varies wildly from totally deserted in the winter to very, very crowded in the summer, unusual for a city this size.

By plane


Another option is flying to Montevideo airport where the fares are usually lower and there are far more connections available. From MVD Airport, Punta del Este is only an hour and a half away by bus.

By bus
Regular buses come back and forth from Montevideo (US$ 40 roundtrip), making Punta del Este a convenient day trip (two hours by bus, see timetables). If you accidentally get off the bus at Maldonado Terminal which is a few kilometers north of Punta del Este you can easily catch a local bus (marked "Punta del Este" in top front) at the stop just behind the bus terminal for about US$ 1 cash.

Punta del Este can also be reached by bus from the Canelones and Rocha seaside resorts, as well as from Colonia del Sacramento, Minas, Durazno and Salto.

International buses are also available from Porto Alegre and Florianópolis (US$ 180-200 roundtrip).

By cruise ship
Punta del Este is served by some cruise lines in the summer. Mostly on itineraries departing from Buenos Aires or Santos.

By car
Punta del Este is a two-hour drive from Montevideo and a slightly longer drive from the Brazilian border. Coming from Argentina, if arriving by ferry in Colonia, it's a 4 hour drive; otherwise, if driving all the way from Buenos Aires, plan for at least an eight-hour drive plus some delays (huge in the summer) at the border because of customs controls.

Get around
The bulk of Punta del Este is on a peninsula jutting into the ocean. The perimeter of this peninsula can easily be traversed by foot.

To get to La Barra o José Ignacio you had better have a means of transport like a car (renting a car is always going to be the best way to visit all the places). Buses are not very frequent and public transport like taxis usually has to be called over the phone (very expensive compared to standards of the rest of Uruguay). Hitchhiking is common for young people since night clubs are far from each other and people may be staying in places far from the clubs. If you have a car, be kind; pick up someone (especially in the morning, after the clubs have closed). Remember that Punta del Este is very safe, but normal precautions should always be taken.

You can rent a moped (scooter) for US$10/hour or US$45/day at several places.

See
The beautiful sunsets in the port of Punta del Este, La Barra or Jose Ignacio are other spots not too far away (by car), from Punta del Este itself. Go to the beaches, being a peninsula you have two coastlines, one of them is pretty quiet and calm (called "mansa"), and the other one is windy, with some surf spots (called "brava"). Famous beaches includes: "La playa de los Dedos" (the finger beach"), which is near the main street in Punta del Este, close to a surf spot, and it has a giant hand emerging from the sand. In La Barra the Bikini Beach is famous because of the models and famous people that go there. The endless beaches, beautiful seaside mansions, tree-lined streets, chic boutiques, stylish people.


 * Port - with the fish market and a lighthouse. You can also see sea lions swimming around and begging for food.
 * Arboretum Lussich - a botanic garden displaying mainly exotic species. It is one of the most important botanic gardens worldwide.
 * Museo del Indio y Megafauna
 * Reserva de Fauna Autoctona - Pan de Azucar - a zoo of indigenous animals on Uruguay's highest hill.
 * Castillo Pittamiglio
 * Cuartel de Dragones - Historical site
 * Arboretum Lussich - a botanic garden displaying mainly exotic species. It is one of the most important botanic gardens worldwide.
 * Museo del Indio y Megafauna
 * Reserva de Fauna Autoctona - Pan de Azucar - a zoo of indigenous animals on Uruguay's highest hill.
 * Castillo Pittamiglio
 * Cuartel de Dragones - Historical site

Do

 * Punta del Este is a very important tourist port. The upper crust has its yachts there and if you want to rent a boat, this is the place to ask.
 * Tanning is a popular activity on Punta del Este's famous beaches. You can choose from beaches on the calm side of the peninsula where you can rent jet skis or banana boat trips, or on the other, windier side. Punta del Este has some good surfing spots, not as good as La Paloma (150km up to the north of Punta del Este), but it gets pretty decent in good days.
 * You can also rent sea bikes, windsurf and kite-surfing equipment, and surf boards.
 * Punta del Este has an island nearby called Isla Gorriti. It is protected because of its nature so there are no great buildings or anything like that. You can take a 20-minute ferry (US$20 round trip) at the port that will drop you off at the island where you can enjoy the fun atmosphere, beach, and good food at the restaurant. It is also possible to take private yachts, speedboats, or sailboats to the island and anchor by the shore. Renting a boat is nice in good weather.
 * Come to the port in the morning (9-10AM) when the fishermen prepare their caught fish and throw the leftovers into the water for the waiting sea lions and seals.

Buy

 * Avenida Gorlero is the town's main street, with all sorts of shops and an artisan market. The parallel 20th Street El Remanso has several high end boutiques.
 * Punta Shopping is the largest shopping mall. It suffered a massive fire in August 2022, so temporary stores were opened in the parking lot.

Eat
As a popular resort, Punta del Este's food can be expensive—if taking a day trip from Montevideo, consider bringing your own lunch.

Punta del Este has a seafood-based cuisine. It has a huge variety of food with dishes like tortugón, paella, chivito, hot dog, sushi, and fish among others.

Seafood is delicious. Chivitos (steak sandwiches) and asado (steak) are the locals' favourite dishes. Aside from that, pretty much any type of food can be found: sushi, Indian, Italian, French cuisine, etc.



Drink
Local and imported wines (especially Argentinian and European vineyards). There's a famous drink in all Uruguay called "medio y medio" (half and half) which is a mix of sweet sparkling wine, and dry white wine.

Punta del Este is famous for its clubbing scene. Most parties start very late, between midnight and 3AM and end around dawn. You cannot name a specific club because it's probably going to change its name or its location the next year. Don't worry, they do good marketing, so you will find out very easily.

Every year the night life changes, so you never know which is going to be place that will hit the summer in Punta del Este. Most of the clubs are away from the peninsula of Punta del Este, mainly in La Barra. But the fashion places changes, it depends on the year.

You can expect high prices for club entries in late December and early January, and specially in the weekends. After 15 January the prices go down (this includes most of the things), and although there may be still a lot of people in Punta del Este, it is not going to be as crowded. Anyway, expect a lot of movement in the clubs at weekends.

Sleep
Book ahead between Christmas and carnival, when most every bed is taken. Staying in the peninsula of Punta del Este is probably the best option if you don't have a car, as buses are few, and cabs are expensive. Keep in mind that beds here are among the most costly on the continent.

Splurge

 * The Chic Collection Hoteles & Resorts. The most exclusive 4 and 5 stars hotel collection at Punta del Este. Each hotel maintains its own and strong personality, providing a wide variety of possibilities to tourists. The Chic Collection consists of Barradas Parque Hotel, Hotel del Lago Golf & Art Resorts and Golden Beach Resort & Spa.

Go next

 * Nearby beach towns make for convenient day trips or nice overnight escapes from the crowds of Punta del Este.
 * Piriapolis – Another beach resort that is more laid-back and less fancy.
 * Maldonado – The department capital, is adjacent to Punta del Este.
 * La Paloma, Cabo Polonio, Punta del Diablo, etc. – These destinations are more laid-back and with their own tranquil atmosphere. They are the places you want to head for if you do not get what all the fuss is about Punta del Este. There are no regular buses from Punta del Este, so either hitch-hike (if you get out of the city) or transfer via the Maldonado terminal or San Carlos which has regular and frequent buses to those destinations.