Uruguay it is a small country in South America. It is surrounded by two giants, Brazil and Argentina, and although it is small when summer arrives, many of its neighbors cross the borders to enjoy its great beaches.
Uruguay has a coastline on the Río de la Plata, the Uruguay River and the South Atlantic. The coastline of the Río de la Plata is very beautiful but the best beaches are oceanic so if you are thinking of a trip through these lands, think about Uruguay and its summer destinations.
Punta del Este
It is safe the most top spa in South America Well, between January and February tourists come from all over the world. Although the majority are wealthy people from Brazil and Argentina who even have their summer mansions in and around the city, there are some international celebrities in season.
It is located on a peninsula, a spit of land that separates the brown waters of the Río de la Plata from the oceanic waters and although it is inhabited in a stable manner by around 13 thousand people, in summer the figure rises to more than 40 thousand. The conversion from a settlement to a Biarritz-style spa began slowly in the 80th century and exploded, in terms of urban development, in the 'XNUMXs.
The main avenue, the route to see and be seen, is Gorlero avenue. International brands are present and when it comes to going out, the night starts here. There are many restaurants, bars, a casino, and a quaint artisan fair. The city it has a port that is visited by both cruise ships and sailboats and it has an airport, the Laguna del Sauce International Airport, about 20 kilometers from the center.
If you are in Brazil you can arrive by land, also, and if you are in Buenos Aires and you want to visit, you can cross by plane or by boat, although you must later add a bus tour. You may be wondering what you can enjoy besides a very expensive city wherever you look at it, where everything has international prices, from Coca-Cola to renting an umbrella.
Well, Punta del Este is known for its beautiful beaches. There are two very popular, Mansa Beach and Brava Beach. Meek and Brava for the agitation of its waters. Friends, families, they all come together on both beaches from morning to night. They have restaurants to eat and everything, but if you are just looking for privacy or less noise or less show you can go away about 30 kilometers and stop at José Ignacio.
It is not that José Ignacio is empty but it is much quieter than the other two beaches. Is also Playa Montoya, Manantiales or Laguna de José Ignacio which is fresh water. On the coast of Punta del Este there are two islands, Lobos Island, with its numerous colony of sea lions, and the Gorriti Island, smaller although with two beautiful beaches. If you have a little sail, it's great to visit.
La Pedrera
It is a spa that It is 230 kilometers from the Uruguayan capital, Montevideo, and nine kilometers from La Paloma. It has an old town with houses over a hundred years old and a beautiful boulevard on whose sides there are two beaches, the Barco Beach and El Desplayado. The first is for families and the second is for young people wanting to meet young people.
The main street is closed to traffic at night and a craft fair is set up in which street artists are not lacking. Next to it are located tea houses, restaurants and bars. If you go in high season, from December to March, you will experience a summer with the perfect balance between peace and activity. The hotel offer is varied, there are tourist rental houses, hotels, inns and cabins. And also a hostel for those on a limited budget.
It is not a place to stay for more than four or five days, but it is worth it. Walking along these wide beaches is great because the views are beautiful and the sea colliding with the rocks is always a spectacle. And if you want to get around a bit, there are a handful of other towns that you can reach by bus or car. Be careful going in February, the month of carnival, because it gets crowded.
Chuy
Chuy is a border city as it borders Brazil. It is common to see Argentines in Chuy crossing the border to shop. The city is on the banks of the Chuy stream and the name is Guaraní. On the other side of the border, the Brazilian city is called Chuí. Very similar! Between both cities a route called Avenida Internacional circulates and it is an artery surrounded by commercial premises Duty Free or Tax Free.
The accommodation offer in Chuy is concentrated in cabin rental preferably, but some are not missing hotels or campsites. From Chuy you can visit many coastal destinations. The Chuy bar it is only 14 kilometers from the city and is an ocean resort. The beach is wide and still has huge dunes. The mouth of the Chuy stream separates it from Brazil and for that very reason it is doubly picturesque, socially and naturally.
La Barra de Chuy has two spaces for camping, a complex of cabins, rental houses and a hotel. It really is a super quiet and safe place so it is the one chosen by groups of friends and family. By bus or taxi you can go from Chuy to Alvorada, another picturesque and tourist resort that has grown hand in hand with the interest of both Brazil and Uruguay.
Punta del Diablo
This is another summer destination in Uruguay that has grown a lot for some time now. The coastline is studded with very picturesque eroded rocks that seem to decorate, like jewels, the beaches. The Brava beach It has waters between green and blue, with a lot of snowy foam, and the Mansa Beach it is that of a great bay sheltered from the wind.
It is a place whose gastronomy is based on the seafood so where you go to eat the quality is exceptional. The beaches deliver seaweed in quantity, so a good starter is the seaweed fritters, to be eaten over and over again, as well as the dishes with silverside or sea bream. Like a typical fishing village the movement of rafts is incessant at a certain time of day and for the tourist's eye it is an obligation to stop and observe it.
Among the recommended visits is The House of the Sea displaying whale skulls or the Hill of the Widow with its ghostly rocks. And in the evening, yes or yes, you have to take a ride in a horse-drawn carriage.
Of course, these are not the only summer destinations in Uruguay, but they are among the most recommended and well-known. If you escape the winter in the northern hemisphere and arrive in the south, Uruguay and its spas may be waiting for you.