Snapshot of a City Sundays – Punta del Este, Uruguay

Sunday, November 7, 2010

Ahhhhhhh, paradise.

Who knew that the southern tip of Uruguay would hold the serenity and calmness that most vacationers yearn for during their search for the perfect destination?



As we pulled into the bus terminal, my breath was nearly taken away at the beauty of the Punta del Este. There are over 20 miles of beaches, palm trees, delicious wine (most are imported from Argentina), mouthwatering seafood and unbelievable tranquility with a ton of charm!  

Zach and I chose to go in late November due to the unbelievable flight that we managed to snag last minute to Buenos Aires, Argentina (under $600 to fly from LA! I will do a separate post on this another Sunday).  This is considered "off-season" for Punta del Este.  The streets were basically empty (especially when we arrived in the morning), and the air was silent. It was dream-like.

After experiencing the stillness of Punta del Este, it is tough to imagine the tourist boom that occurs only one week later.

Once the first week of December hits (their beginning of summer), the well-known club scene awakens from its slumber.  Each clubbing season is different from the last; the clubs provide mass marketing each year to not leave any avid clubber questioning where to go for the party. 


Aside from clubbing, vacationers enjoy yachting, shopping, eating, laying on the beach, and soaking up the relaxed pace of Punta del Este. 




The beauty and style is amazing.  The locals were absolutely stunning.  The beach scene was not like the sunbathers in Santa Monica or the Jersey Shore.  These beach goers dressed in the most exquisite beach wear I’ve ever seen, while dripping in class.  Almost all women had on tunics over their designer swimwear.  Jewelry, sandals, beach bags and all brilliant accessories were also not left at home. The best part was, everyone we encountered was so friendly and helpful (over 90% of the population is European).











If you’re looking for an awesome party with friends, definitely check it out during the summer (our winter).  But if you’re looking to really enjoy the peaceful vibe that Punta del Este has to offer, then you may want to try it off season.  Either way, I do not think it can possibly disappoint any traveler.

Unfortunately we only had a day to explore this incredible gem, so I am unable to offer tips on where to stay.  On my future "Snapshot of a City Sundays," they will include details and opinions on hotels & restaurants.  I just wanted to share this special spot right off the bat. I absolutely intend to visit again in the near future.




Transportation: Fly to Buenos Aires, Argentina; Take the Buquebus ferry to either Colonia or Montevideo (http://www.southamerica.cl/Argentina/Buquebus.htm), Take the Cot bus to Punta del Este.


Helpful sites to view when planning this trip:
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotels-g294066-Punta_del_Este-Hotels.html
http://wikitravel.org/en/Punta_del_Este
http://gosouthamerica.about.com/od/urupuntadeleste/a/PuntadelEste.htm
http://www.discoveruruguay.com/uruguay_activities_punta_del_este.htm

1 comment:

The Points Guy said...

Nice report! I'm going for 3 days in early January- it should be quite a scene- though I'm not sure if it'll compare to new years in Rio! I'll have a whole report on my travel blog thepointsguy.com. Ps I'm an L&T alum too :-)

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