Punta Del Este · Punta Ballena · Maldonado · La Barra · José Ignacio
3 days in Punta del Este: Casapueblo, La Barra & José Ignacio
Photo by Josh Withers on Unsplash
Uruguay's Atlantic resort town, planned from traveller trip reports: the La Mano sculpture and the peninsula's lighthouse and port on day one, ending with the sunset ceremony at Casapueblo. Day two is a boat to Isla Gorriti, the free Museo Ralli and the Punta Ballena lookout. Day three crosses the wavy La Barra bridge to the beaches, the José Ignacio lighthouse and a Tannat tasting at Bodega Garzón. Late spring is quiet; December to Carnaval is high season, so book ahead.
34 playbooks shared · added to 0 trips
- Day 19 am – 10:45 pm · 8 stops
- 9 am 1La Mano (Los Dedos) on Playa BravaPunta Del Este
Mario Irarrázabal's 1982 hand rising from the sand is the town's best-known sight. Travellers say to go before 10am, because tour groups crowd it later. Playa Brava has strong currents, so watch the surfers rather than swim. Recommended in every trip report we used.
8 min by train or taxi · 1.8 km - 10 am 2Peninsula walk: Plaza de los Ingleses, the lighthouse and Candelaria churchPunta Del Este
Walk the Rambla to Plazoleta Gran Bretaña (Plaza de los Ingleses), where the calm Río de la Plata meets the rougher Atlantic, then up to the 1860 lighthouse and the blue-and-white Nuestra Señora de la Candelaria church beside it. Travellers say the lighthouse is usually closed for climbing, so treat it as a photo stop. The small Ermita de la Candelaria shrine sits on the shore nearby.
11 min walk · 800 m - 11:30 am 3Port and the sea lions at the fish marketPunta Del Este
Sea lions wait by the fishing docks for scraps when the catch comes in. Travellers rate it as one of the most fun free things to do. Keep a respectful distance and don't feed them yourself.
3 min walk · 0 m - 12:15 pm 4Seafood lunch at the portPunta Del Este
The restaurants overlooking the harbour are where the trip reports send you for fish and seafood. One recent report puts lunch at about USD 18 to 35 a person. Try a chivito, Uruguay's steak sandwich, if you'd rather eat cheaply. With a foreign card, lodging and restaurant bills in Uruguay can have VAT refunded, so pay by card.
6 min walk · 400 m - 2 pm 5Avenida GorleroPunta Del Este
The peninsula's main street of shops, cafés, ice cream and exchange houses. Travellers call it a pleasant hour of people-watching rather than a shopping destination.
8 min by train or taxi · 2.1 km - 3:15 pm 6Playa MansaPunta Del Este
The calm, family side of the peninsula, on the river side, so the water is gentle. Rest here before the drive west to Casapueblo.
16 min by train or taxi · 10 km - 7 pm 7Sunset ceremony at CasapuebloPunta Ballena
Carlos Páez Vilaró's white cliffside house, now a museum and hotel, about 15 to 20 minutes west by car. Every evening at sunset the museum plays the artist's recorded poem to the sun. The museum says to arrive at least 40 minutes before sunset to get a good spot. It opens daily at 10am and closes at sunset. Entry is 600 Uruguayan pesos (500 for residents and over-65s; under-12s free), about USD 15, so older blog prices are out of date. Travellers say don't save it for your last day in case the weather turns. Evening buses back are sparse, so plan a taxi or ride-share.
17 min by train or taxi · 10 km - 9:15 pm 8Dinner back on the peninsulaPunta Del Este
Uruguayans eat late, so dinner after the sunset is normal. Travellers suggest the bars and restaurants around the port or along the Rambla. Book ahead from December to Carnaval.
- Day 210 am – 10:45 pm · 4 stops
- 10 am 9Boat to Isla GorritiPunta Del Este
Boats leave the yacht harbour about every half hour for the 15-minute crossing: daily from December through Carnaval, weekends only the rest of the year. The island has quiet sandy beaches, pine woods, the ruins of the 18th-century Santa Ana battery and a couple of seasonal restaurants for lunch. One recent traveller report put the trip at about USD 40 a person; check the price at the harbour.
8 min by train or taxi · 2.1 km - 2:30 pm 10Museo RalliPunta Del Este
A free museum of Latin American art, with sculpture gardens, in the Beverly Hills neighbourhood. Outside high summer it opens only on Saturdays and Sundays, about 2 to 6pm, and hours change in season. Travellers say to check before going. Do this day on a weekend outside summer.
17 min by train or taxi · 11 km - 7:15 pm 11Punta Ballena lookout at sunsetPunta Ballena
The coast road over the Punta Ballena headland has views back over the bay to the peninsula, and travellers pick it as a sunset spot. Nearby, a whale-tail sculpture looks over Playa Mansa; southern right whales pass between July and October.
18 min by train or taxi · 11 km - 9:15 pm 12Dinner in Punta del EstePunta Del Este
Try a parrilla (grill) for Uruguayan beef. Book ahead in high season; a recent report puts dinner at about USD 30 to 50 a person.
- Day 39:30 am – 10 pm · 5 stops
- 9:30 am 13Cross the wavy Puente Leonel VieraMaldonado
The 1965 roller-coaster bridge over the Arroyo Maldonado, about 10 km east of the peninsula. Travellers cross it just for the fun of it. A lookout near the river mouth gives the best view of its curves.
15 min walk · 1.1 km - 10 am 14La Barra and Playa BikiniLa Barra
A surf town of whitewashed houses, boutiques and beach clubs. Have a coffee in the village, then go to Bikini or Montoya beach. The bars and clubs only really come alive at night in high season.
22 min by train or taxi · 22 km - 12:45 pm 15José Ignacio village and lighthouseJosé Ignacio
About 30 km further east: a small village of white houses around an 1877 lighthouse, with a calm bay on one side and a long, wild Playa Brava on the other. Have lunch in the village. Travellers like the local bakery, and one long-standing pick is the barefoot beach restaurant La Huella, which needs booking weeks ahead in summer. Restaurants here are among the most expensive in Uruguay.
31 min by train or taxi · 31 km - 3:45 pm 16Tannat tasting at Bodega Garzón
A hilltop winery in the countryside north of José Ignacio, known for its striking eco-certified building, its Tannat and Albariño, and a restaurant led by chef Francis Mallmann. Book a tour on the winery's own site before you go: travellers say to reserve ahead, and the tour and tasting prices aren't published. Agree on a driver if you're tasting.
53 min by train or taxi · 53 km - 8:30 pm 17Dinner back in Punta del EstePunta Del Este
Drive back for a last dinner at the port, as the trip reports suggest. It's about an hour from the winery.