The Best Things to do in Punta del Este: Uruguay’s Coast

Punta del Este is often called the “St. Tropez of South America.” It’s also compared to Monaco, the Hamptons, and Miami Beach. It’s where wealthy Argentines summer.

This is Uruguay’s most upscale beach resort.

For most of the year, Punta del Este is a small town with a modest population of under 19,000 people. In the busy summer season (December through February) this swells to 450,000 residents.

Whether that convinces you to go during the peak summer months or avoid them at all costs, this article will give you a great jumping off point for planning your time in Punta del Este and surroundings.

Our 4 days in Punta del Este & The Coast

When a friend told me she was going to be in La Barra for an entire month and had two guestrooms, I immediately planned a trip. Don’t even hint at an invitation like that to me unless you mean it.

La Barra de Maldonado is 15 minutes outside of Punta del Este and we spent four days here exploring the entire area over our winter school break in July.

We may have missed the summer crowds (a benefit) and the beautiful beach weather (a bummer), but we took full advantage of every day to explore. Because hear me out, the beach has a certain charm to it in winter.

Our trip was planned in a way to keep the kids happy, so you’ll see a few family friendly activities below. The cold also pushed us to see a variety of things in the area beyond just sunbathing on Punta del Este’s beautiful beaches.

With all that in mind, we saw quite a bit in four days. This article is a list of the best things to do in Punta del Este (and beyond), everything we did plus the things I wish we’d had time for.

How to get around Punta del Este

Since there is so much to do in the interior and in neighboring towns, I highly recommend renting a car. We actually only spent one day in Punta del Este and three days exploring different towns, wineries, and even a farm.

If you would prefer not to drive, you can use Uber or taxis to get around Punta del Este and surroundings. For longer distances the cost will add up quickly.

Long distance buses are an option for onward travel if you’d prefer just to spend 2-3 days in the city before moving up the coast to Punta del Diablo or Cabo Polonio (or back to Montevideo).

Things to do in Punta del Este, Uruguay

Here are the best things to do in Punta del Este. You can spend as little as one day exploring the sites, walking across the peninsula. Or you could spend the entire summer lounging on its beaches.

Punta del Este is a peninsula where the Río de la Plata meets the Atlantic Ocean. That means that each side of the peninsula has two very different beaches.

On the west is Playa Mansa on the Río de la Plata. Mansa means tame and the water here is calmer. On the east you’re on the Atlantic, this is Playa Brava and the water is noticeably rougher.

La Mano

The most iconic image of Punta del Este is this sculpture of five fingers emerging from the sand at Parada 1 of Playa Brava.

Mario Irarrázabal, a Chilean artist, designed La Mano (also known as Los dedos or Hombre emergiendo a la vida).

Since this is one of the most recognizable landmarks in Uruguay, you can expect crowds. Go early in the morning if you want pictures without people or be prepared to be patient.

What does it mean? I’ve seen a couple different interpretations online. The first being more literal – that the statue is a drowning warning to swimmers going into the rough Atlantic waters. The second is that the hands emerging from the sand symbolize humanity’s connection to nature.

The Port: Sea Lions and Fresh Seafood

After our obligatory photo at La Mano we crossed the peninsula to see the sea lions at the port and pick up some fresh fish for that night’s dinner.

Along the port there are vendors selling the day’s catch. As they clean the fish they toss scraps into the water for the waiting sea lions and seagulls to snatch up.

Bring cash if you want to buy something from the vendors. The fishermen at the tables took only cash. But there are more vendors in fixed locations (proper shops) about a hundred meters further down the waterfront that did take cards.

Walk La Rambla: Must see Punta del Este Sites

This is a must do that I embarrassingly must admit we skipped. Walking along La Rambla will show you Punta del Este’s beautiful coastline and take you to the city’s historic sites and best viewpoints.

For us, we were too hungry, tired, and cold (don’t forget it was the dead of winter for us). When traveling with kids you need to recognize your limits and for us it was time to see less and to go eat a chivito, instead.

🏖️Sites to see on Punta del Este’s Rambla:

• Playa el Emir: A small beach that’s great for surfing or, better yet, watching people surf
• Ermita Virgen de la Candelaria: A small seaside shrine to Punta del Este’s patron saint, La Virgen de la Candelaria. Walk out on this mini-peninsula to see the shrine and also a great view of Punta del Este itself
• Feria de Artesanos in Plaza Artigas: Detour off of La Rambla two blocks to this artisan market if you want to shop for unique souvenirs. It’s open daily in the afternoon, closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays.
• The Port: If you’re walking across Punta del Este, this is the perfect time to visit the port, its fresh fish market and its sea lions
• Plaza del Faro: Another plaza just a couple blocks off the Rambla, don’t miss the iconic baby blue church, Nuestra Señora de la Candelaria, and the lighthouse on the opposite side of the plaza. This part of the peninsula feels much more like a small town without the skyscrapers.
• Punta de las Salinas: Where the Atlantic meets the Rio de la Plata, this is Uruguay’s most southern point. It’s a great place to end you walk through town and to watch the sunset.

Isla Gorriti

This small island is 2.5 kilometers off the coast of Punta del Este. There are tour providers along the port offering excursions to the islands nearby.

🚤This is one we saw while visiting the port and this is another provider I found online after our trip. I don’t have any first hand experience with either. Excursions typically last half the day or the entire day, giving you time to enjoy the beaches and trails.

Despite its small size, Isla Gorriti has a complex and long 500 year history. The famous explorer Ferdinand Magellan and pirate Francis Drake both visited the island, called Isla de las Palmas at the time.

Then in the 1700’s the Spanish built a fortress on the island to protect the entrance to the Río de la Plata. You can still see the abandoned canons today. In 1752, Francisco Gorriti was imprisoned on the island for refusing to fight the local indigenous groups, giving the island its current name.

In 1806, the British bombed the fortress and took over from the Spanish. They used the island as a cemetery since only Catholics could be buried on the mainland (don’t worry sunbathers, the graves were eventually moved to the mainland decades later).

And if you’re asking yourself, palm trees? A fire devastated the island’s original forest and the government planted the maritime pines you see today.

Isla de Lobos

This shorter boat excursion from Punta del Este’s port takes you 8 kilometers off shore to the one of the world’s largest sea lion and fur seal colonies with over 180,000 animals registered at one time.

In 1906 they constructed a lighthouse in the center of the island. At 59 meters tall it is one of the tallest lighthouses in the world.

🦭This is one tour provider we saw while visiting the port and this is another provider I found online after our trip. I don’t have any first hand experience with either.

Things to do near Punta del Este

The coast surrounding Punta del Este is lined with beautiful beachside villages worth exploring.

Drive inland and you’ll find vineyards on the rolling hillsides, a farm open for tourism, and the best playground of your life.

Here are the best things to do around Punta del Este. If you want to explore further afield like this, rent a car to make your life easier.

Sunset at Casapueblo

Casapueblo is a 13 story whitewashed building clinging to the coast of Punta Ballena. It was designed and built by Uruguayan artist Carlos Páez Vilaró without any plans and the round earthen nests of the hornero as his inspiration.

It is open all day and you can even stay overnight in the Club Hotel Casapueblo, a portion of the building now designated as a hotel.

But the most iconic way to visit Casapueblo is for the Sun Ceremony. Right as the sun dips over the horizon, a recording of Carlos Páez Vilaró reading a poem to the sun plays over the speakers.

If you’ll be there during a busy season, I recommend getting there at least an hour before sunset to snag a seat with a nice view. We were there during Brazil’s school winter break and by the time we got there it was packed. I hate crowds so we left and watched the sunset from the rocks next to the Casapueblo. It was stunning.

We did return to the museum afterwards to enjoy it. The crowds left the second the ceremony ended. The kids were tired but I would have loved to get a bottle of wine to enjoy on the terrace.

Visit the Wineries in Maldonado

While more than half of the wineries in Uruguay are in Montevideo, the wineries here in Maldonado are young and innovative.

The pioneers here, Alto de Ballena, only achieved their first harvest in 2005. We visited this winery with Wine Explorers Uruguay. Going with a guide or driver is ideal. Uruguay is zero tolerance and you’ll drink a lot of wine at your visit.

Plan on visiting one a day, two if you want to dedicate the entire day to wine tours. The visits are slow paced, with winemakers showing you everything they can about their winery. You’ll be served charcuterie or snacks and given full glasses of wine to taste.

• Alto de la Ballena: This is a rustic winery without the pretension you may expect from a winery that makes such exquisite wines. In the warmer months your tasting and lunch will be from the hilltop decks with expansive views of the vineyards and the Atlantic. Their famous Tannat-Viognier blend is alone worth the trip.
• Viña Edén: A modern winery in Pueblo Edén, it is one of the most scenic and contemporary wineries near Punta del Este, offering vineyard tours and tastings like this, and a restaurant overlooking the valley.
• Bodega Garzon: Garzon is easily Maldonado’s most internationally recognizable winery. It spans across the sierras and is known for its sustainable architecture, innovative winemaking, and premium Tannat and Albariño. Book this tour from Punta del Este.

La Barra & The Wavy Bridge

La Barra is a small residential town just 15 minutes west of Punta del Este. This is where we based ourselves, staying with a friend.

The most iconic part of La Barra is the bridge you cross as you arrive. This is the Lionel Viera Bridge, or as my kids call it “the wavy bridge.” It’s a stressed ribbon bridge and if you drive fast enough it feels like a roller coaster. Don’t get too carried away, though, there are speed cameras directly after the bridge.

The beaches, like Playa Montoya and Playa Bikini, are peaceful and full of surfers (even in freezing July).

Museo del Mar is great for kids who want to learn about marine life and Museo del Marihuana is great for the grown ups who want to feel like kids.

If you’re in La Barra with kids, you absolutely cannot skip Parque El Jagüel, a park full of playgrounds. There are even real life items like a helicopter, a fire truck, a tractor, and a speedboat for them to play on. It was the best thing to ever happen to my children, we had to go twice.

Finally, the cafe culture here is strong so check out the many cafes like Checa y Tomate. El Chancho y La Coneja is said to be a great spot for lunch or dinner. And for drinks my friend and I enjoyed a mom’s night out at La Washington Pulpería.

José Ignacio

José Ignacio is a rustic beach town 30 kilometers from Punta del Este. But don’t let the word rustic confuse you, this is an understated luxury resort town.

We only spent a morning here but I could easily understand how many Argentines spend their entire summers in José Ignacio.

This tiny town is surrounded by beaches on three sides. Like Punta del Este, it also has a Playa Brava and a Playa Mansa. There is a small square in the center of town with a small wooden playground.

The lighthouse is one of the main tourist draws and is open for you to climb to the top. Tickets are only available by cash in Uruguayan pesos and kids must be 8 and older to go in.

Tambo Lapataia

Tambo Lapataia is a dairy farm that has been making some of the best dulce de leche in Uruguay since 1986. It’s open for tourism and is, in my opinion, one of the absolute best things to do in Punta del Este with kids.

Entrance is free but there are a few paid activities (like pony rides) and there’s a cafe where you can try pancakes filled with their iconic DDL.

There are scheduled events like an afternoon lesson on how they milk the cows and an end of day feeding session where your little one can give a bottle of milk to a baby goat.

We spent a few hours here on the playground, at the cafe, and visiting the animals (there are goats, sheep, cows, bunnies, and more). The location itself, with its rolling hills and eucalyptus forest, is also worth the drive.

Our Punta del Este Itinerary

I know that it can sometimes be overwhelming to take a list of things to do and figure out how it can fit together in an itinerary. So, for a bit more help, here is how we spent our time.

Note that we had a car (so check rental rates here) and we had kids to keep happy so there is more playground time here than you may like. Since we were there in winter, I’d replace our playground time for beaches or more wineries if you go in warmer months/without kids.

You won’t see many restaurants on our itinerary. Uruguay is an expensive country and we mostly ate in to save money (asados and the fresh fish from the market cooked at home, picnics for lunch).

• Day 1: We arrived in the afternoon and spent the entire afternoon at Parque Jaguel for the kids
• Day 2: Jose Ignacio in the morning, we brought sandwiches for a beach picnic, afternoon winery visit at Alto de Ballena, sunset at Casapueblo
• Day 3: A full day for the kids, we spend the morning at Parque Jaguel (yes, again), afternoon at Tambo Lapataia
• Day 4: Punta del Este in the morning, seeing La Mano and the port, a chivito for lunch at Bar Arocena, afternoon at the beach in La Barra, that night us moms went for drinks at La Washington Pulpería

More to see on the coast

And those are the best things to do in Punta del Este, but if you have more time to explore the Uruguayan coast then I highly recommend spending 2-3 nights further north.

There are smaller villages that are more laid back than ritzy Punta del Este. We didn’t have time this trip but in the future we’ll return for:

• Cabo Polonio: Stay at a rustic bed and breakfast like this one in this sandy off-grid town has no vehicle access, drive up and take the 4×4 transfer into town.
• Punta del Diablo: Small fishing town turned hippie haven, get a room or bed at one of this village’s many hostels and relax
• Garzon: This tiny village has gained popularity after famed Argentine chef Francis Mallmann opened a restaurant here. There are now art galleries and curated boutiques to explore in the town’s few blocks.

Keep reading about Uruguay

• Uruguay Itinerary: Road Trip the Coast
• A Guide to Driving in Uruguay
• The Best Things to do in Montevideo, Uruguay
• How to Day Trip to Colonia del Sacramento from Buenos Aires
• The 10 Best Things to do in Uruguay