Punta del Este Things to Do

The hand emerges from the sand at Parada 4 of La Brava. It's been there since 1982, when chilean artist Mario Irrazábal created it for the Primer Encuentro Internacional de Escultura Moderna al Aire Libre de Punta del Este . It took him 6 days to complete it.
Since then, it has become a symbol of Punta del Este, and it's something you can't miss.

When you are in Punta Del Este you have to walk along the water. It is so beautiful and you have to bring your camera if you want to get very beautiful memories from your walk. You will meet beautiful ladies, rich men and many other kind of people. The best thing with the walk is that you can choose when you want to make a break and have a cold Patricia, a beer from Uruguay, or just a cup of coffee. Always nice with a break when you walk in the sunshine.

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Continue about 2.5 km after the La Ballena turn off to Ruta Panoramica. It is a dead end road with some nice views You can see two islands from here, Gorriti and Lobos. To the west you can see the hills of Piriapolis. The white sign is at the entrance to the road to Casa Pueblo.
It took two years to build this road.

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Off Route 10 near the La Ballena exit there is an observation deck. It is dedicated to Juan Diaz de Solis, a spanish explorer. From the deck you can see the Marina, the bay of Maldonado, and you can see Casapueblo hotel from there also.

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Since you are just a few km away from La Mansa(quiet beach) in Punta del Este, you must see the hand. The famous landmark known as "The Hand in the Sand" was made in 1982. We just had to go there to say we had been there, done that.
The beach was very quiet the day we were there but it was March and summer season was over.

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Casapueblo is the former house of noted Uruguayan artist Carlos Páez Vilaró and now a citadel-sculpture that includes a museum, an art gallery, and a hotel called Hotel Casapueblo which is inside the structure. It is similar architecturally to the Gaudi structures in Barcelona and has breathtaking scenery. It's cheap to go in and guests are left to wander at will.

It houses an homage to Carlitos Páez (the son of the artist), one of the sixteen Uruguayan survivors of the airplane crash of Uruguayan Air Force Flight 571 which crashed in the Andes mountains on October 13, 1972 (the subject matter for the film Alive).

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Casapueblo is a house/hotel/museum of famous artist Carlos Páez Vilaró. Inside you can see some of his art (paintings, sculptures, etc). There's also a bar where you can have a coffee and alfajores while you wait for the sunset. This is a very well-known place to watch the sunset. It's located in the perfect place to have the best view of the sunset in Punta del Este. While you watch the sun come down, you listen to a tape with an ode to the sun written and read by Carlos Páez Vilaró. It's a beautiful experience, where everybody claps and cheers when the sun finally comes down.

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Punta Del Este, Uruguay is called the St. Tropez of Uruguay for its miles of beautiful, pristine beaches, its upscale and exclusive resort tradition, and the wealth of its summer visitors. Expensive by local standards, Punta del Este is attractively priced compared to European and US resorts. The majority of the inhabitants during the summer (December to March) are Argentines, Uruguayans, and Brazilians. Catching famous models on the beach, soaking in the sun, isn't a rarity either.

Jose Ignacio Beach is one of the most beautiful beaches in South America. With plenty of scantily clad, wealthy South American beach goers, this famous beach hangout is about a 25 miles from the downtown (La Punta). There is one major highway that goes along the water which makes getting lost hard to do.

As far as beach activities go...you can do anything from playing soccer, ride horses to any of the water activities like wind surfing. If you get tired, you can relax at any of the posh beach side cafes. If that's not enough, take a siesta on the silky smooth sand or just eye the beautiful people passing by.

Tip: There is one major gas station near Jose Ignacio, so be sure to put gas or be ready to wait in line if you leave after sunset.

Once you go, you'll be hooked!