|
|
|
|
|||
|
Punta Del Este - vicinity
Approximately 8 miles from Punta del Este, up the Atlantic coast, is La Barra, one of the trendiest neighborhoods. It glitters from November through February. Numerous restaurants, bars, night clubs, shops, art studios, and galleries make La Barra one of the “happening places” in Punta. Like Punta del Este, it doesn’t sleep.
To get to La Barra you have to cross a very peculiar undulating bridge, one of Punta’s landmarks. The beaches are similar to the ones at San Rafael and El Golf, only smaller. It is one of the places where the young crowd likes to hang out. Since there are very few apartment buildings, accommodations are mainly houses and cottages.
Reminiscent of U.S. beach towns from a by-gone era - it is a community of single-family homes and only a handful of unobtrusive condominium complexes. The commercial strip parallels the coastal road that runs right down the middle of the town. During summer high season, it fills with vacationers who stroll the sidewalk, dine al fresco and shop for art and souvenirs. The Mantra Casino Resort and Spa, uphill from the town, offers luxury accommodations and lively nightclubs.
Three miles east from La Barra lies Manantiales, a seaside village. It is similar to La Barra, but more sedate and quieter. Manantiales has some of the more scenic beaches. Late in the afternoon, you can spot the surf fishermen catching dinner. The village is made up of a cluster of both simple and luxury homes, art galleries and design boutiques, a hotel, and two three-story condominium complexes. Cactus & Pescado serves a gourmet assortment of seafood, or choose Las Hermanas for a typical village menu. Manantiales is the quintessential village community.
Further up the road, life slows down. Fifteen miles from downtown Punta, José Ignacio used to be a fishermen’s village with a few inhabitants. Built on a grass-matted, rock promontory, this small village is today a cluster of luxury homes and the swanky club, Setai Club, which often find their way in architectural and decoration magazines. It is considered the trendiest place in Punta del Este. Çtop
Home of some of the best restaurants in the area, the town still maintains a neighborhood feeling. You can walk everywhere. There are no apartment buildings, and since the town faces both east and west, you can catch both the sunrise and sunset from its two main beaches. The north beach stretches for miles; you need only walk for a few minutes to be alone, for it’s a virtually deserted beach backed by undulating dunes, a place to commune with nature. At dawn, the local fishermen push out to catch the day’s tonnage of corvina (white-sea bass) and brótola, served for lunch in the best restaurants in the area. Catch the splendid sunsets while sipping Caipirinhas on the beach.
José Ignacio also boasts its fair share of designer boutiques and art galleries. Some of the most exclusive items by regional fashion and home furnishing designers can be found in this village. Many of Punta’s famous guests choose to stay in José Ignacio.
Maldonado The capital city of the province so named for the region where Punta del Este and peripheral towns are located. It is the second largest city built in Uruguay during the colonial days – remnants of that epoch still exist, featured among them the Cuartel de Dragones, the Plaza del Vigía, and the important neo-classical cathedral La Catedral de Maldonado. It is the capital of the region, but, for the most part, offers few attractions for the intrepid tourist. There are a few exceptions, several museums housed in colonial homes, lavished with cake-icing facades and large patio gardens recollect a bygone era. Dinning is hit-and-miss, but a command culinary delight is found in the Taverna Patxi and the parrilla (meat restaurant) Lo de Rúben. The city is a mixture of small commerce and low strung colorfully painted homes that hide the potential opulence of its interiors. Come here for major purchases for the home or transportation as prices are considerably less expensive than in Punta del Este, even though it’s barely twenty minutes away. Çtop |
La Barra bridge
Early evening in La Barra
Manantiales house of candles
Manantiales
Jose Ignacio Mansa beach
Lighthouse in José Ignacio
Maldonado Cathedral
|
||||
