Punta del Este

Punta del Este

Punta del Este is a coastal city and peninsula located on the Atlantic coast in the southeastern part of Uruguay, in the Maldonado Department. Punta del Este started as a small town but later became internationally renowned as a resort for Latin and North American jet set and tourists. The city is known as the "Monaco of the South", the "Pearl of the Atlantic", the "Hamptons of South America", the "Miami Beach of South America" or the "St. Tropez of South America". The area has protected nature reserves such as Isla de Lobos, Gorriti Island, La Barra and the Arboretum Lussich. Among the popular attractions in the area are the giant statue of La Mano, which depicts five human fingers partially emerging out of the sand, located at Parada 1, on Brava Beach. Other sites are the Santorini-style Casapueblo complex, the Puente Garzón bridge designed by Rafael Viñoly and the Museum of the Sea. The picturesque coast of Punta del Este is divided into two regions, the Brava and the Mansa. The Southern Right Whales, which were once abundant, are re-colonizing the area, contributing to the creation of a whale sanctuary off Latin America, which has been blocked for nearly a decade by whaling nations such as Japan. In contrast to the majority of the Uruguayan coasts, orcas have been documented in the region, mostly around Isla de Lobos. The city is home to the 45-meter-high Punta del Este Lighthouse, whose illumination system is made up of crystal panels imported from France. The tower can be climbed to the top, so you can climb the 150 steps of its spiral staircase.