Punta del Este

Private Punta del Este luxury travel

Sitting upon a peninsula, Punta del Este is a glamorous resort city on Uruguay’s Atlantic Coast. Once a calm, coastal town that attracted Uruguayan and Argentinian artists, it now draws international attention and boasts luxury hotels and experiences to prove it. With oceanfront high-rises, a yacht-adorned marina, and thriving nightlife, the city draws comparisons to Monaco, St. Tropez, and Miami’s South Beach. 

At the height of summer (December-January), Punta del Este swells with fashionable, well-heeled visitors, including the celebrity type. It’s the type of place where nightclubs open at midnight and close only once the sun has risen. (Outside of peak season, Punta del Este quiets down dramatically, with shops and restaurants shuttering during the sleepiest months.)  

Toast Punta del Este’s superb sunsets at a swanky rooftop lounge; shop designer boutiques that stock styles lifted straight from the catwalks of Montevideo, Buenos Aires, and São Paulo Fashion Week; and peruse its many distinguished art galleries and museums. Don’t miss the sculpture garden at the Atchugarry Museum of Contemporary Art and viewing contemporary Latin and European works at the Ralli Museum. A visit to Casapueblo, which evokes the cement and stucco architecture of Santorini, lends a look inside the world of Uruguayan artist Carlos Páez Vilaró. 

Any visit to Punta del Este should include time spent with your toes in the sand. Mansa (which translates to “meek”) is absent the strong current that characterizes other beaches in the area, making it well-suited for swimmers. Surfers should drop into the waves of Playa Brava, La Barra, or Manantiales. Look to the coast to spy southern right whales parading by during winter (July through November) while sea lions clown around at the shore, sometimes sunning themselves on the sand.

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Our favorite luxury hotel in Punta del Este

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