Punta del Este

Punta del Este sits at the tip of a peninsula in the department of Maldonado, about 135 km from Montevideo. On one side is Playa Mansa, with calmer waters facing the bay; on the other is Playa Brava, open to the Atlantic, where the sculpture of giant fingers emerging from the sand became the city's symbol.

On the peninsula itself are the port, where sea lions come up to the fish stalls, the lighthouse from 1860 and Plaza Artigas, with the artisans' market operating since 1967. Launches depart from the port to Isla Gorriti, and another island, Isla de Lobos, hosts one of the largest colonies of sea lions on the continent.

Around the city there is art and nature: Casapueblo, the house-sculpture by Carlos Páez Vilaró in Punta Ballena; the Arboretum Lussich, a woodland planted on dunes at the end of the 19th century; the wavy bridge of La Barra; and museums such as the Ralli and the MACA, by Pablo Atchugarry.

To the east, José Ignacio is an old fishing village clustered around a lighthouse from 1877, between Laguna José Ignacio and Laguna Garzón, crossed by a circular bridge. To the west, Piriápolis preserves the legacy of Francisco Piria: the rambla, the founder's castle and the hills with views over the bay.

This destination brings together 3 cities: Punta del Este, José Ignacio, Piriápolis.