A small fishing village that’s fast becoming one of Latin America’s most chic holiday destinations
Travel down the coast from Punta del Este and you’ll find José Ignacio built around a 19th century lighthouse. Favoured by jet-setters around the world and the escape for celebrities, if you arrive in the summer months it’s a booming town of parties and concerts but come in winter and it’s a sleepy place with deserted beaches.
Spend your days lazily sunbathing and swimming on the gorgeous beaches, or for the more active, surfing and kite-surfing at Laguna Garzon. In the evening dine at one of the restaurants or beach shacks eateries for some mouth-watering food. Try the slow-braised lamb at Marismo’s served at candlelit tables on the sand. Do remember though in the winter months a number of the bars and restaurants close.
Continue along the coast and you’ll find other villages or towns, even less developed, including La Pedrera, Punta del Diablo and Cabo with hundreds of miles of beach to discover. There are unique places to stay like the Pueblo Barranas eco-lodge with wooden cabins and yurts set in the rugged landscape near the beach where all you can hear is the crashing of the waves.
Party in the summer, total seclusion in the winter
When to go: All year round