Punta del Este is my favorite place in Uruguay during the summer. It is a 1 ½ hour ride east from the capital (Montevideo), and a place where the beach and the night are predominant.

The season

Punta gets crowded during the first two weeks of January. Mostly because of the enormous amount of visitors from Brazil and Argentina that choose those two weeks to go there. But the truth is that as long as it is warm enough for swimming, Punta is the hottest place in Uruguay. This means that tourists will go in and out of Punta, from mid December till early March.

During autumn, winter and spring, Punta is almost a ghost city. Some people like it this way because it is very peaceful, so they choose to reside there permanently. But most people go there only during the months of summer, and leave their houses empty during the rest of the year. This gives house thieves the perfect opportunity for their trade. But don’t let this spoil your vacation. Security is improving every year in Punta, and crime rates are going down.

Personally I would choose autumn or spring over winter. Both of those seasons are beautiful there. The colors, the smell, the peace, and the temperature. Everyone should try it sometime.  

In my following posts I will write about the beach and the night life of Punta. You don’t want to miss that!! 

.