Punta del Este is the South American seaside playground of the rich and famous, it takes just over an hour to reach the Punta by car or up to two hours by bus from Montevideo. There are catamarans and ferries from Buenos Aires seven days a week and Bunquebus is the leading provider of ships to Montevideo.
The rich and famous arrive by yacht, with the port jammed packed with luxury vessels all summertime. December and January are the best months for the beach parties when Porteños arrive in larger numbers for their summer vacations.
Very few South American beach resorts rival Punta del Este for its glamor and glitz. The summertime brings a rush of celebrities hiding beneath their sunglasses and baseball caps, staying at their exclusive USD $10,000 a week Casa Quintas just outside the main town of Punta del Este.
The Punta comes alive with local TV stars, top models and a few international celebs’ thrown into the throng for good measure. The fashion shows, the paparazzi and parties follow them to Punta del Este for the summer season.
For many years, we thought that the international glitterati and Buenos Aires’ elite who make Punta del Este their homes for the summer kept Punta del Este a secret to avoid the tourist hoards – but it does not take long for travelers to catch on.
The Punta is several towns (formally fishing villages) on a small peninsula where the Río de la Plata meets the Atlantic Ocean. Punta del Este, the main town and the surrounding villages have over 50km (31 miles) of glorious waterfront and beautiful beaches stretching along both coasts of the peninsula.
The fishing villages are replaced by quality hotels, apartment towers and grand sprawling vacation homes leaving very little left that identifies ‘old Punta’. In fact, Punta del Este is all about settling down for a vacation to soak up the beaches and the sunshine, it is not really a sightseeing destination, although the coast up to Brazil is breathtaking.
Argentines often ask you what side of Punta del Este you are staying on – all part of the symbolic status of the Punta – on the side that faces the Rio del la Plata, the water is calmer with silky sand beaches , these beaches are busier during the summer, and where people watching is a joy to behold. The other side of the Punta that faces the Atlantic and has rougher seas that form wonderful sand dunes and unspoilt beaches. These beaches are less crowded and the waves attract the sun-drenched surfers.
The majority of the city’s major hotels are on the calmer riverside of Punta del Este. Just to be clear, you should check out the geography on a map, as we are talking a good distance from the Rio del la Plata, but that is not to say it does not have influence on the local currents and seas.
Since the Argentine middle classes arrived in greater numbers, Punta del Este lost some of its higher-end clients to the smaller towns like La Barra. Farther along is the very exclusive Jose Ignacio, a small quiet community that is even more expensive than La Barra. Many celebrities keep second homes in Jose Ignacio, including international stars such as the supermodel Naomi Campbell. When their mood allows, the stars offer proof of life, tanned and rested, by heading to La Barra to party.
For more information on Punta del Este please contact us as we represent hotels, resorts and privately owned vacation apartments.
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