I am not sure why Uruguay is not that visited by more tourists worldwide, but I can guarantee 100% it’s their loss. I stayed in the beautiful “little” country (compared with huge Brazil and Argentina) for about one month and I can only say it made me fall in love over and over again with it. Since it’s the middle of summer in South America I think it’s time to suggest some of the greatest beaches in Uruguay.
There are a lot of them in Uruguay since the entire South coast of the country is dipping in the Atlantic Ocean. Most of the places have more than one beach and since I don’t like sunbathing I decided to go on a long walk in every beach resort I have been to. The good thing is the temperature is warm, even before summer starts. I was able to bathe beginning of November. And if you are looking to tan, boy oh boy, you will enjoy the warm (read very hot) sun even more. I’m not gonna get into details about accommodation, transportation, or what the actual city looks like that’s for a future article.
Punta del Este – Playa Brava
There is a big change you already know about this beach, even though the name does not sound familiar at all. Or at least it will sound familiar if you recognise the hand in the sand. Yup! That is where it is. The sand is very smooth and it is quite popular for sunbathing. I visited beginning of November and somehow I was the only one going in the water, but it was perfect.
Cabo Polonio – Playa La Calavera
Getting to Cabo Polonio is a whole story by itself. But for now, I will just mention the beach. I loved this one so much especially in the evening when the fishermen are coming back with their catch. It was so interesting to get a glimpse into the life of a fisherman, I stayed and watched them unloading until they finished. Of course, I would not recommend this place for sunbathing, not only because of all the fish but also because the sand is very hard as well. If you walk with the ocean on your right side you will get to some dunes where I watched the sunset just before taking some different kinds of pics. *wink wink*
Cabo Polonio – Playa Sur
This place was a very nice surprise. On the other side of town, there is another beach where you can enjoy sunbathing and even swimming. It was not that clean when I went but it was very popular, especially since the position of it lets all the sun in your life. You will need to bring an umbrella if you will need shade because it gets sooo hoooot!
Piriapolis – Playa de Piriapolis
It was literally 10 steps away from my accommodation and it has a very nice sidewalk you can take a stroll on (or bike on as I did when coming back from a castle). As it seems it is popular for windsurfing, which was the first time actually saw this live. Quite hypnotising!
Punta del Diablo – Playa del Rivero
I enjoyed my walk here along with actually sunbathing. Yeah, I actually stayed in sun for a bit voluntarily. The rocks you see in the picture are the way to another hiking area, but it was way too hot for me and I was not well dressed to go on that hike so that was also where I stopped. I did, however, record a video while there. Back then I still thought I will manage to update videos from my travels regularly, silly me.
It is a nice place to take some night pictures as well, but since I was still learning how to do that I am not happy at all with my stars’ pictures so instead enjoy my sunset pictures. So far do you agree with my selection of the greatest beaches in Uruguay?
Punta del Diablo – Playa de la Viuda
I went on a long walk on this one once again thinking I will get further away. Unfortunately, I had to stop and come back because the night was approaching and I was also starting to be hungry. I have to mention it was not that clean either, and it was smelling like a dead animal in a specific spot. I did not want to see where the smell was coming from. Behind the rather tight beach, there are some sand dunes and by the tracks left behind, I guess people are going nuts in those dunes with their ATVs.
Tips and tricks
I know some of the things are common sense, but I still feel the need to mention tips & tips for visiting the Uruguayan beach.
- It is important to remember Uruguay is one of the most expensive countries in South America, so make sure you budget your trip well. If you decide to go outside of high season (as I have done that in November) please take into consideration that most of the accommodations are going to be closed. And some entertainment is not open yet, nor are some restaurants. But it is quieter and prices are lower.
- Uruguay is a rather safe country, but that does not mean you can just leave your stuff out in the open and nobody will take them. (I have learned that the hard way.) So make sure you bring with you only the essentials.
- Bring lots and lots of water.
- And feel free to munch on some bizccochos (something like little croissants I was going crazy on while there).
- Oh, and of course, the forever-in-need sun lotion. It took me quite a while to remember to put sun lotion every time when out, not only when going to the beach. For a white-skinned person like me, I can tell you, I lost count of how many times I got burned while in South America.
What are places would you add to the greatest beaches in Uruguay list? Let me know in the comments below.
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