Outings and excursions · Punta del Diablo

Santa Teresa National Park: fortress, woods and beaches

Photos: rodoluca / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)

Between Punta del Diablo and La Coronilla, an 18th-century fortress, thousands of trees, a 1939 greenhouse and Atlantic beaches.

Photo: rodoluca, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

A few kilometres from Punta del Diablo, on Route 9 in the department of Rocha, Santa Teresa National Park covers some 3,000 hectares between the Atlantic coast and Laguna Negra. It is one of the must-sees of eastern Uruguay, with history, nature and beach in one place.

Santa Teresa Fortress

The Portuguese began building it in 1762, anticipating a new conflict with Spain. Its double stone walls, filled with earth to withstand artillery, changed hands several times before being abandoned in the 19th century; historian Horacio Arredondo led its restoration from 1928. Today it can be visited, along with its museum.

Woods, gardens and greenhouse

About 1,400 hectares of the park are forested, with native and exotic species. The greenhouse, built in 1939, holds tropical plants from several continents, and the gardens and trails are made for walking.

Beaches and camping

The park has wide Atlantic beaches and one of the best-known campsites in the country, very busy in summer.

Tips

  • Fortress opening hours and fees: check the Turismo Rocha website.
  • In January and during Tourism Week the campsite fills up: book ahead.

Plan your trip

See alsoHotels and lodging in Punta del Diablo

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