Outings and excursions · Punta del Este
Punta del Este off season
Photos: María Cecilia / Wikimedia Commons (CC0)
Without the summer crowds, the peninsula shows another side: walks, sunsets and its icons without queues.
Punta del Este means January, but the rest of the year has its own charm: nearly empty beaches, peace and quiet, and the chance to enjoy its best-known spots without hurry.
La Mano, on Playa Brava
At stop 1 on Playa Brava, five fingers rise from the sand: "Man Emerging into Life", the 1982 sculpture by Chilean artist Mario Irarrázabal, known to all as La Mano (The Hand). Off season, you can take the photo with nobody around.
The port and the peninsula
Walking the port and the tip of the peninsula, between the Mansa and Brava beaches, is a classic. Sea lions often come up to the piers in the port.
Casapueblo
In Punta Ballena, a few kilometres away, Casapueblo is the work Uruguayan artist Carlos Páez Vilaró built over decades starting in 1958. Its terrace is one of the most sought-after places to watch the sunset.
Isla Gorriti
Opposite the Mansa, about 20 minutes by boat from the port, it is a nature reserve with quiet beaches. Outside summer, boat trips may be less frequent: ask at the port.
Tips
- Many shops shorten their hours off season: check before you go.
- Between July and November, add whale season to your visit.
