"Punta del Este - South ..." a Punta del Este Travel Page by MikeAtSea

One of South America’s most fashionable seaside resorts, Punta del Este occupies the narrow peninsula where the Atlantic Ocean and Rio de la Plata come together. Playa Mansa borders the mellower riverside, while the rougher Atlantic laps onto Playa Brava, home of the Dedos, an oversized, humorous five-finger sculpture.
In Punta Balena, visit Casa Pueblo, once home of Uruguayan artist Carlos Paez Vilaro. In town, enjoy plenty of restaurants, shops and local handicrafts. People-watch on the Gorlero, marvel at one of the world’s largest sea-lion colonies on Isla de Lobos or explore the Cuartel de Dragones in nearby Maldonado. Here you can also find the Marco de los Reyes, which indicated the division between Spanish and Portuguese holdings in South America. Sights vary around Punta del Este — from San Rafael’s distinctive mound-landscaped mansions to nearby Pan de Azúcar Zoological Park, where native species roam in natural settings.