Punta del Este is a resort town in Uruguay, South America. Population of approximately 10,000 (2011).
Punta del Este was founded in 1907, first called Itusaingo. From the capital of Uruguay, Montevideo to Punta del Este, about two hours by car. Most often, tourists arrive in a small resort town by sea - they sail on huge cruise ships.
The city is located on the Atlantic coast, so the nature of the climate is oceanic. The warmest month is January with an average air temperature of + 21 C, and the coldest is July with an average air temperature of + 11 C.
In Punta del Este, schools for training in windsurfing, surfing and rowing on the board are open, and in the nearby suburbs there are stables that offer riding lessons.
All the local beaches are well maintained and suitable for recreation, but the best are Brava, Mansa, Montoya, Tesoro and Bikini.
In these parts there are villas of various celebrities, from supermodels to world sports stars.
The seaport of Punta del Este is considered a resort area: there are hotels and restaurants nearby, the embankment is landscaped, yachts of different colors are moored near the shore.
“Hand” or “Fingers” of Punta del Este is a very famous landmark, a symbol of the Latin American country. The sculpture on the beach of Brava was created by the artist Mario Irarrasabal (Chile) in 1982 for the International Meeting of Modern Sculptors. The design is made of cement, coated with plastic and treated against corrosion.
Mario Irarrasabal later created similar sculptures in the Atacama Desert (Chile), Madrid (Spain), Venice (Italy).
The city has a Rally Museum, which exhibits some of the works of Salvador Dali, as well as sculptures and paintings by artists of Latin America, in the Maritime Museum - copies of the most famous pirates made of wax, a collection of amazing mollusks and shells.
The ancient lighthouse was opened in 1860, it is considered a must-visit for tourists.
Another attraction is the unusual undulating bridge, which was built in 1865 to connect Punta del Este with the suburban village of La Barra. The architect of the building was Lionel Villier.
The Casapueblo complex is an original construction on the ocean, at the same time a hotel, an art gallery and a museum by Uruguayan artist Carlos Paes Vilaro. The construction of the complex was completed in 1984, it became one of the symbols of Uruguay.
