How to Spend 2 Days in Punta Del Este in Uruguay

The seaside resort town of Punta del Este is located in southeastern Uruguay, about 140 km east of Montevideo, the country’s capital city. In this guide, we’ll discuss how you can spend 2 days in Punta del Este, as well as including how to get there, where to stay and the best time to visit.

We must admit that Punta del Este is not our typical travel destination. In fact, when we were reading about Punta del Este, we saw it being referred to as the “Miami of South America”, “The Hamptons of South America”, the “Monaco of the South” or the “Saint-Tropez of South America”. You get the picture. It’s definitely more like a beach / resort holiday destination than a must-visit tourist spot. Although we rarely visit these types of resort towns, since we were in Uruguay anyway we thought that a few days to switch off might actually be good for us.

If you’d like to see what we got up to in the country, make sure to watch our dedicated Uruguay video which we shared on our YouTube channel Kitti and Jon.

How to Spend 2 Days in Punta del Este

Check out “La Mano” – The Fingers of Punta del Este

When you search for Punta del Este on the internet, other than the many aerial shots that look like they could be Miami from above, you’ll also see many photos of fingers rising out of the sand. No, it’s not Thing from the Addams Family, but it’s definitely one of the most famous landmarks in Uruguay.

This quirky art installation is located on Playa Brava and was sculpted by Chilean artist Mario Irarrázabal in 1982. He’s actually made other similar hand sculptures, such as the “Dedos” (Fingers) in Madrid, Spain and the “Mano del Desierto” (Hand of the Desert) in the Atacama Desert in Chile.

If you go early in the morning you can probably see it without the crowds, although people are always coming and going. Fun fact: a fellow photographer we met here actually thought that Jon was from Brazil, and was very surprised that we came all the way from the UK!

Walk Along Punta del Este’s La Rambla

Would it even be a Uruguayan blog post without mentioning a stroll along the Rambla? Of course not. Essentially, when we arrived in Uruguay, we quickly learnt that every coastal settlement in the country calls its waterfront avenue “La Rambla”.

You can go for a run, cycle or walk along the boardwalk. We walked along the entire section running around Punta’s peninsula. It does get quite hot in the middle of the day and there isn’t much shade, so perhaps go for a stroll here in the morning or evening when the temperatures are a bit more pleasant.

If you want to see La Rambla on two-wheels, you can rent a bike for the day. This way, you can easily cover a lot of ground and see most of Punta in a shorter time. Alternatively, you can also join a biking tour. This 2-hour bike tour with a local guide will take you along the Rambla, stopping at all of the main landmarks.

Notable Landmarks Along La Rambla

Playa El Emir. This tiny beach is great if you want to surf or watch surfers riding the waves. We also recommend walking out to the Ermita Virgen de la Candelaria from where you can get some great views looking back towards Punta.

Plaza Artigas. Just off the Rambla you’ll find a whole square of artisan markets (Feria de Artesanos), where you can  browse handmade crafts and local products.

Plaza del Faro. If you follow El Faro street just off La Rambla you’ll end up at this small square. It has a stunning baby blue Catholic church called Nuestra Señora de la Candeleria on one side and the Faro de Punta del Este lighthouse in the middle of it.

Punta de las Salinas. Following the Rambla around the peninsula, you’ll soon hit Punta de las Salinas, which marks the southernmost point of mainland Uruguay.

Take a Boat Trip to the Islands

There are two islands just off the shores of Punta del Este: Isla Gorriti and Isla de Lobos.

Isla de Lobos is home to the largest colony of sea lions in South America. In order to protect the fauna, it became part of the Coastal Islands National Park. This is also the reason why you can’t actually set foot on the island. However, the boat tour will circle around the island, so you can enjoy the wildlife and scenery.

On the other hand, you can land on Isla Gorriti, which is perfect for a nature escape. Thanks to its rich and diverse flora and fauna, this island has also been declared a National Heritage. There is an old military fort there, as well as plenty of beaches and nature walk opportunities. Regular ferries run between Punta and the island during the summer months.

Check Out the Yachts and the Fish Market at the Harbour

As we made our way along La Rambla, we ended up at Punta del Este’s marina. Here we could see many luxury yachts and small private boats, as well as a fresh fish market.

Even if you’re not buying any fish, it’s worth having a little wander down here for a few reasons. Firstly, this is where you can book your boat trip / depart to Isla Gorriti and Isla de Lobos from. We could also see just how fresh the fish was, because it comes straight from the fishing boats. We also enjoyed watching the organised chaos of sorting and selling the different types of fish. However, our favourite part of visiting the fish market was that there weren’t just seagulls there eyeing the leftovers. There were quite a few sea lions after a quick snack too! The vendors usually throw their leftovers into the water, which is a good reason for the sea lions to hang out in the harbour.

So, if you think that taking a boat trip to see sea lions around Isla de Lobos is a bit costly, here you’re almost guaranteed to see some hungry (or sleepy) ones. Obviously, it won’t beat seeing and hearing a massive colony of them on the island.

Relax on One of Punta del Este’s Sandy Beaches

Without doubt, a lot of holidaymakers come to Punta del Este for its sandy beaches. Punta is located on a small peninsula where Rio de la Plata and the Atlantic Ocean meet, which means it has a long stretch of waterfront.

The two main beaches in Punta are Playa Mansa and Playa Brava. Playa Mansa is on the west side, or the Rio de la Plata side of town, which means it’s a bit calmer than Playa Brava, which is on the Atlantic, or east side of Punta.

So, depending on what kind of beach day you’re after, you can enjoy a more relaxed and peaceful day on Playa Mansa or a bit more of a surfing kind of atmosphere on Playa Brava.

Take a Trip to La Barra

Speaking of surfing, if you want to do some more, or are just after a little change of scenery, then take a local bus to La Barra. Bus 14 or 15 runs about every hour from the main bus terminal in Punta. It takes about 15 to 20 minutes to reach La Barra.

We suggest getting off the bus just before the Puente de la Barra bridge. Also known as Leonel Viera Bridge, it is probably one of the coolest looking bridges we’ve ever seen. It is a stressed ribbon bridge designed by Leonel Viera and it connects Punta del Este and La Barra across the Maldonado Creek. Of course, the main draw to La Barra are its beaches, such as Playa La Barra and the even livelier Playa Bikini.

La Barra is also home to some art galleries and many cool eateries, so it’s the perfect place to spend an afternoon. Unfortunately, when we were there in mid-November, not much was open for the season, but we could definitely imagine this place buzzing with life between December and February.

Watch the Sunset

Of course, going out to watch the sunset is always our favourite thing to do in a beachy destination.

We grabbed a few snacks and headed out to join both locals and visitors alike in sharing the magical end of another day. If you’ve purchased a mate kit, definitely bring it along because about 99.9% of those around us were sipping mate whilst chatting with their friends or going for an evening dip.

Watching the sunset is also a fantastic reason to spend at least one night in Punta del Este and not just visit it as a day trip from Montevideo.

How to Get to Punta del Este

From Montevideo. If you’re coming from the capital, just take one of the COT buses that run regular services between Montevideo and Punta del Este. The bus departs from the Tres Cruces Terminal in Montevideo and takes just over two hours to reach the resort town.

If you’re coming from abroad, then you’ll likely be flying into Montevideo first.

From Argentina. If you’re planning to visit from Argentina, we suggest taking the ferry across the Rio de la Plata from Buenos Aires. The Buquebus ferry company offers a ferry / bus combo, which includes either a direct ferry ride to Colonia del Sacramento followed by a direct bus to Punta, or a direct ferry to Montevideo and a bus straight to Punta.

Best Time to Visit Punta del Este

This resort town comes alive during the summer months (between December and February). The temperatures will be warm enough to lay on the beach, do some water activities and have late evening strolls along the Rambla. However, since it’s the peak season, expect Punta to be filled with holiday makers and accommodation prices to be higher.

If you’re like us and want lovely weather but less crowds and more affordable lodgings (yes, Uruguay is pricey), then visit during the shoulder season. Both late spring (October and November) and early autumn (March and April) will have mild temperatures, so you can still enjoy the beaches. The only thing to be mindful about are the seasonal places that either won’t have opened yet or will already be closed for the winter. We visited in mid-November, which for us was absolutely perfect.

How Long Do You Need in Punta del Este

You may be wondering how long you actually need to spend in Punta del Este. Well, a lot of visitors often only visit Punta as a quick day trip from Montevideo. It can be a fun place to spend a day, but in our opinion you would miss out on watching the sunset, or trying out some of the bars and restaurants later in the day. This is why we suggest spending at least one night in Punta del Este.

On the other hand, if you just want to unwind in a resort town for a bit, enjoying the ocean breeze and the sunshine, then you can totally stay for longer.

Where to Stay in Punta del Este

Depending on what type of visit you want out of Punta, you have a variety of accommodation options.

Atlántico Boutique Hotel is located close to the harbour and Plaza del Faro. They have an outdoor pool and tranquil garden, and you’ll have a buffet breakfast included too.

The Grand Hotel is located right along Playa Brava, so it’s perfect if you’re in Punta for a beach holiday. They have some incredible sea-view rooms, a restaurant, a bar and even a solarium. Breakfast is included.

Ambar Hotel is a short walk from Brava Beach and has some fantastic amenities such as a sauna, fitness center, sun terrace, a year-round outdoor swimming pool, a hot tub and a solarium. Plus, there’s a continental breakfast included in the price.

Antibes has one-bedroom apartments with a garden and terrace. The apartments are great for slightly longer stays as they have kitchenettes, balconies and even washing machines.

Final Thoughts on 2 Days in Punta del Este, Uruguay

Whilst Punta del Este won’t necessarily make the cut on our list of must-see places in South America, we had a fun couple of days in this resort town. My favourite part was just enjoying a lovely morning and evening stroll along the Rambla, and watching the sunset with other locals and visitors. I personally also enjoyed just wandering around with my camera, capturing moments and experimenting with some urban landscape photography, rather than just snapping those usual ‘must-take’ shots needed for other city guides.