Punta del Este Landmarks and Art Museums
Sightseeing here combines three things: art, two unusual bridges and the sea. Entry is free at most of the stops.
Art and architecture
Casapueblo. This is the work of the artist Carlos Páez Vilaró at Punta Ballena, about 13 km west of the peninsula. It holds a museum, a gallery, a cafe and a hotel, and opens daily from 10:00 until sunset. Adults pay UYU 600; residents and visitors over 65 pay UYU 500; under-12s enter free. The sunset ceremony takes place nightly, and the site asks you to be there 40 minutes early. Details: casapueblo.com.uy .
MACA. The Atchugarry museum is on Ruta 104 at km 4.5, in Manantiales (not in Garzón village). Carlos Ott was the architect, and it opened on 8 January 2022. Admission is free. Opening days are Wednesday to Monday, 10:00 to 18:00, with closures on Tuesdays and 1 May. Its opening collection of about 500 works was reported to include Wifredo Lam, Vik Muniz, Louise Nevelson, Frank Stella and Joaquín Torres-García. Details: macamuseo.org .
Museo Ralli. In Los Arrayanes, Beverly Hills, this museum is free and shows Latin American art with some European works. January and February hours are Tuesday to Sunday, 17:00 to 21:00. March, December and Easter hours are Tuesday to Sunday, 14:00 to 18:00. April, May, October and November are weekends only, 14:00 to 18:00. Closures fall on 25 December and 1 January. Details: rallimuseums.com .
Public art on the beach
La Mano (Los Dedos). Five giant fingers emerge from the sand at Parada 1 on Playa Brava. The Chilean sculptor Mario Irarrázabal made the work in 1982 for an international outdoor sculpture meeting. You can visit it at any hour for free. It is also known as Hombre emergiendo a la vida.
Two bridges
The La Barra bridge, or Puente Leonel Viera, was built between 1963 and 1965 over the Arroyo Maldonado, linking the peninsula with La Barra. It has a wavy, ribbon-style deck. The Laguna Garzón bridge, designed by Rafael Viñoly, opened on 22 December 2015 at Ruta 10 km 190.5. It is a ring, joins Maldonado to Rocha and is built to slow drivers.
On the water
Isla de Lobos, about 8 km southeast of the peninsula, has a lighthouse built in 1858 and rebuilt in 1906. Visitors cannot land, so you see it by boat. At the port, wild sea lions often gather near the fish-cleaning area, and you should watch without feeding them.
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