Punta del Este

Punta del Este
View of the peninsula at sunset
View of the peninsula at sunset
Punta del Este (Uruguay)
Punta del Este
Punta del Este
 
Coordinates:
Country Uruguay
Department Maldonado Department
Founded 1907
Population (2004)
 - Total 10,506
 - Demonym Puntaesteño
postal code 20100
Area code(s) +042

Punta del Este is an upscale vacation spot on the southern tip of Uruguay, southeast of the town of Maldonado and about 140 km east of Montevideo. Although the town has a year round population of 10,506 (2005), the summer tourist boom often boosts the population to about one million people between December and February.

The city is internationally known, among other things as the most important and exclusive resort of South America.

Contents

History

The first Europeans to set foot in what is now Punta del Este were the Spanish at the beginning of the 16th century. However, the colonization of the area actually began around Maldonado at the end of the 18th century due to Portuguese expansionism. Punta del Este and its surroundings (Maldonado and Punta Ballena for example) at the end of the 19th century were kilometers of sand and dunes, but in 1896 Antonio Lussich bought 4,447 acres (1800 hectares) of uninhabited land and there he started a botanic garden and planted trees and plants from all over the world.

Later in the surroundings the trees started to spread by their own now the area is full mostly of Pines, Eucalyptus, Acacias and various species of bushes (Quite similar to Australian flora). Punta Del Este hosted a Latin American Summit in 1967 attended by U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson.In September 1986, Punta del Este played host to the start of the Uruguay Round of international trade negotiations. These negotiations ultimately led to the creation of the World Trade Organization in 1994.

Demographics

As of the census of 2004, there were 10,506 people and 47,657 households in the department. The average household size was 2.9. For every 100 females, there were 97.2 males.

Ethnicity

The overwhelming majority of the population is of predominantly European descent. People of Spanish and Italian ancestry are the most numerous, followed by those of French, German, Portuguese, British, Swiss, Russian, Polish, Bulgarian, Hungarian, Ukrainian, Lithuanian, Estonian Dutch, Belgian, Croatian, Austrian, Serbian, Greek, Scandinavian, Irish, Romanian and Armenian origin. According to the 2006 National Survey of Homes by the Uruguayan National Institute of Statistics: 94.6% chose European ancestry, 3.4% chose Afro/Black ancestry, and 2% chose Asian ancestry. Among countries in the Americas, Uruguay has one of the smallest Amerindian presences, with less than 5% of the national population claiming Amerindian descent; this percentage is vanishingly small in Punta del Este.

Many of the European immigrants arrived in Uruguay in the late 1800s and have heavily influenced the architecture and culture of Montevideo and other major cities. For this reason, Montevideo and life within the city are reminiscent of parts of Europe.[1]

The Beach

Due to its location, Punta del Este has scenic coasts and beaches. There are two types of coast: Brava and Mansa. This shows the end of the Rio de la Plata (River Plate) on one side and the beginning of the Atlantic Ocean, on the other side. Every beach of the peninsula has public access. There are quiet and calm water beaches while others have strong waves, white and fine sand or thick and golden ones. The split between wave types is around the Monumento al Ahogado, which the sculptor designed to warn swimmers that the rough waves could cause them to drown.

La Barra is popular for nautical sports and sportive fishing. Ahead we find different places, El Tesoro resort, Montoya beach, Bikini beach and Manantiales beach, among others. Nowadays this area has become an important touristic center with many services according to the visitors needs.

Main Sights

Punta del Este commercial centre.
Punta del Este Lighthouse

The city is a land of old lineage, an expression of colonial architecture that deserves to be known, since the modern architecture contrasts with the colonial architecture. Nowadays it has a scenic shore, houses typical of the resorts, modern buildings, a port with structure and mooring capacity, well-known trademark stores, restaurants, pubs, etc. It has several big and sumptuous houses, and its gardens lined with plants from every part of the world, wide avenues, boulevards, and a quality of life that is difficult to find in other South American cities.

Gorlero Avenue, the main avenue of Punta del Este has fine commercial galleries, restaurants, cinemas, casinos, shops and many more attractions. Artigas square, over Gorlero Ave is the place where the popular handcraft market takes places. Throughout its many stands you can find handicrafts made of materials such as leather, stone, metal, glass, etc.

Casa Pueblo

This icon of Punta del Este is a piece of art done by the Uruguayan painter and sculptor Carlos Páez Vilaró, with its unique architecture, Casa Pueblo sits atop Punta Ballena, as one of the main attractions of the peninsula. Its spontaneous construction took 36 years to be completed.

It is universally considered as a “living sculpture”. Inside this masterpiece there are many rooms facing the sea. It also boasts sculptures, paintings and ceramics made by its creator. During the summer season a must see attraction are the sunset classical music concerts, definitely an unforgettable experience. This is one of the features that makes Punta del Este unique as few continental places offer the opportunity to whatch the sun rising and setting over the sea, you can contemplate the sunrise over the Atlantic ocean, and the sunset over the River Plate in Punta Ballena.

Punta del Este Lighthouse

This lighthouse was built on the 17 of November of 1860 by Tomas Libarona with the intention of guide the navigators over the Atlantic Ocean and de la Plata river. To build it, a mixture of volcanic soil from Rome, which is apparently harder than concrete, was used. This is the reason why it is in such good condition.

The lighthouse is 45 mts tall and the crystal panels which are part of its illumination system where brought from Europe, France, works by electricity and in case of emergency it uses acetylene gas. It is possible to climb it up through its 150 steps of its spiral stair.

Gorriti Island

This island of 21 hectares of surface is daily visited to enjoy the nature, its two beaches, Garden Port and Honda beach. The island as a natural port “cares” all the ships which anchor close to it, besides, it is a popular area to practice water sports. Nowadays there are thousands of pine trees due to the plantations that the engineer Romulo Rubbo made, his work was later continued by his daughter the engineer Selva Rubbo.

Transportation

Air

The city is served by Capitan Corbeta CA Curbelo International Airport, Uruguay's second most important, located near Laguna Del Sauce on the outskirts of the city. This modern design airport opened in 1996. It offers domestic and international flights within the region. Montevideo's Carrasco International Airport, Uruguay's main airport, is located about 150 km from the Punta del Este.

Roadways

Punta del Este can be reached from Buenos Aires by ferryboat (Buquebus) to Montevideo (the capital city), located 140 km away from Punta del Este, and then by car or bus.

The best way to get to Punta Del Este is to fly into Montevideo Airport MVD, exit baggage area doors, go right to the COT or COPSA Bus office and purchase a ticket, walk out the front doors and wait for the bus to pick you up. Go direct to Punta, DO NOT go through Piriapolsis if you can help it, it adds about thirty minutes to the trip. People think you have to stay in Montevideo to get to Punta, wrong. It's actually easier to just avoid Montevideo all together and go straight to Punta. The airport is on the far side of the city closest to Punta, driving into the city just makes your trip longer. Jump on the bus straight to Punta. Make sure you know what company your bus is COPSA (Blue Red) or COT (Orange Brown).

References

  1. ↑ "Introduction". Nrcsa.com. Retrieved on 2008-09-26.

See also

External links