| Cabo Polonio | |
|---|---|
| — Hamlet — | |
| Sand dunes near Cabo Polonio | |
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Cabo Polonio
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| Coordinates: | |
| Country | Uruguay |
| Department | Rocha Department |
| Population (2004) | |
| • Total | 72 |
| Time zone | UTC -3 |
| Postal code | 27202 |
| Area code(s) | +598 4475 |
Cabo Polonio is a caserío (hamlet) located in the eastern coast of Uruguay in the Rocha Department.
Cabo Polonio has no roads leading to it and is located about 7 km from the main highway. It is accessible by walking through the dunes or by 4x4 vehicles. The region has no electricity or running water for the few hundred houses of this town, and wind power and a few generators are used to power some of the posadas and grocery store. There is a lighthouse that gets power from the national grid. Residents obtain water from nearby water wells or collecting rain water.
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According to the 2004 census, it had a population of 72 inhabitants.[1]
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 1963 | 58 |
| 1975 | 36 |
| 1985 | 53 |
| 1996 | 103 |
| 2004 | 72 |
Source: Instituto Nacional de Estadística de Uruguay[2]
Cabo Polonio sits on the tip of a moon-sliver shaped peninsula that extends into the Atlantic Ocean. The back side experiences relentless powerful waves, and on the inside of the moon-shaped area, the water comes calmly to shore. At the top end, a lighthouse stands over boulders tumbling into the sea. Two small, rocky islands dot the coast nearby.
This village principal attraction is the Atlantic beach, with water and sand, a natural reserve of sea lions and one of the area's few mobile sand dunes, in which the sand is blown by the wind and moves around the sandy places and the dunes actually change their position. The village land is shared by the Uruguayan government and private owners. The government has included the area into the SNAP (Sistema Nacional de Áreas Protegidas) National System of Protected Areas.
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