Ever since I was 2 years old, my family has been spending the holiday break at the same beach: Punta del Este, in Uruguay.
The beach town is hands down one of my favorite places in the world, not only because of our long-standing family tradition — which I’ve now kept up with my own kids — but because it’s a hidden gem in South America that deserves to be visited at least once.
Here’s why.
There are endless beaches to enjoy
Uruguay has opposite seasons to the US, which means it’s summer during our winter. For my family of five, that means it’s the perfect place to take a break from the sub-zero temperatures of Maine during the holidays.
Punta del Este has endless miles of beach, with options for everyone. If you like surfing, there’s a popular beach where you can find people sitting on their boards waiting for the perfect wave. For families with young children, there’s Playa Mansa, which rarely has waves, making it ideal for kids to wade around in the water. For more experienced swimmers, there’s Playa Brava, which offers big waves and strong tides.
You can often find merchants walking around with towels, bikinis, dresses, ice cream, and coffee. Some beaches have beach restaurants where you can buy food and drinks, although they can get crowded during peak season.
There’s so much for kids to do
Uruguayans are known for being incredibly kind to kids. You can expect priority lines for families with young children at airports and supermarkets. In my experience, people often go above and beyond at restaurants and shops to ensure kids are happy.
Beyond that, there are endless activities to keep kids happy. From ice cream shops to try on every block downtown, to an extensive (and free!) playground called El Jaguel, where families can spend the day exploring the grounds, having lunch, and riding horses.
My kids also love the day camps at Portal del Bosque in La Barra, which cost $2,000 Uruguayan pesos, or about $50, where they spend half a day exploring activities such as art, stop-motion animation, soccer, and more. My kids also love visiting the downtown hippie market, getting temporary tattoos, and getting threaded braids.
The quality of food is next level
Despite having been coming here for 40 years, I still haven’t tried all the restaurants that Punta del Este has to offer.
There are historical ones, like La Huella in Jose Ignacio, which is loved by both locals and tourists (although securing a table during peak season can be challenging). Highlights include grilled octopus and fish, as well as a dessert volcano of dulce de leche.
Lo de Tere in the port, which is so fun to spend New Year’s Eve at, as people dance on the street once the clock hits midnight. On other days, you can enjoy food with an emphasis on local products.
And for a quick, casual bite, Rex, which has the best chivitos in town, is excellent to go with kids because of its quick service and lively atmosphere. One year, my kids spent the entire meal petting the restaurant’s dog, while my husband and I enjoyed the coldest beer I’ve ever had.
While Uruguay is known for its excellent steak, there are restaurants for every palate. My kids love eating fondue at Bungalow Suizo. I always enjoy getting fresh, local fish, and anything with dulce de leche (a local caramel) is a hit with the whole family.
But these are just a few of the endless options for food. You really can find something for everyone’s taste.
The holiday season is the most fun, but also more expensive
Summer here runs from December to March, which is the ideal time to come to enjoy the beach, as well as when most restaurants are open.
That said, the weeks between Christmas and New Year’s can be really expensive and hard to get reservations for. Another factor to consider is that while there are direct flights from Miami to Montevideo and from Buenos Aires to Punta del Este, these can be particularly expensive during high season. To get an idea, for my family of five, return tickets to the US for January 2nd were running at $18,000. We opted to fly on December 31st instead and spend New Year’s in the air.
I hope we can continue spending more family vacations in Punta del Este, as seeing my kids enjoy the things I used to do as a kid brings me so much joy.
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