During the summer season the beaches of Punta del Este are swarming with the South American high society. For the two mid-week, mid-winter days I spent here, I could walk the entire stretch of beach (Playa Mansa) fronting the Conrad Resort & Casino in almost complete solitude.
People here are extremely friendly and noticeably more down-to-earth than their nearby big city counterparts (Buenos Aires or Montevideo). I spent a couple of hours practicing my Spanish with a local man and his son who were fishing on the Playa Mansa Pier. A quick stroll across the peninsula brought me to Playa el Emir on the Atlantic Coast. Of course, compared to my home in Hawaii, the waves were just ripples. But that, not to mention the frigid temperatures, was not enough to keep a few diehard surfers out of the water.
Quick Tips:
HOW TO GET THERE: Punta del Este is a short 35 minute flight from Buenos Aires (Aeroparque), with jet service on Pluna and Aerolineas Argentinas, or puddle-jumper service on AeroVip.
WHERE TO STAY: There are numerous so-called high-end hotels in Punta del Este, with the Conrad Resort & Casino being at the top of the list. However, all hotels here struggle to fill rooms mid-week during the winter. Hence the availability of ultra-low cost packages from Buenos Aires. The Conrad Punta del Este is a gorgeous five-star resort afronting a long stretch of white sand beach at the mouth of the Rio de la Plata.
COST: Off-peak, mid-week sale -- RT Air from Buenos Aires on Pluna, 2 nights at the luxury Conrad Resort & Casino, for AR, or approximately US.
Best Way To Get Around:
My package included free airport transfer to the hotel. However, the traffic was virtually non-existent, hence renting a car would have been a viable option. Taxis are not as easy to come by as they are in a bigger city (Buenos Aires or even Montevideo), but the concierge at the Conrad can arrange for a quick pickup. The "tourist" area is small enough to cover in its entirety by foot.