This guide is for you if you are staying in Punta del Este and want the quieter coast to the east, with a winery and a country village inland. The day turns on two decisions: when in the year you go, and what time you book at the winery. Here is what to settle before you choose a date.
Book the winery first
Visits and tastings at Bodega Garzón must be booked in advance and are paid at the winery. Do this before anything else, then tell us your time, and we will build the day around it. Access to the estate is controlled, and travel writers who have been advise booking at least a day ahead, and one to two weeks ahead in December, January and Carnival. The winery's restaurant also takes bookings, for set lunch slots.
Your driver does not drink, so everyone in your group can taste. If nobody in your group drinks wine, skip the winery. We can spend the time on the beaches at José Ignacio or at the lagoon instead.
When to go
José Ignacio is a different place in each season. It is lively in January, and very quiet in winter, when many places close. If you want the restaurants and the beach life, come in high summer and accept that the roads are busier. If you want empty beaches and do not mind shuttered shops, the shoulder months suit you better.
Weather averages near Punta del Este run from highs of about 26°C in January and February down to about 14°C in June and July, with far less sunshine in winter. The day is spent mostly outdoors, on a headland, a bridge and in vineyards, so it is better on a bright one.
How the day fits together
You leave at 07:00, cross the wavy bridge at La Barra and follow the coast road past Manantiales. You reach José Ignacio at about 08:00.
José Ignacio
The village sits on a point, with beaches on both sides, around a lighthouse built in 1877. The tower is 25 metres tall and stands over the Atlantic. The lighthouse takes visitors from 10:00, so if you want to go in, tell your driver and the order changes on the day. Entry is not included in the tour.
The Laguna Garzón bridge
Before late 2015, cars crossed the mouth of the lagoon on a raft. The Uruguayan architect Rafael Viñoly replaced it with a ring of road, built in twelve months. The shape is meant to slow cars down and make drivers look at the water. There are walkways on both sides, and the ring holds a circle of lagoon inside it, where people swim and fish. Ask your driver to stop so you can walk part of it.
Bodega Garzón and Pueblo Garzón
Inland, the winery sits among vineyards in the hills. Pueblo Garzón was founded in 1892, when a merchant called Fermín de León set up on the old royal road. It had a railway and a mill and around 2,000 people until about 1950; today a little over 200 live there. Plaza Artigas, flanked by the church and the social club, is the centre of it. The chef Francis Mallmann opened a hotel and restaurant on the square in 2004, and the village has drawn visitors since. You have lunch at one of its few restaurants, which is not included, before the hour's drive back by the inland road.
On your own, or with a driver
José Ignacio can be reached by bus from Punta del Este. The winery is harder: there is no direct public transport, and the usual advice is to hire a car or take a bus to José Ignacio and a taxi from there. Hiring a car means someone in your group cannot taste.
A private car and driver solves both. You are collected anywhere in Punta del Este, Maldonado, La Barra or Punta Ballena, and fuel, tolls and parking are included. The price depends on the size of your group; see it on the tour page. Wine tastings, the lighthouse and lunch are paid on the day.
Who it suits, and who should think twice
- Wine drinkers, with the tasting booked ahead.
- Travellers who have already seen the peninsula and want somewhere quieter.
- Couples and small groups who like a long lunch in the country.
Think twice if this is your only day in Punta del Este. This day leaves out the peninsula, and the full-day Punta del Este tour covers it. If you come in winter for the beaches, expect much of José Ignacio to be closed.
Questions people ask
Can we have lunch in José Ignacio instead?
Yes. Tell us and we will swap the order of the day.
What if there are more than 16 of us?
Two vehicles travel together on one booking. Message us and we will price it.
Can we cancel?
Yes. Cancel up to 24 hours before pick-up and you are refunded in full. Note that the winery has its own booking terms. See our cancellation page.
Booking the day
Book your winery slot, then your date with us. The full timings and what is included are on the José Ignacio and Garzón day trip page. To compare it with our other tours, read the guide to day trips from Punta del Este.
