This guide is for you if you have half a day in Punta del Este, perhaps off a cruise ship or on your first morning in town, and want a look at the place before you settle on a beach. It covers the start time, what the season does to the roads, what you can and cannot do at each stop, and when a different tour would serve you better.
Early start or afternoon
You pick 07:00 or 13:00 when you book. The early start puts you at La Mano on Playa Brava about fifteen minutes later, while the beach is still empty, and has you back before lunch with the rest of the day free. The 13:00 start suits a slow breakfast or a morning on the sand, and brings you back at about five.
The hand is five fingers rising out of the sand at the first stop of Playa Brava. The Chilean sculptor Mario Irarrázabal made it in 1982 for the first international meeting of open-air modern sculpture held in Punta del Este. He had been given a whole summer to finish the piece. He needed six days.
When to go
January and February are the high season. Traffic builds on the Rambla, so leave slack after the tour if you have a table or a boat booked. The rest of the year is quiet.
Summer is warm rather than hot: average highs are around 26°C in January and February, and December has the most sun. Winter is cool and often grey, with highs of about 14°C in June and July and fewer than four hours of sunshine a day on average. From May to September, bring a warm layer for the tip of the peninsula.
Cruise ships call from November to April. Passengers come ashore by tender at the port of Punta del Este, which has five berths set aside for the ship launches. If you are on one, tell your driver your all-aboard time. The tour can end at any address in town, so the last drop can be the port rather than a hotel.
What you can do at each stop
The lighthouse
You see it from outside. The tower stands at the south-west end of the peninsula and was inaugurated in March 1860, after an earlier light on Isla de Lobos. It is about 25 metres tall and run by the navy. It is closed to the public, except on Heritage Day (Día del Patrimonio) in October, when anyone can climb its 150 steps. If you are in town that weekend, check the date with the Maldonado authorities.
The port
This is where most people want longer. Sea lions come in to the fish stalls, and the yachts and fishing boats share the basin. They are wild animals, so there is no promise of a close look, and you should keep your distance from them.
The boats to Isla Gorriti leave from here. The island lies close to the shore, has beaches, and still has old cannons from the eighteenth century, when it mattered to the military. It has been declared national heritage, together with Isla de Lobos, a sea-lion reserve that boat operators in the port also visit. The boat ticket is not part of the tour. We can drop you for the Gorriti boat and collect you when you are back.
La Barra
The last stretch takes you east over the wavy bridge across the Maldonado stream to La Barra, a beach village of galleries and cafés. Then the car takes you wherever you want to end the morning or afternoon: your hotel, a beach or a restaurant.
On your own, or with a car and driver
The peninsula is small enough to walk. The bus terminal is a short walk from Avenida Gorlero, and La Mano is ten to fifteen minutes on foot from the terminal area. On a fine day you can reach the hand, the port and the lighthouse under your own steam.
What the car adds is everything beyond that. You are collected at your door anywhere in Punta del Este, Maldonado, La Barra or Punta Ballena, and La Barra comes into the same morning. Parking, the hard part in January, is covered. Fuel and tolls are covered too, and you can change the order on the day. The price depends on the size of your group; see it on the tour page. Boat trips, entrances, food and drinks are paid separately.
Who it suits, and who should take something else
- A first look at the town, before you choose where to spend the rest of your stay.
- A cruise call, with the port as the last drop if you need it.
- Families: the drives between stops are short, and there is time to walk at each one.
If Casapueblo is on your list, this is the wrong half-day. It does not fit in four hours. Take the Casapueblo and Punta Ballena tour, or see both sides of town in the full-day Punta del Este tour. Groups of more than 16 travel in two vehicles on one booking; message us and we will price it.
Questions people ask
Can we climb the lighthouse?
Not on a normal day. It opens for climbing only on Heritage Day in October.
Can we spend the afternoon on Isla Gorriti instead?
Yes. Ask to be dropped at the port for the boat, and arrange the collection time with your driver.
Can we cancel?
Yes. Cancel up to 24 hours before pick-up and you get a full refund. See our cancellation page.
Booking the morning
Pick the start time that leaves the rest of your day the way you want it, and keep January traffic in mind if anything is booked afterwards. The stops and what is included are on the Punta del Este peninsula and La Barra tour page. To compare it with our other days out, read the guide to day trips from Punta del Este.
