The Punta of return

The “Ibiza of Uruguay”, Punta del Este’s delights are drawing a sophisticated crowd of beautiful people, including FQR’s very own Elisabeth von Thurn und Taxis

Punta del Este is full of surprises. The icy wind that hits me as I disembark the plane is one such, and makes me wish I’d packed those cashmere jumpers I was so thrilled at being able to leave behind. Since I’m here to join Buenos Aires society at its famously favourite summer hangout, I find that odd. It’s also intriguing that most of the Argentines here refer to themselves as “locals” even though, considering we are in southern Uruguay, they are technically as foreign as I. And the whole island seems to work to a timetable from another planet, where days begin with lunch at 3pm and end way into the next day, well past most people’s rise-and-shine time. But, of course, it’s quirks and curveballs like these that all combine to render Punta del Este extremely charming.

As its name implies, La Punta is the furthest tip on the peninsula. It’s full of architectural monstrosities similar to the ones found along the Costa del Sol. But it’s the coasts that stretch on either side of this point – La Brava with its rougher sea and the calmer waters of La Mansa – that draw the fun-loving crowds. Both have beautiful beach villages scattered with an eclectic mix of colourful waterfront houses. José Ignacio, an old fishing village where I stayed with friends, is the place to be around here. People flit effortlessly between homes for an endless menu of barbecues, dinner parties, drink soirées or simply to hang out. I celebrated the New Year dancing in such a house built on stilts only a few hundred yards from the ocean.

When taking a break from private parties, Finch’s Quarterly aficionados would be unlikely to join the hordes of teenagers sitting on plastic chairs devouring Argentine fast food in La Barra, the place where all the clubs and bars have nested, opting instead for some of the more exclusive hang-out spots. Las Piedras (El Fasano), one of Punta’s most spectacular “farms” recently converted into a restaurant/hotel, is one of these. Its pool is carved into the rocks for the most perfect view on the whole peninsula and swimming in it at sunset it feels as if you could gobble up the big red ball on its descent into the ocean.

The great thing in Punta is that you keep bumping into the same people. Yes, it may seem cliquey but you quickly feel at ease becoming one of “the usual suspects”. A delicious place for seafood is La Casa del Marismo where I bumped into Mario Testino and friends, who were also staying in José Ignacio and with whom I had partied at a wedding a few days earlier, then again at New Year etc etc etc.

And if one desires to escape the coastal setting, the small village of Garzón is worth an afternoon trip. It’s a bit of a dusty drive into the country through terracotta-coloured sand and along the green plains filled with cows and horses grazing but it offers a chance to see more of the country than its beaches and private houses. Garzón’s main attraction is the Francis Mallmann restaurant/hotel. The renowned chef and man of taste has created the perfect setting to escape from the madness. The food is light and Mediterranean and afterwards you lounge on comfy cushions around the pool in the hacienda’s courtyard. With only five rooms, the place is as quiet and sleepy as its namesake village.

What attracts swarms of good-looking kids from Buenos Aires and many glitzy Euros each year are neither the fancy houses nor the beaches – truth be told, there are nicer ones elsewhere. Rather, it’s a sense of savoir vivre, which draws you into its web. Anything goes: there’s no dress code, no timetable, no RSVP. A small barbecue on the beach will suddenly turn into a huge party. The host is delighted; the more the merrier. The aching cliché about Latin countries being full of friendly people is true here. The absolute opposite of the chill breeze that greeted me on my arrival, they are like ready-made best friends; never have I met more welcoming people. Parties are open to anyone – well, to anyone in the loop, at least. Provided you have a car, a few local friends and a bit of stamina to cope with belated meal and bedtimes, you’re ready to roll.

One Response

1. FG Says:
   November 11th, 2009 at 3:31 am

   Great article and lovely, joyful photographs! Elisabeth should also do more of this (besides The Princess Diaries, of course!)

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