From capital Montevideo it´s just a half hour’s drive down to Ciudad de la Costa and then 20 minutes east to the so-called Costa de Oro (Gold Coast), where the great Río de la Plata (River Plate) meets the Atlantic Ocean and become bluer and saltier. All along this stretch you’ll find various balnearios (beach-resort towns) such as Atlántida (pop. around 6,000), where quite a few Montevideo residents have holiday homes, so there’s always a lot going on, and especially in these next 2-3 months, during the local summer. One nearby landmark worth a visit is the El Águila overlook (pictured here), a building built in the form of an eagle’s head in 1945 for Italian-born Argentine businessman Natalio Michelizzi and used as a hangout for himself and his friends. When Michelizzi died in 1953, the place stared falling apart, and all sort of rumours abounded about it being used as a hideout for “Nazi spies” – even though World War II ended in 1945 – as a centre of “cosmic energy”, and an alchemy laboratory (none of which was ever proven). Restored and declared a national landmark, these days it’s mostly a tourist attraction.

Just under an hour east of Atlántida, Piriápolis (pop. 9,000) is a comely town built in the late 19th and early 20th century, with a marked Mediterranean flavour and surrounded by hills which are great for hiking as well as 25km (nearly 16 mi.) of beautiful beaches. Here you’ll also find opulent hotels (both of historic vintage and newer), large casinos, a hopping nightlife, and plenty of public parks.

Read more in our post Uruguay´s "Gold Coast" Is a Holiday Paradise.