Then about 40 minutes east of Piriápolis, this peninsula-based city of over 12,000 is of course an absolute must on the Gold Coast, South America’s most internationally famous – and upmarket – beach-resort mecca, with a huge diversity of hotels, resorts, and lower-end lodgings along with thriving dining, nightlife, entertainment, and shopping scenes. Its population of around 9,000 surges in summer with visitors – especially Argentines and Brazilians, but also from around the world. Among its myriad beaches, one that particularly stands out is Playa Brava (“Wild Beach”), facing the open ocean and so named for its kicky surf (thus also magnet for surfers); it’s also where you’ll find the famous (and Instagrammer-favourite) cement fingers reaching upward from the sand and built in 1982. Another is Playa Mansa (“Gentle Beach,” pictured here), located on the side of the peninsula facing away from the ocean and named for its calmer waters.

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

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