José Ignácio in Uruguay is one of my favorite places in South America.
It remembers me the famous St. Barths or still St. Tropez. Its dirt roads have
houses without fences and most of them far away from each other.
You can roam the narrow streets as if the whole village was yours. You
can find fancy people’s summerhouses and most foreigners arrive there in private
jets. It’s also an escape route for famous people, hollywoodians and
celebrities that walk around normally without suffering harassment, just like
Angelina Jolie, Michael Schumacher and Shakira. Of course it creates buzzing,
and each season (from December to March) appear more and more options to
visitors who choose this place full of peculiarities.
A paradise for rich hipsters. As my friend Ana Goodman use to say: “I
frequent this place for more than 30 years and it still continues charming”.
The local community makes a campaign against big ventures. No nightclubs
there and the noise is allowed only till 2 a.m.
José Ignácio is daytime, however is lasts long, since it only gets dark
by 9 p.m. in summer.
Going there is a good reason to enjoy the huge beach, which is hard to
see its ending and has just a few people.
One more particularity: is really windy there. The wind masks the
intense and burning sun. José Ignácio is a must (and exclusive) for
enogastronomic tourism lovers. Protected from that, the only concern is to
follow the popular saying of the village: “Aqui solo corre el viento”,
it means to let the wind run and take your time.
Here people don’t talk about security nor bad mood, everything is made
slowly. People can wake up late and delight the afternoon lunch, what remembers
the south of France.
Everybody wants to have lunch at the famous La Huella, and I
never get tired of going there. The best time is at 3 p.m., everything is
wonderful, the chocolate volcano and eating on one’s knees…
La
Huella Varied Cuisine Restaurant, Punta del Este, Uruguay.
Playa Brava, José Ignacio, Maldonado, Uruguay
Phone: 4 486 2279
At night, the casual blend with the stylish and everyone wants to have a
chance to have dinner at Marismo, where people eat stepping on the sand,
furthermore wearing Christian Louboutin on the feet, stuck on the sand.
Super casual and super stylish.
What I like the most at Marismo is the seafood. Everything fresh and
delicious.
Marismo (Route 10, kilometer 185; 598-486-2273) is known by its oven
lamb, relaxed atmosphere, sand ground, candles and fireplace lighting and
lounge music. It is located in a dirt and dark road about half mile after José
Ignácio entrance.
Marismo is far from the noise, in a dark way, not always easy to find,
but worth it. It’s full of tents, with big and rustic wooden tables that invite
the customers to share the space. This collective experience makes success
among the many accents. Even the waiters go barefoot and it’s almost a gourmet
luau. The menu’s decoy is the smooth lamb and sangria to drink. At ease, prove
a simple but perfect thin dough pizza, made with fresh ingredients. Only works
from December to February.
I use to stay or at Playa Vik or Estancia Vik hotels. The artworks are
all by local artists. There are two hotels only 3 miles from each other but at
the same time they are so different. I must divide my time between the two
places.
Shopping is not the strength at José Ignácio nor Punta. There you can
find some small stores with a summer suits variety, but nothing unique. I carry
with me many bikinis, outputs, summer dresses and sweaters, as the night is
little cold, even in summer. I reserve the wedge sandals for a night out.
