Punta del Este Sights and Museums
The headline sights around Punta del Este are easiest to plan from a table of costs and opening times. The notes under it add what each place is like.
At a glance
| Sight | Entry | Opening |
|---|---|---|
| Casapueblo, Punta Ballena | UYU 600; UYU 500 for residents and over-65s; under-12s free | Daily, 10:00 until sunset |
| MACA, Manantiales | Free | Wednesday to Monday, 10:00 to 18:00 |
| Museo Ralli, Beverly Hills | Free | Varies by month, see below |
| La Mano, Playa Brava | Free | Always accessible |
Casapueblo
Casapueblo is the creation of the artist Carlos Páez Vilaró, who began it in 1958 at Punta Ballena, about 13 km from the peninsula. The complex has a museum, gallery, cafe and hotel. Every evening at sunset a ceremony plays a recording of his poem, and visitors are advised to turn up 40 minutes early. The Casapueblo website lists current details.
La Mano
Five enormous fingers push up out of the sand at Parada 1 on Playa Brava. The sculpture, from 1982, is the work of Mario Irarrázabal of Chile, who made it for an international outdoor sculpture meeting. It also goes by Los Dedos. Stay out of the surf here unless a lifeguard zone is flagged.
MACA
The Atchugarry Museum of Contemporary Art sits on Ruta 104 at km 4.5 in Manantiales, a different place from Garzón village. Carlos Ott designed it, and it opened on 8 January 2022. It shuts on Tuesdays and on 1 May. The opening collection of around 500 works was reported to include Wifredo Lam, Vik Muniz, Louise Nevelson, Frank Stella and Joaquín Torres-García. See macamuseo.org .
Museo Ralli
Museo Ralli is in Los Arrayanes, Beverly Hills, and focuses on Latin American art with some European works. Its hours follow the calendar. In January and February it opens Tuesday to Sunday, 17:00 to 21:00. In March, December and around Easter it opens Tuesday to Sunday, 14:00 to 18:00. In April, May, October and November, only weekends, 14:00 to 18:00. Christmas Day and New Year’s Day are closed. Check rallimuseums.com .
The two bridges
The Puente Leonel Viera, built 1963 to 1965, carries traffic across the Arroyo Maldonado to La Barra with a rippling profile. The Laguna Garzón bridge at Ruta 10 km 190.5 is circular. Rafael Viñoly designed it, it opened on 22 December 2015, and it is built to slow vehicles.
Isla de Lobos and the harbour
Isla de Lobos, about 8 km southeast, has a lighthouse from 1858, rebuilt in 1906. Visitors view it from boats because landing is banned. Back at the port, wild sea lions often gather beside the fish-cleaning area in season. Observe from a distance and do not feed them.
Read more: Walking tours and Attraction tours . Pair it with a guided tour via GetYourGuide . For the capital, see the Montevideo guide .