It's no surprise that Uruguay is one of the safest countries to visit in South America, and Punta del Este is one of the safest cities in the country. The city is linked to Montevideo by a well-maintained four-lane road called Ruta InterBalnearia. Staying on the Punta del Este Peninsula is probably the best option if you don't have a car, since buses are few, taxis and remises are expensive and they are also few. By bus, you can take the Punta del Este Bus Terminal, Rambla Artigas and Calle Inzaurraga to Montevideo, Colonia and other cities in Uruguay.
Punta del Este has some good surfing spots, not as good as La Paloma (150 km north of Punta del Este), but it's pretty decent on good days. The nearby coastal towns of Uruguay offer comfortable day trips or pleasant nighttime escapes away from the crowds of Punta. The city of Maldonado, originally built in 1755 as a supply outpost, has become a less expensive tourist center than the famous Punta del Este peninsula. The beautiful sunsets in the port of Punta del Este, La Barra or José Ignacio are other places not far (by car) from Punta del Este itself.
By plane, you can take Laguna del Sauce Airport (airport code PDP; tel.). Regular buses come and go from Montevideo for about 220 pesos each way, making Punta del Este a comfortable one-day trip (two hours by bus). Unfortunately, the only sections continuously patrolled by the police are Plaza Independencia (Plaza de la Independencia), the Sarandí pedestrian street and the Mercado del Puerto (the Mercado del Puerto). In the summer months (December to March), Uruguayans and travelers flock to the beaches of the Atlantic coast, from the Brazilian border in the north to the Rio de la Plata (the Rio de la Plata) in the south.
Uruguay is one of the safest and most tolerant countries for members of the LGBTQ community in Latin America. To tour the city and visit the beautiful Casapueblo for a day, try Novo Turismo, Bus Terminal, Local 4, Punta del Este (tel.).After January 15, prices will drop (this includes most things) and, although there are still a lot of people in Punta del Este, there won't be that many people. If you're staying in Punta del Este, the beaches are just a stroll away along Rambla Claudio Williman, on the Rio de la Plata side, or the Rambla Lorenzo Batlle Pacheco, on the Atlantic side.
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