|
|
Luxury Travel
to Uruguay-Punta del Este
Punta del Este, also
known as the “Jewel of Uruguay”, is without a doubt
one of South America’s most lavish and glamorous
resort towns, where the native population of
approximately 10,000 people can give way to a total
population of more than a million people during the
summer holiday season. Overflowing with luxuriously
elegant and sophisticated hotels, the unholy
alliances of Argentinian polo players and
telenovella stars, upscale and trendy
restaurants, titillating nightclubs, and stretches
and stretches of gorgeous beach, Punta del Este has
come a long way from being a small fishing village
back in the early 20th century. The
over-the-top brand of luxury in Punta del Este has
created somewhat of a backlash, resulting in Jose
Ignacio, a town of quiet, understated luxury.
In Punta del Este,
there are many things to indulge sight-seers as
well. From Dedos, the awe-inspiring,
larger-than-life sculpture of giant fingers rising
from the sand by Chilean artist Mario Irarrazabal,
to the lighthouse Faro de Punta del Este,
built by Tomás Libarena in 1860 with crystals
brought from France, and also the Marco de los
Reyes in the Plaza Torre del Vigía, the
rose-and-white marble marker erected to mark the
separate territories of the Spanish and Portuguese
as decided in the 1750 Treaty of Madrid, visitors
will have no lack of historic and artful
masterpieces to appreciate.
Not far away, a
little farther up along the coastal highway Ruta 10
of which Punta del Este is but a landmark on, is the
quieter but blossoming peninsula of José Ignacio. It
is to this tranquil, as-yet-largely-undiscovered gem
of a rustic fishing town that many celebrities such
as Naomi Campbell and Duran Duran lead singer Simon
Le Bon moved their summer homes to after Punta del
Este exploded in popularity.
Seagulls swoop
overhead in large numbers, squawking to be fed. The
beaches here stretch wide and long, and are set
against an exquisite backdrop of rocky cliffs and
natural pine forests. As yet, few hotels have
encroached here, resulting in José Ignacio being
still able to give one that strong feel of a quaint
haven and respite from other over-commercialized
vacation spots. Here, people still take meals next
to bonfires, and eat on tables constructed from
trees hewn on the island itself. This is not,
however, to paint a picture that José Ignacio remains
mostly rural; the luxurious million-dollar homes overlooking
the ocean on the beachfront are simply designe,d
subtly, without frills, and in peaceful harmony with
the rest of the town. There is an appreciation of
the charm of basics in José Ignacio, where the scent
of pine winds languorously through the streets, and
where nights are filled with music and
dancing. Accordingly, there are a number of quaint
boutique and luxuryh design hotels in cognizance of
the discerning crowd this locality is attracting
(some still operate on that quaint no-credit cards
accepted basis). Base yourself in Francis Mallman’s
hotel, uber-restaurateur(do check out his restaurant
as well) and tastemaker, party late into the night
and wake up the next morning to gallop across the
pampas.
Luxury travel to
Uruguay, is in identifying the best possible outpost
for your holiday, the best possible parties we could
possibly open doors for you to, and the feeling of
being in the thick of the action, where the best
parties are, waking up late morning for a refreshing
ride in the pampas and doing it all over again the
next day.
|
|
|
|
|
|
