Maps & Information

How to get here?

By airplane, you can easily fly to the International Airport of Carrasco in Montevideo or International Airport called Laguna del Sauce in Punta del Este.  This airport is only 45 minutes from Buenos Aires and there are several flights per day.  There are also many private planes that fly to this airport.

By bus, you will arrive directly at the terminals of Maldonado or Punta del Este.

You will need to go to Estacion Retiro and take the bus for Punta, there are services at night, semi bed in which you will be traveling at night and arrive to Montevideo at 6 a.m., we hope that for next summer there will be direct semi-bed buses to Punta.

By boat (ferry’s), mainly from Argentina, there are many services to Colonia del Sacramento (1 hour), to Montevideo (1 hour and 2 to Punta).

If you are not coming with a car, in both cases it will be necessary to make a connection via omnibus to Punta del Este. Buquebus has a special service of Ferry bus.

Reservations in advance?

Out of season it is not necessary to make reservations since there is permanent availability of hotels and car rentals, except in long week ends, when we receive an increased amount of tourism and usually results in sold out airplane, bus or boat tickets.

In summer, it is strongly advisable to make reservations with at least one month in advance, especially for New Year's Eve when Punta is full and packed. If you feel lucky, you can arrive without reservations and look for lodging at the moment, but you always have the risk of having to sleep in the beach, which is prohibited.

How to Get Around in Punta del Este

Punta del Este is big. It is always better to have a vehicle or to rent one. Also scooters or bicycles can be rented (most of the avenues have bike paths). The buses are varied and with frequencies that allow you to move with comfort. The taxis are very expensive and be careful, because they like to "take you for a drive" you if they realize that it is your first time in Punta.

The Peninsula is the main point of the city, with the Gorlero Avenue as main protagonist. Here you'll find the best commerce, shops, cinemas, etc. and is an obligatory long walking if you want to know Punta del Este. The Boulevard, the Port, the Lighthouse, the Square with its Fair of Craftsmen, much to see ...

La Barra has become the nocturnal center for excellence, mainly for young people. There is an infinity of bars, discos and restaurants, so anyone can find a place to feel great in.

The beaches, either the Mansa or the Brava, are excellent and allow a variety of most of the aquatic sports. Our sea is friendly and our beaches are really exceptional. Lifeguards are very good.

U.S. Dollar or Uruguayan Peso?

Punta del Este is a very cosmopolitan city. U.S. Dollar, Argentine Peso and Brazilian Real, are accepted everywhere. The great majority of the stores accepts the payment with any one of these currencies. In addition, there are money exchange houses and banks all over, which allows you to change currency without a problem and at the current exchange rate. International credit cards are accepted in almost all the places as VISA, MASTERCARD, AMERICAN EXPRESS, DINERS, in addition to other national cards. Traveler checks are hard to exchange. Some accept them, but they charge you with a small commission.

Costs and Prices

At this moment Punta del Este has a great value for the money for the region and an excellent relation quality/price. For Europeans or North Americans it is cheap. A taxi from or to the airport of Laguna del Sauce costs 20 dollars. A ticket for a local bus, 50 cents. The cinema costs 5 dollars, a double room with bath from 50. A dinner for two people in a good restaurant, $30. In a supermarket, 2 liters of Coke:  $1.60. Meat kg: 2.50. A kg of sugar: 0, 30.  The gasoline 1, 420/liter. Diesel: 0, 80/liter. But the beaches and the sea are FREE.

Maps and tourist information?

You will find all the detailed information so that you can move easily in Punta del Este. You can print the maps that are in the section Geography of these Guide and even find out the telephone number of some well-known that lives here. But in the assumption case that you arrive without any information at all, there are several Information Bureaus for Tourists of the Ministry of Tourism where you can ask for information, maps, advice, etc.

More information?

Discover and you will find everything you need to have a great stay in Punta del Este. In this section we also give you useful data so you can plan your trip, like...

Area Codes for Calling

Useful Numbers

Uruguay

598

Official Time

16

• Punta del Este
• Maldonado
• La Barra
• Punta Ballena
• San Carlos

42

Long Distance

120

Repairs

121

Phone Book Info

122

• Pan de Azúcar
• Piriápolis

43

Long Distance Rates

126

Awakener

* 55 * hh: mm #

• José Ignacio

480

DDI

00

• Aiguá

444

DDN

0

Distances to Punta del Este in Km.

Bahía Blanca

720

Santiago de Chile

1870

Bariloche

2012

Valparaíso

1973

Buenos Aires

372

Asunción del Paraguay

1590

Córdoba

1082

Porto Alegre

720

Mendoza

1060

Florianópolis

1130

Rosario

920

San Pablo

1745

Tucumán

1632

Río de Janeiro

2130