Sights in Punta Del Este
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La Mano en la Arena
Punta del Este's most famous landmark is the monster-sized hand emerging from the sands of Playa Brava. La Mano en la Arena, sculpted in iron and cement by Chilean artist Mario Irarrazabal in 1982, won first prize in a monumental art contest that year and has been a Punta fixture ever since. The hand exerts a magnetic attraction over visitors to Punta, who climb and jump off its digits and pose for thousands of photos with it every year.
Up close, the hand is starting to show its age. There's graffiti scrawled all over it, and its ungraceful cement base often gets exposed by shifting sands. But watch out - the hand's still likely to reach out and grab you!
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Punta's Beaches
From Playa Mansa, west along Rambla Williman, the main beach areas are La Pastora, Marconi, Cantegril, Las Delicias, Pinares, La Gruta at Punta Ballena, and Portezuelo. Eastward, along Rambla Lorenzo Batlle Pacheco, the prime beaches are La Chiverta, San Rafael, La Draga and Punta de la Barra. In summer, all have paradores (small restaurants) with beach service.
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Playa Mansa
Beaches are the big daytime draw in sunny Punta, and there are plenty to choose from. On the west side of town, Rambla Artigas snakes along the calm Playa Mansa on the Río de la Plata, then passes the busy yacht harbor, overflowing with boats, restaurants, nightclubs and beautiful people, before circling around the peninsula to the open Atlantic Ocean.
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Casa Pueblo
Casa Pueblo is an astonishing Mediterranean villa and art gallery at scenic Punta Ballena, a short trip from Punta del Este. The villa was built by Carlos Páez Vilaró entirely without right angles and boasts jaw-dropping views. Visitors can tour five rooms, view a film on the artist's life and the building's creation, or have a drink at the bar.
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El Faro
El Faro (the lighthouse), on the southern tip of Punta del Este, is the tallest structure in the area due to the city's old laws, which state that no building may exceed a height of 43m (141ft). Though not open to the public, the surrounding area offers a change in pace from beach-hopping, and is in the least developed, most attractive part of the city.
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Isla de los Lobos
This small island boasts large colonies of southern fur seals and sea lions. A welcome break in your beach-lazing routine, be sure to make reservations in advance as this popular destination often books out. Tours to the island leave daily in the high season, and on weekends in the low season.
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Yacht Harbor
On the west side of town, Rambla Artigas snakes along the calm Playa Mansa on the Río de la Plata, then passes the busy yacht harbor, overflowing with boats, restaurants, nightclubs and beautiful people, before circling around the peninsula to the open Atlantic Ocean.
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Bikini
Punta's main attraction is its beaches. The most popular and fashionable is Bikini - north along the rugged Playa Brava. With more golden tans than a crowded solarium, it's a great place to surf or swim, depending on local conditions and the general level of action.
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Playa Brava
On the eastern side of the peninsula the water is rougher, as reflected in the name Playa Brava; the waves and currents here have claimed several lives. Also on the Atlantic side, you'll find surfer-friendly beaches like Playa de los Ingleses and Playa El Emir.
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