With children, Punta del Este works best if you choose the right beach first and build the rest of the day around it. The peninsula has a sheltered side and an open-ocean side, and they are not interchangeable. Pick Playa Mansa Playa Mansa is the family beach. It lies on the western, bay side facing Isla Gorriti, with shallow, sheltered water that suits paddling and young swimmers. It is also a good place to watch the sunset when the day cools.

Three to five days is enough to see the peninsula and the coast on either side of it without rushing. This plan groups sights by direction, so each day stays within one stretch of the coast. Getting there and around Carrasco International Airport (MVD) in Montevideo is the year-round gateway. Punta del Este is about 130 km east. COT and Copsa (Línea Este) coaches run from Montevideo’s Tres Cruces terminal to the Punta del Este terminal about every 20 to 60 minutes, in roughly 2 hours 15 minutes.

Punta del Este suits couples who like slow days, good food and long sunsets. The coast offers a few set pieces that are worth planning around, and most of them cluster at the end of the day. Sunset at Casapueblo Casapueblo at Punta Ballena, about 13 km west of the peninsula, was designed and built by the artist Carlos Páez Vilaró and begun in 1958. The sunset ceremony runs every evening at sunset, a recording of the artist’s poem played as the light goes.

Punta del Este sits at the southern tip of Maldonado Department, about 130 km east of Montevideo. The peninsula has two very different coasts, and most of what you will do here follows from that: a calm bay side on the west and the open Atlantic on the east. Playa Mansa: calm water Playa Mansa faces Isla Gorriti on the sheltered western side. The water is calm, which makes it the beach for paddling with children, easy swimming and stand-up paddling.

Punta del Este has a short list of organised outings rather than a long menu of guided tours. Most of what draws visitors can be seen on your own, and the handful of true tours are on the water or at a winery. This page sets out each option so you can decide what is worth booking. Boat tours Boats go to Isla de Lobos, about 8 km southeast of the peninsula, to see a colony of sea lions and fur seals.

Walking in Punta del Este is mostly self-guided. The peninsula is compact, and its main sights are close enough to link into short routes. Wear sun protection and carry water in summer. The peninsula stroll Start at the port and follow the waterfront to the lighthouse (the Faro). Avenida Gorlero is the central commercial street, flat and easy to walk, lined with shops. Add the Rambla for a longer sea-edge walk.

The best sights around Punta del Este are a mix of art, odd architecture and sea. Several are free, and none needs a guide. Casapueblo Casapueblo at Punta Ballena, about 13 km west of the peninsula, is the area’s best-known building. It is open every day of the year from 10:00 until sunset. Admission is UYU 600, or UYU 500 for residents and visitors over 65, and children under 12 are free.

Every good day trip from Punta del Este runs along the Maldonado coast or just inland, and none needs more than a few hours on the road. Pick one or two stops per day, because several of these places are slow to enjoy: the sunset at Casapueblo, a long lunch at the winery, an afternoon on a beach. Casapueblo and Punta Ballena Punta Ballena is about 13 km west of the peninsula.