Good Morning Buenos Aires is pleased to present you this article on Punta Del Este, Uruguay. Good Morning BA has been proudly serving the expat and international community of Buenos Aires Argentina since 2007 offering the very best in Buenos Aires New and Information, Events Listings, Buenos Aires Guides, a Services Directory, Blog Directory, Discount Program and more.

Introduction

Punta Del Este, often referred to as "The St. Tropez of Uruguay" is a trendy and very upscale resort village located about 85 miles (136 km) east of Montevideo, the capital city of Uruguay. The village was once known to sailors and fishermen as Cabo Santa María. Known today as Punta Del Este, the area is known worldwide as a scenic vacation area with miles of beautiful beaches, luxury hotels, restaurants and a famous nightlife.

For decades, Punta Del Este was exclusively a resort for wealthy South Americans but has seen a recent surge in tourism from the United States and Europe, due in part to its affordability compared to other resort areas around the world. In the off season the population of the village sits at less than 10,000 people while in the heart of the summer months it rises to over 500,000.

Punta Del Este is an ideal vacation hotspot for singles, couples and families alike with its temperate climate and many beaches, new casinos, luxurious restaurants and hotels, galleries and restaurants, natural attractions and thriving nightlife. Also as resort village, there are a variety of options of reaching it to include by plane, ferry, bus or automobile.

History

The Spaniards were the first outsiders to set foot in what is now Punta Del Este at the beginning of the 16th century. The village itself was not actually founded until a couple of hundred years later, in 1829 by Don Francisco Aguilar as the result of Portuguese expansionism in the area at that time.

Known for its lush biodiversity, modern Punta Del Este has to thank Antonio Lussich, who purchased 4,447 acres (1899 hectares) in 1896 and created a botanical garden. Lussich planted the garden with plants and trees brought from all over the world and later, they began spreading on their own. This natural growth pattern created the lush fields of Pines and Eucalyptus that characterize Punta Del Este today.

The first wave of tourism in the area occurred in 1907 with the arrival of the very first cruise ship the village. Called La Golondrina (the Swallow) the ship was filled with tourists from Argentina and nearby Montevideo. Having been personally invited by the Director of the Punta Del Este Society, their arrival marked the beginning of Punta Del Este’s fame as one of the top international beach resort destinations in Latin America and the world.

In more modern times, U.S. President Lyndon Baines Johnson attended the America Summit which was hosted by Uruguay and Punta Del Este in 1976. Later in September of 1986, the village was host to the Uruguayan round of International Trade Negotiations which ultimately led to the creation of the World Trade Organization in 1994.

Punta Del Este Today

Today, Punta Del Este continues to grow with important real estate investments expanding to monopolize on the beauty and tranquility of its beaches. Regional Tourism Director, Horacio Diaz recently noted that the area has "flourished recently with the purchase of a second home [there] by foreigners, mainly Europeans and Americans".

With the housing industry plummeting during the global economic crisis in the USA and Europe, Punta Del Este has seen a surge in real estate transactions. Juan Andres Marquine, a local real estate agent notes that has "Italian, American and Spanish clients who choose Punta Del Este for its beauty. They are looking for peace and security. Every foreigner who comes here falls in love with the place and wants to stay. "

While oceanfront property in the United States and Europe remains outside the budget of most people, prices in Punta Del Este start at around US$100,000 and rise past US$1,000,000 making it an ideal place to invest for a variety of people from diverse cultural and economic backgrounds.