Here´s another post from the new York Times.
A survey was made and the place that was chosen was..... Guess what?
Uruguay and Punta del Este.
By SHIRLEY CHRISTIAN
LEAD: TEN correspondents of The New York Times, from countries as near as Mexico and as far away as Malaysia, were asked to select their favorite spots for a quick getaway on a winter weekend. Their choices include a beach where you can get some sun and a desert where it's best avoided, cozy inns and more rugged retreats, places to watch the water, watchthe people, or be watched by tigers.
TEN correspondents of The New York Times, from countries as near as Mexico and as far away as Malaysia, were asked to select their favorite spots for a quick getaway on a winter weekend. Their choices include a beach where you can get some sun and a desert where it's best avoided, cozy inns and more rugged retreats, places to watch the water, watchthe people, or be watched by tigers.
Here are their recommendations.
One of the regulars likes to say that Punta del Este, the sparkling beach resort along the Uruguayan coast of the South Atlantic, may be ''the most marvelously frivolous place in the world.'' What she means is that at this time of year, the height of summer in the Southern Hemisphere, no one seems to worry about anything in Punta del Este.
The days, like the beaches, of what is generally called just La Punta seem to stretch out forever - sun-filled, lazy, uncrowded. The main business of Punta del Este is sunning oneself, on land or on yachts at sea, and eating and drinking.
Although there was a flurry of talk a couple of years ago about the area's relative proximity to the hole in the ozone layer over Antarctica, most people toast themselves in the barest of swimsuits without any of the Northern Hemisphere's concerns for overexposure.
While it is in Uruguay, Punta del Este is known primarily as an Argentine watering hole - just 40-minutes' flying time from Buenos Aires. Many Uruguayans come, but the richer and more numerous Argentines give the resort its glitz.
There are plenty of hotels, but all of them are relatively small and simple. Most important, they don't have private beachfronts. The miles and miles of beaches and sand dunes can be admired and enjoyed by everyone.
The only thing in Punta del Este that might be called a tourist attraction is Casa Pueblo, the rambling white stucco structure that combines the museum, gallery and home of the Uruguayan artist Carlos Paez Vilaro with a time-share resort. It faces out to the sea at Punta Ballena, six miles west of the center of town, and can be reached off the Rambla, the coastal highway.
Mr. Paez, who designed the structure and had it built over a number of years, says Casa Pueblo is a work of art - that is, a piece of sculpture - not an ordinary building. But municipal authorities took a dim view of that argument at tax time, ruling that Casa Pueblo had to be taxed on the same basis as other expensive residences in the area.
The other main sightseeing activity is driving by and admiring the multi-million-dollar houses built by the rich, mostly Argentines. The biggest congregation of luxury houses begins off the Rambla east of the San Rafael Casino and farther east in Barra de Maldonado.
The most charming and elegant hotel in Punta del Este is L'Auberge (telephone 82601 or 83357). Set in pine trees just east of the casino and two blocks from the beach, it has the look and feel of a small Swiss castle. Teatime at L'Auberge is a Punta del Este institution. The specialty is waffles, served on the terrace or in the tearoom. There is a cozy bar in the tower. A double room with Continental breakfast costs $140 a night, plus 12 percent tax.
Another possibility is to rent one of the modern cabanas, or cottages, that dot the area. Sierra Alta ( 84834 or 83835), set in trees a couple of blocks behind the casino, has two-bedroom, two-bath units with kitchens that rent for $80 a night.
In season, there are frequent daily flights to Punta del Este from Buenos Aires on Pluna, the Uruguayan airline, and Aerolineas Argentinas. The round-trip fare is about $130. From Montevideo, the Uruguayan capital, Punta del Este is a pleasant 80-mile drive by bus or car. Some buses leave directly from the Montevideo airport.
LEAD: TEN correspondents of The New York Times, from countries as near as Mexico and as far away as Malaysia, were asked to select their favorite spots for a quick getaway on a winter weekend. Their choices include a beach where you can get some sun and a desert where it's best avoided, cozy inns and more rugged retreats, places to watch the water, watchthe people, or be watched by tigers.
TEN correspondents of The New York Times, from countries as near as Mexico and as far away as Malaysia, were asked to select their favorite spots for a quick getaway on a winter weekend. Their choices include a beach where you can get some sun and a desert where it's best avoided, cozy inns and more rugged retreats, places to watch the water, watchthe people, or be watched by tigers.
Here are their recommendations.
One of the regulars likes to say that Punta del Este, the sparkling beach resort along the Uruguayan coast of the South Atlantic, may be ''the most marvelously frivolous place in the world.'' What she means is that at this time of year, the height of summer in the Southern Hemisphere, no one seems to worry about anything in Punta del Este.
The days, like the beaches, of what is generally called just La Punta seem to stretch out forever - sun-filled, lazy, uncrowded. The main business of Punta del Este is sunning oneself, on land or on yachts at sea, and eating and drinking.
Although there was a flurry of talk a couple of years ago about the area's relative proximity to the hole in the ozone layer over Antarctica, most people toast themselves in the barest of swimsuits without any of the Northern Hemisphere's concerns for overexposure.
While it is in Uruguay, Punta del Este is known primarily as an Argentine watering hole - just 40-minutes' flying time from Buenos Aires. Many Uruguayans come, but the richer and more numerous Argentines give the resort its glitz.
There are plenty of hotels, but all of them are relatively small and simple. Most important, they don't have private beachfronts. The miles and miles of beaches and sand dunes can be admired and enjoyed by everyone.
The only thing in Punta del Este that might be called a tourist attraction is Casa Pueblo, the rambling white stucco structure that combines the museum, gallery and home of the Uruguayan artist Carlos Paez Vilaro with a time-share resort. It faces out to the sea at Punta Ballena, six miles west of the center of town, and can be reached off the Rambla, the coastal highway.
Mr. Paez, who designed the structure and had it built over a number of years, says Casa Pueblo is a work of art - that is, a piece of sculpture - not an ordinary building. But municipal authorities took a dim view of that argument at tax time, ruling that Casa Pueblo had to be taxed on the same basis as other expensive residences in the area.
The other main sightseeing activity is driving by and admiring the multi-million-dollar houses built by the rich, mostly Argentines. The biggest congregation of luxury houses begins off the Rambla east of the San Rafael Casino and farther east in Barra de Maldonado.
The most charming and elegant hotel in Punta del Este is L'Auberge (telephone 82601 or 83357). Set in pine trees just east of the casino and two blocks from the beach, it has the look and feel of a small Swiss castle. Teatime at L'Auberge is a Punta del Este institution. The specialty is waffles, served on the terrace or in the tearoom. There is a cozy bar in the tower. A double room with Continental breakfast costs $140 a night, plus 12 percent tax.
Another possibility is to rent one of the modern cabanas, or cottages, that dot the area. Sierra Alta ( 84834 or 83835), set in trees a couple of blocks behind the casino, has two-bedroom, two-bath units with kitchens that rent for $80 a night.
In season, there are frequent daily flights to Punta del Este from Buenos Aires on Pluna, the Uruguayan airline, and Aerolineas Argentinas. The round-trip fare is about $130. From Montevideo, the Uruguayan capital, Punta del Este is a pleasant 80-mile drive by bus or car. Some buses leave directly from the Montevideo airport.
totally worhtile it´s like a heaven in earth.
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