Punta del Diablo / Colonia — Uruguay

Published in

JAYtography

8 min readMay 20, 2018

Located just a 40 minute drive from the Brazilian border, Punta del Diablo (Devil’s Point) is a cute seaside fishing village with a chilled out vibe. Relax during the day and drink cocktails in the sun from one the many beach stands. Then by night explore the windy streets or buy cheap freshly caught seafood to cook at home, on a traditional Uruguayan wood coal BBQ.

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Border Crossing

We took a night bus from Florianópolis in Brazil and arrived at the border crossing around 4am. The sun came up over a stormy sky as we waited for a mini bus to Punta del Diablo.

The border between Brazil and Uruguay feels more like a truck stop

Left: The sight of Wind Turbines demonstrates Uruguay’s progressive society Right: Emma waiting under cover while guards chat amongst themselves

Punta del Diablo

We arrived in January, just in time for 7 days of perfect summer weather. The vibe in Punta del Diablo different than most other beach towns.

This sleepy fishing village has little more than a handful of small shops and only one ATM machine. Our European MasterCard didn’t work at the border or in Punta del Diablo but luckily our friends’ cards did. So consider bringing some spare USD. The hillside is dotted with holiday homes facing the ocean, rented out to holiday makers during the summer months.

The sun sets over the main beach, visible from the bungalows and houses in the town to the right

Left: The view of the beach from a cafe when we arrived. Right: Quaint houses facing the infinite blue, running east through 2 oceans all the way to Australia

On our first morning we awoke to perfect weather. We grabbed some cool drinks, snacks, sunscreen and beach gear and headed on down to the golden sands of Playa Grande (big beach); the sound of cicadas punctuating the simmering rays of the sun.

Emma, David and Shura walking towards Playa Grande with deck chairs and towels in hand

Left: A motorbike parked in the bushes Middle: A life guard keeps watch over the beach Right: The feeling of cool wet sand on your feet

A solider keeps guard over the Playa Grande from his post while beach goers relax in front of the dunes

Left: A man practices hand stands on the sand Right: A woman drinks in the blue sky above

Left: Weathered red flags mark the unsafe water Right: A young man playing Bat and Ball

Shura cheers while crossing a sea of colourful umbrellas

Left: Emma chats with Shura and David Right: Shura and David framed by green scrub and deep blue ocean

Left: Dune erosion is sadly occurring everywhere in the world Right: Birds bask in the sun on electrical wires

BBQing Uruguayan Style

As the sun set, we decided to head down to the fish market to get some fresh seafood to BBQ for dinner. Despite buying so late we managed to score a 4kg Corvina Negra for around 650 UYU (20 USD).

Playa de los Pescadores (Fisherman’s Cove) at sunset along the main tourist strip

Left: Bars, drink stalls and Fishermonger Co-ops line the rustic beachside Right: Fresh bread at a local bakery and deli

Left: Emma selects fruit and veg for our BBQ Right: A plate of Octopus tendrils ready for BBQing

David gently coaxing the wood into coals

Left: Mesmerising flames dance and wrap the dry logs Right: Nothing compares to the taste of cooking over a bed of wooden embers

We spent the next day down at Fisherman’s Cove drinking Caipirinha’s and playing Durak (Russian card game) among the cute fishing boats.

Left: The guys getting beers and cocktails at a beach stand Right: A young man summersaults through the air as beach goers watch on

The fishermen park their red and white boats along the beach after their morning catch

David, Shura and Emma returning from a day at the beach, the town ahead in the distance

Left: An Ambulante Biblioteca (Mobile Library) offers books to holiday makers by the shore Right: The sun sets over the bay as people return for dinner

On our last morning Emma got up early and went down to Fisherman’s Cove to capture the boats and in the dawn light.

The sun rises over the endless ocean and bathes Punta del Diablo in golden light

Left: The water shimmers under the breaking dawn Right: The Ambulante Biblioteca speading knowledge and good vibes

Left: The water laps the shore in solitude Right: A lone surfer prays to Helios and Poseidon

Left: The early bird gets the worm Right: A fisherman and his right hand prep the boat for a dawn casting

Two salty sea dogs launch the fishing boat into the rising tide

Art lines the interior of an abandoned hut by the Devil’s Point. Through the window, Fisherman’s Cove awakens to another day in paradise

Colonia del Sacramento

We took a bus from Punta del Diablo to Montevideo and another to finally spend an evening in Uruguay’s historic town of Colonia del Sacramento.

Colonia’s quiet streets are lined with greenery

Left: A cat lounges in the shade near the “Street of Sighs” Right: An antique house on display in the “Street of Sighs”

A beautiful bougainvillea tree sprouts from the pavement outside a mediterranian style house on the coast of Colonia

As we walked around the old town while waiting for our evening Ferry to Buenos Aires, a menacing storm gathered on the horizon.

Left: Birds bathing in the sand on the shore Right: The storm advancing on Colonia from all sides

Left: A rusty paint splattered car outside the old lighthouse Right: An ocean liner riding the murky waters as black clouds gather above

Extras

Left: Dogs curled up in the cold morning at the border station Middle: Traditional Uruguayan BBQ Right: The view from our apartment

Left: David hides from the high UV index Right: Guys playing bat and ball

Left: Playa Grande Middle: Cocktails in the sand Right: Love birds enjoying the summer afternoon

Left: Catch of the day Middle: 4kg of Fresh Corvina Negra on the Coal BBQ Right: Burning wood because I can

Left: David Hasselhoff-ing out of the water Right: Beer nuff said

Left: Selfies Right: Zillertal is also a beer in Austria, strange!

Left: Wood logs burning to create coals for the BBQ Right: The octopus we cooked on the BBQ

Triumph after building our own beach bungalow from spare wood, move over Robinson Crusoe

Walking along the sandy roads of Punta del Diablo as the sun goes down

Middle: A souvenir of the cute fishing boats of Punta del Diablo

Left: The bus to Montevideo Right: A man clutching his thermos and mate cup, a traditional South American herbal tea with Caffeine

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