Why You Need to Visit This Design-Centric Corner of South America
Santiago, Buenos Aires, and Cartagena often grab the glory as South America’s meccas of design, but a younger cousin is emerging. Uruguay, with a population of 3.4 million, blends surfing culture with gastronomy and architecture. The communities of Garzón, Punta del Este, and José Ignacio easily fill a long weekend or luxurious week. Winery tasting rooms, restaurants, shopping districts (laden with woolen items, clothing, antiques, and crafts), and architectural marvels—such as the jaw-dropping Casapueblo—harness the country’s cultural history with modern tweaks on design. And for travelers intent on a beach retreat, boutique design-oriented hotels steps from the sand are not hard to find, including in the boho-chic town of José Ignacio. Escape the winter season in the north by fleeing to this luxurious corner of South America, where its countless charms make the trek well worth the long flight.
DO
Uruguayan wines aren’t on most wine drinkers’ radars, but that is quickly changing. In 2016, two years after its first harvest, Bodega Garzón unveiled a Napa-like visitor center, restaurant (led by celeb chef Francis Mallmann), and winery—to be joined by a hotel later this year—as a companion to its nearly 500 acres of planted vineyards. The facilities reveal a very green bent, having earned LEED certification, with 90 percent of materials sourced locally during construction.
Casapueblo in Punta Ballena
In Punta Ballena, Casapueblo draws the crowds—for good reason. Carlos Páez Vilaró’s architectural marvel—born out of his art studio and summer residence—causes yachters to stop and stare as they motor past on the waters below. Self-guided tours are available and there's a 20-room hotel on the property.
STAY AND EAT
If you’re looking for a luxury chain hotel, there aren’t any, but luxury does abound at quite a few boutique properties. In the laid-back surfer town of José Ignacio—often compared to Montauk, attracting celebs like Mark Zuckerberg and the Rolling Stones, as well as Argentina’s elite—you have your choice of playa or pueblo via the 10-room Playa Vik snug on the beach or the 37-room Bahia Vik (open since late 2015). The charming Posada del Faro, which offers breakfast delivered to your room, ocean views, and a chill pool scene, is another option.
Celebrity chef Francis Mallmann (he starred in the Netflix series Chef’s Table in 2015) runs Restaurante Garzón in the small town of Garzón. The Argentine chef has elevated open-fire cooking to the next level. You’ll likely glimpse your meal being cooked on the street—Mallmann’s specialties are open-fire cuisine, resulting in dishes like rib-eye in chimichurri sauce or rack of lamb with walnut gremolata. Too tired to trek back to the hotel? You'll find a few hotel rooms on site, just past the courtyard.
La Huella in José Ignacio serves octopus, flatbreads and pesca del día right out of a wood-burning oven—under white sailcloths, paired with an ocean view. Waitstaff don chic Le Tigre white polos.
SHOP
View of the Uruguayan countryside in Minas.
Along the dirt roads of José Ignacio, with breezes and aromas wafting off the ocean, are cutting-edge design shops that fully support local artisans, whether it’s clothes or furniture. These include Magma’s breezy white caftans, angora peacock coats, and lilac mohair blankets, or El Canuto’s cozy Uruguayan-made neck warmers. Look for the bright-green doors to El Canuto’s thatched-hut shop.
In La Barra, Juan Cosas Viejas retails antiques and art ranging from copper pans to hand-painted teacups, with a Zen-like garden out back. Across the street, you can pick up wool blankets, sweaters, cardigans, and scarves at Lanas del Este for a fraction of what you’d pay in the States.
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