Piriápolis Is the Beach Town Everyone Skips ( And Why That's Fine )

Everyone goes to Punta del Este. That's fine. More Piriápolis for me.

I kept hearing about Piriápolis from locals in Montevideo. Day trip, they said. Maybe a weekend. Nobody seemed excited about it, which is exactly why I went.

It's about 90 minutes from Montevideo by car. One road, barely any traffic. You arrive and the first thing you see is a hill with a castle on it. Not a real castle, some rich Italian guy built it in 1890 because he wanted a castle. Fair enough.

Getting There

I drove. Route 11 is straightforward, two lanes, not much scenery until you hit the coast. Bus is also fine, COT runs from Tres Cruces terminal, maybe 200 pesos.

Here is the route I took:

# Montevideo -> Piriápolis
# By car: Route 11 east, ~97km, 1h30m
# By bus: COT from Tres Cruces, ~2h, ~200 UYU
# Don't take the coastal road (Ruta 10) unless you like gravel

Parking is free basically everywhere. I parked near the rambla, walked the whole town. It's small.

The Beach

Playa Grande is the main beach. Long, wide, not crowded. Water was cold, 16°C in March. I went in anyway because I'm stubborn.

There's also Playa Hermosa further west, quieter, fewer people. Better if you want to just sit and read. The sand is fine, not rocky like some of the Punta beaches.

• Playa Grande: main beach, closest to town, lifeguards in summer
• Playa Hermosa: quieter, west side, good for walking
• Playa Verde: if you want zero people, drive 10 min further west

What to Actually Do

I did three things and that was enough for a weekend.

1. Walked up Cerro San Antonio. 20 minutes, free, views of the whole bay. There's a chapel at the top. I didn't go in.
2. Ate at a parilla on the rambla. Got a chivito. It was huge, I couldn't finish it. 600 pesos, no complaints.
3. Sat on a bench by the water for an hour. Did nothing. This was the best part of the trip.

There's also the Piria castle (Castillo de Piria) if you care about history. I don't particularly, but the grounds are nice to walk around. Free entry.

The funicular to Cerro Pan de Azúcar was closed when I went. It runs in summer, apparently. The hill is the highest point in the area. You can hike it instead but I didn't feel like sweating that much.

Food

It's Uruguay, so expect asado, pasta, and not much else. I ate well though.

La Pasiva on the rambla for chivito and milkshakes. Classic spot, been there forever. The chivito was exactly what you'd expect, which is a good thing.

For dinner I went to a small parilla two blocks back from the water. Can't remember the name. Ordered entraña and a bottle of Tannat. 1200 pesos total. The steak was perfect, the wine was better.

Breakfast was medialunas and coffee at a bakery near the plaza. 150 pesos. Uruguay does bakery breakfasts well, I'll give it that.

When to Go

Not January. January is when half of Argentina shows up and the town triples in size. I went in March and it was perfect. 25°C, sunny, nobody around.

November is also good. Before the summer rush, prices are lower, weather is warming up. April-May gets cooler but still nice for walking around.

Winter ( June-August ) is dead. Some restaurants close. The beach is cold and empty. If you want total silence, go then. I might.

Cost

Cheaper than Punta del Este. That's the whole pitch.

• Hotel: 50-80 USD/night off-season, 150+ in January
• Food: 500-1200 UYU for a proper dinner with wine
• Coffee + medialunas: 150 UYU
• Gas round trip from Montevideo: ~40 USD
• Total weekend: under 200 USD if you're not fancy about the hotel

Conclusion

Piriápolis is not exciting. That's the point. It's a beach town that hasn't been ruined by development, at least not yet. Go for a weekend, eat a chivito, sit on a bench.

I'll be back. Probably in winter, when it's completely empty. :)