Should I Go To Punta Del Este, Mardel Or Montevideo?

Joe

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I'm thinking of going to Punta del Este for one month to beat the heat starting the last half of February. I've heard horror stories that it is quite expensive, but I am going towards the end of the vacation season so I'm hoping it is affordable. My budget is up to $1000 for the apartment - studio apartment is fine. Is it doable? I've only been to Colonia on day trips so I want to get the feel of Uruguay by staying a month.

The other alternative is Montevideo or Mardel. But Uruguay is preferable because my 90 days are coming up. I once tried renting an apartment in Montevideo. Just a year ago and unlike for BA, almost no one replied to my solicitations. Sort of weird. One company, Reynolds Properties, asked if I was an investor and when I said no they lost interest in doing a temporary rental.

Any recommendations for Uruguay for a month? I don't have a car so I prefer to stay in a city.
 
Uruguay is about twice as expensive as Argentina. . .A week for my husband and I on the coast of Argentina (Aguas Verdes) including bus tickets, house rental (nice but very simple, 10 blocks from beach), all the food (and we only ate out a few times) and some purchases like a beach towel and a beach tent was about 7000 pesos. (At the time we went, more than 1000USD at the official rate). And we went in December when things are cheaper.
I think you are really pushing it to stay a month. Maybe more on the river side and not on the coast, or go in April?
 
punta del este is expenisve and over-rated to me..... but it depends on your money on hand and what you are looking to do.....

mar del plata is getting nicer every day as people leave and head back to BA!! But I live in MDP....if you are looking at March we can talk.. you can rent my place..i head back to the usa for a month... cheers
 
Joe

Uruguay has best beaches than Argentina. Fact. The sediments of the Rio de la Plata come to Argentina making clearer waters in Uruguay. So I would chose always over Argentina.

Punta del Este is VERY expensive. Dollars expensive. Think in dollars. 1 dollar = 15 pesos arg. I suggest you go to other beaches in Uruguay, less fancy, but equally good IMO. You can go, from Punta, to the East (Rocha) or to the West (Costa dorada). Both are more expensive than Argentina, clearly, but cheaper than Punta.

Rocha is a destination for young people, middle class hippies argentines in their twenties. Music, Marihuana, etc. You even have one town without electricity, with almost no comfort practically. Except for La Pedrera, full of elderly people, but it is too small, you ll probably get bored there in a week. You can make Rocha more bourgeois style, there are nice cabins to rent, beautiful fisher towns. You ll need a car though, to go from town to town. Aguas Dulces, La Paloma, La Pedrera, Valizas, Punta del Diablo, Cabo Polonio, Castillos, etc, those are the little towns, some of them pintoresque, of Rocha. Theres not very much infraestructure. 70% of that area is based on the beach. Beach is everything. On a rainy day theres pretty much nothing to do. But eat churros.

If you go to Costa Dorada, it is cheaper than Rocha, "beach towns" like La Floresta, Belo Horizonte, Mar Azul, and then you have nice cities like Piriapolis or Atlantida. You wont be needing a car but public transport isnt good in all Uruguay. I mean urban transport isnt good. What it is good is the "interdepartamental" buses from MVD to the coast every 15 minutes in summer. And relatively cheap. That beaches of costa dorada are nice, there are days when the water is brown, because is still river, but its ok. It is very quiet, you must know, like all Uruguay, if you are a person who needs movement you ll get bored easily.


I think Montevideo is what are you looking for. Beaches, lots to do, as is the most important place of Uruguay, lots to travel, walk around, no car needed and cheaper than the coast. I dont know really of places where you can stay, try gallito luis inmuebles also useful for Punta, but you have pensiones and two or three stars hotels. I dont think rentals for a month are available. Surely cheaper than Punta. Public transport is better than other places (though not like Baires). Montevideo is a very nice city, beautiful architecture, very quiet, quiet people, slower pace than BsAs of course, better food quality. Fruits and vegetables are far tasty in Uruguay than in Argentina. The same with coffe and meat, for example. But is expensive. Plus, you can go whenever you want to Punta, for 5 days or whatever you like. Transport between Punta and MVD is cheap.

Some useful links:

http://www.gallito.com.uy/inmuebles

http://www.casaseneleste.com/

http://www.apuntavamos.com/apartamentos_alquiler.asp


It is very difficult to find something for a month for U$S 1000. I looked and prices are pretty much the double.

If you decide to go to Punta, keep in mind, that you will certainly need a car, just to know the places, beaches, etc, Punta is not a town, is a "band" city, an extended, "edge" city, which goes for 100 kms from one tip to another. There are lots of different places to go, beaches, barrios, etc. From Jose Ignacio to Punta Ballena.
 
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