La Mano (The Hand), a sculpture by Chilean artist Mario Irarrazabal in Punta del Este, Uruguay. — Karol Kozlowski/Robert Harding/dpa
The former home of artist Carlos Paez Vilaro, now a labyrinthine museum and hotel called Casapueblo, has a way of confusing visitors. Perhaps it’s the Gaudi-esque architecture and Santorini colour palette that make you believe, for a fleeting moment, that you’re far away on some Mediterranean shore when you’re really in Uruguay.
This stretch of the Uruguayan coast from Punta Ballena to Jose Ignacio often confounds those who expect South America to be undeveloped, underprivileged or troubled. Here, it’s none of those things.
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Gallery: Uruguay road trip
La Mano (The Hand), a sculpture by Chilean artist Mario Irarrazabal in Punta del Este, Uruguay. — Karol Kozlowski/Robert Harding/dpa
A road trip along Uruguay's Atlantic Coast
Casapueblo gallery and boutique hotel, designed by artist Carlos Paez Vilaro in Punta Ballena, near Punta del Este, Uruguay. — dpa
A road trip along Uruguay's Atlantic Coast
Stunning views of Portezuelo beach and Pan de Azucar hill. — dpa
A road trip along Uruguay's Atlantic Coast
Casapueblo was constructed by Uruguayan artist Carlos Páez Vilaró and now houses a museum, an art gallery, a cafeteria and a hotel. — Wikimedia Commons
An aerial photo showing the Punta del Este skyline. — dpa
