Uruguay, a placid southern summer on the coast of painters, musicians and writers

They call Uruguay “el paisito”, not so much because of its area, which is twice that of Austria, but because of its low population density.

However, the River Plate country has given the world numerous artists and writers who have found inspiration in the diversity of its landscape, made up of plains, hills and an extensive coastline.

Its coastal cities, whose flagship is Punta del Este, receive visitors from all over the world, especially during the southern summer, between December and March, the best time to visit this South American country.

Close to this renowned vacation paradise there are a bunch of smaller towns, but with an amazing art and food scene.

It is worth stopping at each of them to discover its many attractions.

Let's start with a place that has a lord's name: José Ignacio.

The iconic lighthouse of this town attracts nearby boats and its beach restaurants, such as Chiringuito Francis Mallmann, run by the Argentine chef of the same name, is the destination of many travelers.

Another unavoidable place is the Parador La Huella, whose relaxed aspect of a picnic area by the sea contrasts with the sophistication of its menu, where, in addition to fresh fish, there is no shortage of juicy cuts of Uruguayan meat selected by chef Alejandro Morales.

There one can easily run into international celebrities rushing their barbecue in rubber flip-flops.

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After a couple of hours of regular digestion, the body asks for movement, and the many surfers who gather in the area know this, especially at Bikini beach and, for kitesurfing, at the José Ignacio lagoon.

The local love for this sport is such that nearby Punta del Este has a Uruguayan Surf Museum, inaugurated in 2007.

Surfers at sunset on one of the beaches of Punta del Este.

Sergio Amiti (Getty Images)

Let's not forget about art, since the offer in this area is so wide that attending to it requires a certain organization.

If there was only time for one artistic center, the MACA (Atchugarry Museum of Contemporary Art) would undoubtedly have to be chosen, due to its size and importance.

Founded in 2022 by the Uruguayan sculptor Pablo Atchugarry, it is on a par with the main art centers in the world thanks to its collection and its temporary exhibitions, but also due to its spectacular architectural project, by the Uruguayan Carlos Ott, and its garden of sculptures located next to a lagoon, something very much to the taste of the walkers who drop by with their mate and their thermos, faithful to the widespread Uruguayan custom.

Along the promenade, which includes 70 sculptures,

Sculpture park of the MACA (Atchugarry Museum of Contemporary Art), in the Uruguayan town of Manatiales. LORENA LARRIESTRA (AFP via Getty Images)

The MACA is located in Manantiales, a small town but brimming with art centers, such as Galería del Paseo —which is also based in Lima (Peru)—, and exquisite stores such as Casa Ribera or Monoccino, where you can find the perfect design objects to decorate that dream house that we would like to have along Route 10, the highway of the Uruguayan coast that connects some towns with others.

Going through it allows you to appreciate the changes in architectural taste that have taken place in recent decades: the quinchos (traditional Uruguayan houses with a gabled thatched roof) welcomed the Italian-style villas and Swiss-style chalets, today surpassed by a more minimalist architecture in the form of cubic concrete houses with huge windows.

Attached to José Ignacio is La Juanita, a small neighborhood not to be missed, as one of the most charming bookstores on the planet is located there.

It's called Rizoma, and its range of books is so wide that it will satisfy both those who are looking for a good novel to entertain themselves on the beach and those who do not abandon sophisticated thinking and want to delve into Gilles Deleuze until the summer: let's remember that we are in the Río de la Plata, where the intelligentsia is common currency.

Rizoma is not just a bookstore where literary acts take place: it is also a charming hotel with four rooms and a restaurant where you can eat delicacies such as smoked aubergine with burrata and hazelnuts or black sea bass with roasted leek.

Its friendly owners, Eduardo Ballester and the potter Marcela Jacob, who has her workshop right there,

The interior of the Rizoma bookstore, in the La Juanita neighborhood.Tali Kimelman (Tali Kimelman)

La Barra, another of the nearby villages, offers a relaxed rhythm that invites us to consider ourselves bohemian for a while.

Café A la Antigua contributes to this with its charmingly scruffy aesthetic and its sale of antiques and secondhand items.

Here diners can order pasta Bolognese, a seafood platter or tea with

and savor them seated in Empire-style armchairs.

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And since in Uruguay there are almost more cows and sheep than people, woolen garments are one of its most appreciated

, especially those made by the Manos del Uruguay and Lanas del Este brands, with branches in La Barra.

Floating rooms in Laguna Garzón, Uruguay.Alamy Stock Photo

A few kilometers away from the coast, an hour's drive away, is the best kept secret in Uruguay: it is called Pueblo Garzón and in low season it does not reach 200 inhabitants.

However, what makes this tiny town such an attractive place is its vibrant artistic community and, make no mistake, also the Garzón restaurant, chef Francis Mallmann's second project in the area, which, from the town's central square, It attracts diners from all over the world thanks to the brilliance of its renowned cuisine.

In addition, much of the wine that is uncorked in the restaurant comes from the nearby Bodega Garzón, which offers guided tours and pairing experiences to visitors.

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If we go to Pueblo Garzón this December, in time for the reopening of Mallmann's restaurant and hotel, we will witness the effervescence of the Art Fest festival, organized by the CAMPO artistic residency, which welcomes creators from different disciplines throughout the year. year.

However, the town remains lively between December and March, thanks to art galleries such as Walden Naturae, Black Gallery or La Galerilla, the latter located inside a train carriage.

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Finally, and to immerse yourself in the true essence of Garzón, it could be said that it is mandatory to drop by Provision Jonhatan (so they write it), a grocery store with its adjoining bar run by a local family —Johnatan himself is there daily-, and in whose picturesque little terrace they serve coffees, empanadas, milanesas and other homemade dishes.

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