Summer vacation in winter in Uruguay

 

This winter you can enjoy summer.  Imagine strolling beaches and outdoor sculpture gardens in shorts, in January, and then dining al fresco at night. You can go to sleep horizontally on an American Airlines 777  Business flight in Miami and wake up in a dream, south of the equator.

 

Imagine a land where all the food is grown without hormones or pesticides including beef to exceed Kobe Beef, and wines you want to take home. Imagine this same land having resorts on the world’s widest river and white sand beaches and surfing on the sea, all near wonderful restaurants. Add cultural events of high caliber.  And people who smile and take time to stop and enjoy the setting sun.

 

Ready? Then find your way to Uruguay.  For years hip Argentines and Europeans have made Puente De Este a kind of Hamptons or St Tropez in South America. History fans, shoppers and photography buffs have long enjoyed the charms of Colonia Del Sacramento, and Montevideo has foods, markets and sites worth a visit.  Those are Uruguay’s coastal magnets with social buzz, resort recreation and cultural recreation.

 

Drive inland and you are in “estancia” land with working ranches and real gaucho cowboys.  Some are set up for visitors for tours, and activities including hayrides, and horseback riding. The Terrunio offers great dining for those that love red (wine and beef) and those who enjoy vegetables fresh from the ground.  The scenery includes undulating gentle hills.

 

For most Americans, Uruguay is a mystery—one worth solving when you want a vacation that is rejuvenating and novel. Some good things do come in small packages and this country is under four million people- but you are likely to remember some of the ones you meet.

 

To get there, you can fly American from Miami to Buenos Aires. Argentina. Take some time to enjoy the tango and flare of the great “BA,” then enjoy a wonderful short ferryboat across the Rio Plata to start your journey in Colonia Del Sacramento, a World Heritage Site.

 

The hi rise Conrad Hotel in Punta Del Este and the hi rise Montevideo Sheraton Hotel both offer fantastic sweeping coastal views, resort amenities,  lots of activities, and easy beach access,  The two floor Sheraton Colonia Golf and Spa Resort is set a short distance away from the enchanting town for a restorative retreat with all the comforts. A series of round pools leads to sand dunes on the mouth of one of the world’s great rivers.

 

This New Year, you can be warm, enjoy warm people and explore a wonderful country even seasoned travelers have missed.