Ola Uruguay Real Estate and Investments

With rustic architecture, beautiful beaches and rock formations, and the all charm of a picturesque fishing village, Punta del Diablo has become a regular stop-off location for tourists and backpackers trailing Uruguay’s coast.

For many, the main attractions of the town are its fishermen and its big sharks. When the weather is nice, the fishermen set out to sea at dawn in their old, colorful boats, and fish until the early afternoon to be back before dusk. When they get back to shore, they start filleting what they have caught during the trip. They sell it at once by crying “fresh fish” to the hundreds of tourists and locals who are waiting for them.

Set on a huge rocky outcrop into the sea, a statue of a virgin, who brings hope and good luck to the fishermen fishing these waters everyday, is the most famous of the town’s sights.

Apart from the shark meat they sell to the restaurants and bars in the town, fishermen sell the vertebra, jawbones, and the teeth of the shark. These are used for crafts that are sold at the local market by the sea. For years, the town’s craftspeople have been setting up their stalls here to sell crafts and trinkets to tourists.

One of the traditional sightseeing tours around Punta del Diablo is along the beach toward Cerro La Viuda (The Widow’s Hill)—an area of historical significance. The tour can be done by foot or by horse-drawn carriage rented at the town.

The most popular beaches are La Brava, with huge, restless waves, and La Mansa, which is calmer as it is sheltered by a small bay. Young surfers prefer the fierceness of the sea at La Brava, while families choose the calmness of La Mansa. At both beaches, you’ll see seaweed, octopus, mollusks, and even tiny fish among the many rock formations, mainly when the tide is low.

The good variety of bars and cozy restaurants offer day specialties or dishes such as shark empanadas and seaweed fritters, along with dishes prepared with huge crabs and prawns that are brought in fresh from the fishing boats.