'Tourist Season' Piriapolis

Oregon Woodsmoke from Bend, Oregon, USA (Contact Member) -

I'm hoping to live in Uruguay for the end of Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb, and March of every year.

I was thinking that Punta del Este looked like a lot of fun. But it's my understanding that Punta closes down to a ghost town after the tourist season.

So I am wondering about Piriapolis. Are the restaurants open all year? Are there any activities after the tourists go home? Is there decent shopping? I'm not a recreational shopper, but would like to be able to buy groceries and household items, at least.

Comment #1 Wilbur Corncob from Punta del Este (Contact Member) -

I think you'll find Piraopolis follows the same season as Punta del Este. But, maybe Steve can answer better.

I was in Punta in Oct a couple years ago. There was plenty of places to eat. But it was not a bustling place. The boat rides weren't running because there was not enough people.

Comment #2 Steve Bowman from Piriapolis & Savannah, Ga (Contact Member) -

Woodsmoke-

Wilbur has it right; the patterns are about the same. Piriapolis is pretty dead May to October. The are restaurants open all year, but far less than the Dec - March time frame. The grocery stories are year round.

Here's the difference. Pira is an actual small town of about 7, 000 full time residents. It doesn't have the infrastructure/buildings to serve 100's of thousands of visitors like PDE. Therefore, it doesn't have the massive sea of vacant buildings (think neutron bomb) that la Punta does in the off season. So from a feeling and visual standpoint, it there's not a ghost town feel. It does feel like a little out of the way village with very little happening.

• Coastal Uruguay

Comment #3 dustin (63.176.159.75) -

yeah this has nothing to do with the topic of discussion.. but i was reading the "Oregon Woodsmoke" is from Bend Oregon.. i just was to say that i used to live there and still visit, it is one of the most beautiful places i have lived.. but now on the topic, i have heard the "ghost town" term thrown around alot when people talk about any part of Uruguay.. what goes on in the months between November and March?

Comment #4 Sara (63.176.159.76) - 06/03/09 16:25

haha! Thats a good question Dustin...what DOES happen in Uruguay between November and March? They simply stop working all together...November is the month before Christmas, December is Christmas (which they don't REALLY celebrate but still take a lot of holidays!), then January is the high summer season when everyone leaves Montevideo for the beach somewhere in Rocha and then February is Carnaval.

Its a bit of a ridiculous country really.

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