Piriapolis

• 🌍 Terminal Piriápolis (3 blocks north of the Casino), ☏ +598 4432 4141. (updated Jan 2018)

Piriápolis is about 100 km/65 miles east of Montevideo. From the terminal "Tres Cruces" buses depart about every hour during the day, specially in the high season (December to March). Try to get a direct one, they are a little more expensive but you'll get there in less than two hours. If you travel to Piriápolis directly from Motevideo's airport, it is about 80 km/50 miles but not all the buses that depart Montevideo "Tres Cruces" station stop by the airport so you need to plan accordingly. If you are staying in Punta del Este, then Piriápolis is about 55 km/35 miles west and bus service is also good. Having the hotel arrange a day trip from Punta del Este to Piriápolis is an option. Costs of these day tours would be about triple what the bus ticket costs by itself but still very reasonable.

If you land in Punta del Este airport, then Piriápolis is only 25 km/15 miles west. Ironically, this airport is closer to Piriápolis than Punta del Este and for those lucky enough to get a connection through, it is an option. Flights usually come from Buenos Aires and Brazil only, and mostly during the high season.

From Montevideo take Route Interbalnearia through 2 tolls (local currency only, about U$2 each), turn south at the Piriápolis exit at about mile marker 56 and then just enjoy the drive for another 15 km/10 miles. You'll see the city in the distance. From Punta del Este, drive west until about 15 km/10 miles past the airport. You must turn south on either the west or east entrance. Both ways are a 10 km/6 mile country drive to the city.

If you are on foot, the longest walk (about 1.5 km/1 mile) would be to the marina to take the lift for the San Antonio hill. For the Pan De Azucar hill, take one of the local buses at the bus terminal to Pan de Azucar and get off at the Preserve. There is a taxi stop downtown if you absolutely must use one.

On Piria Avenue there are a couple of bicycle stores that rent mopeds and bicycles. Piria Avenue is on the eastern end of town, where the sand ends, and there is a traffic circle.

If you are driving, you cannot get lost owing to the geographical markers - if the water is on the left, you are going west towards Montevideo and if the water is behind you, you are going north.

If you are planning to go from Piriápolis to Punta del Este by car, do not go past the Marina. Even if that road goes east it transforms itself into a dirt road. It is wonderful to explore the eastern edges of Piriápolis though. To go to Punta del Este, take the road next to the Casino (37) and make a right on the interstate 10km/6 miles north - you cannot miss it. The other option is to take the traffic circle at the old hotel located at the end of the beach and go north. This is a parallel route to 37, but further east and more panoramic.

• After these five classic tours mentioned above you still have to eat and drink. Try the brick oven pizza, chivitos (thinly sliced meat sandwiches) and local beer available at any of the seaside restaurants. You can try your luck at the casino or just stay up all night at one of the local discos. By the way, the discos open at around 11PM but nobody would dream of showing up that early—1AM would be just about right. If you are not the disco type, just prepare some mate and walk around town and enjoy the crowds and the South Atlantic breeze.
• If you are staying at one of the local hotels that offer breakfast, then expect a relatively simple continental menu with good coffee and better pastries. Do not expect American style menus anywhere for breakfast, except at the large hotels, nor ask for scrambled eggs - anytime!
• A cortado (cut) is coffee with milk, and a medialuna (crescent) is a large croissant with the optional ham and cheese.
• Italian customs apply: please do not ask for coffee before the meal or ketchup for your meat. French fries are just that, fried potatoes. They do not care about cholesterol and they take fresh potatoes and fry them in regular oil. Pasta factories do not serve cooked pasta, these are your local "Boulangeries".
• Seafood is usually good if eaten on the coastal restaurants or posts, most of them at the marina area. Take and allow plenty of time for meals. People usually ask "how do I know what the menu means?" There is no faster way of learning a language than to just point to something and next time you'll know.
• The local dish would be rice and mussels with white local wine. The waiter will let you know if it is possible to prepare the dish that day since the mussels must be fresh but sometimes they cannot be picked up because of the wrong tide. Trust him. Again, the marina area posts will offer the same dish in true local fashion.
• Desserts go from the simple native dulce de leche (caramel cream) to the French exotics; let your eyes decide!

• Iguanas next to McDonald's by the Hotel Argentino is serving all kinds of international foods including Thai and Mexican. Has great coffee too.
• If your hotel does not have a restaurant, any of the local bars will do. Please note that a bar in South America is where you eat breakfast, lunch and dinner.
• For lunch and dinner, all restaurants are bars but not all bars are restaurants. Restaurants have a much more extensive menu than bars. Look for open fires and brick ovens because that means barbeque and brick oven pizza! The menus are a good mixture of Italian food and local continental recipes. Do not expect any Caribbean menus - think more Paris than Habana. Forget Chinese, Mexican or other food types unless you are prepared to drive and pay.
• The Argentino Hotel and Casino has a restaurant and a menu to satisfy all tastes and budgets if you need to, while most of the local restaurants and bars will do just fine. There are a couple of ice cream stores worth trying for their own recipes, as well as the local atmosphere.