Punta del Este: Getting to know Uruguay's model upscale resort

I arrived in Punta del Este at what photographers call "the golden moment." The late afternoon sun was at a perfect angle, casting a sultry glow over the chic Uruguayan resort town. The light warmed and rounded out high-rise buildings set against the deepening blue of the sky. The scene seemed like a rendering of North Miami Beach by pop art painter David Hockney.

The beauty was inspiring but also meant disappointment: I had already missed a day at the beach. From the window of my bus, I watched as beachgoers -- some glamorous young people in bikinis, others families with children in tow -- marched over the grassy dunes, heading back to their hotels in anticipation of an exciting night ahead.

Punta del Este is largely unknown to U.S. travelers, but that's changing, at least among the celebrity set. For years, it has been the summer resort of choice for well-heeled and famous South Americans.

While many visitors arrive in Punta del Este by airplane, others travel from Buenos Aires via ferry company Buquebus to Montevideo, Uruguay's capital, and then continue by car or bus.

Punta del Este sits on a small peninsula at the far eastern edge of Uruguay, where the Rio de la Plata, the river and estuary separating the country from Argentina, meets the Atlantic Ocean.

This geographic happenstance was once strategic in a military sense. Now, it means visitors must strategize in a different way: Do they want the calm beaches of the Rio de la Plata or the rougher waves of the Atlantic? Nearly 50 miles of coastline surround the city and neighboring towns.

Six miles up the Atlantic coast lies uber-glamorous La Barra, full of art galleries and clubs. Carry on a few more miles and visitors hit Jose Ignacio, a quiet but extremely expensive village where supermodel Naomi Campbell has been known to vacation.

'Tis the season

While Punta, as it's known in shorthand, is busy from November through February -- South America's summer -- I was there for what's called "the season." That's a very short time from just after Christmas until the second week of January, when scores of models, TV and movie stars, and the simply wealthy flock from nearby Buenos Aires.

As soon as I hit town, I called my friend David Goldfein, sales manager at the Conrad Hotel and Casino, the social epicenter of Punta del Este. Goldfein said I had not only missed a day at the beach but the Conrad's "model party" the night before, as well. Almost 1,500 people were at the event, each trying to catch a glimpse of the hottest fashion models in a special fashion show.

But I had another party to go to, just outside of La Barra, courtesy of an invitation from Steven Blackman, publisher of Buenos Aires lifestyle magazine Metropolis. "You go to these parties and see who's there, and then people know you're 'someone,' because you got in, too," he said.

We saw many alleged South American celebs at the party, most of whom we knew nothing about. We did, however, recognize actors Keenen Ivory Wayans and Brittany Daniel when we bumped into them.

Although most locals had no idea who Wayans and Daniel were, the two were still the talk of the town. For example, the next night was the weekly art gallery event in La Barra, when dozens of venues hold wine-and-cheese tastings. At The Trench, gallery manager Maria Fernandez Orozco asked me, while serving champagne, about the "striking" couple visiting from the U.S.

The next day, I watched models from Buenos Aires agency Wo/Man play soccer on Punta's beach and pose for the cameras held by professional photographers and overzealous teenage boys. Then it was on to the Dotto Model Parade, where dozens of Argentine beauties showed off racy outfits for the thousands crowded in the stadium venue or atop neighboring buildings.

A helicopter buzzed overhead, filming the event and making the crowds go even wilder. Pancho Dotto, the owner of the agency, later said, "My model parade is Punta."

My final day in Punta a little less hectic, I decided to check out some of its hot spots.

The Awa, a new luxury hotel with 48 rooms, is tucked a few blocks away from the beach on a pine-covered hill. The serene location and design sensibility, described as Zen by co-owner Analia Suarez, lend the place a tranquil feeling of escape from the more crowded and glitzy parts of Punta. That said, the hotel was completely booked, even though it had just opened.

Later, I popped into nearby Mika, a revolving restaurant atop the 22-story Espacio Torreon building. The menu included an unusual dessert made of pears and Roquefort cheese, which, the chef told me, was a "harmonious combination." 

I looked out of the restaurant windows, at the miles of glorious coastline, and thought of the glamorous time I'd had. It was the perfect description of Punta del Este, too.

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