Rocha · Costa atlántica · Uruguay
Experiences and local guides in Cabo Polonio
Village with no streets or power grid inside a national park on the Rocha coast, reached by truck across the dunes, with a lighthouse, a sea lion colony and whales in winter.
Nature
Cabo Polonio is a village of fishermen and scattered houses on a rocky point of the Atlantic coast of Rocha, inside the Cabo Polonio National Park, which since 2009 has protected about 25,800 hectares of coast, sea and islands. It has no streets, power grid or running water, and about 130 people live there year round. On the rocks next to the 1881 lighthouse rests Uruguay's largest sea lion colony, which also occupies the Torres islands offshore. To the north, a field of shifting dunes separates it from Barra de Valizas and Cerro Buena Vista.
Activities
- Entry by all-terrain trucks from the Puerta del Polonio terminal on route 10, km 264.5: about 7 km across dunes and beach in 20 to 30 minutes, since private cars are not allowed in
- Visit to the lighthouse, which can be climbed for views of the village and islands, and to the sea lion and fur seal colony on the rocks below, visible all year
- Walk of about 7 km along the beach and dunes to Cerro Buena Vista and Barra de Valizas, crossing the Valizas stream by boat, on the self-guided dune trails; sandboarding on the dunes
- Southern right whale watching from the shore and viewpoints, July to October
- Guided horse rides through the protected area and the Valizas dunes, including full moon rides, and a boat trip along the Valizas stream to the ombú forest of Laguna de Castillos
- Surfing at Playa Sur and in Punta del Diablo, a fishing village to the north near Santa Teresa National Park
When to go
Summer, from December to February, brings the warmest water, lifeguards at Playa Sur and big crowds; in January it is best to book accommodation well ahead. From July to October the right whales pass by and the village is quiet, although it is cold and windy and several businesses close. Sea lions can be seen all year.
How to get there
Nearest airport: Montevideo-Carrasco (MVD), about 265 km away; Punta del Este (PDP) is about 150 km away. Direct buses from Montevideo, about 4 hours, stop at the Puerta del Polonio terminal (route 10, km 264.5), where cars are left. From there, authorised all-terrain trucks cross the dunes in 20 to 30 minutes; you can also arrive on foot or on horseback from Barra de Valizas.
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Local operators identified in Cabo Polonio (2)
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