La Paloma
A Rocha resort town on a rocky point, with a striped lighthouse and beaches facing several directions.
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La Paloma sits on a rocky headland where the Uruguayan coast turns, which gives it beaches on more than one exposure: calm water on the sheltered side and open Atlantic surf on the other, so there is usually somewhere swimmable whatever the wind is doing. The Cabo Santa María lighthouse of 1874, black and white striped, stands on the point. It is the working town of the Rocha coast rather than a resort built for visitors.
What you actually see
- The Cabo Santa Maria lighthouse - an 1874 striped tower on the headland.
- The multiple beaches - sheltered and open-Atlantic sand on different sides of the point.
- The surf breaks - the exposed beaches used by surfers through the year.
- The working town - a year-round settlement rather than a seasonal resort.
When to go
December to March is the summer season, with January the busiest. The wind decides which beach works on any given day. Outside summer much of the town closes.
Honest expectations
January prices and crowds are extreme by Uruguayan standards. Out of season a great deal is shut and the town is bleak. Atlantic currents on the open beaches are strong and lifeguards are seasonal.
Nearby
La Pedrera is east, and Laguna de Rocha is west.
What to pack for La Paloma
Chosen from what this place is for. Tap a kit for the full checklist.
Opening times, ticket prices and seasonal closures change - check the official source before you go: official site.