Piriapolis
A seaside town built as one man's project in the 1890s, with a grand hotel and a hill funicular.
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Francisco Piria bought this stretch of coast in 1890 and set about building a resort on it more or less single-handed: he laid out the streets, planted the hills, built a castle for himself and then the Argentino Hotel, which opened in 1930 as one of the largest in South America. The town still has that planned feel, a long rambla under the hills with the hotel dominating it, and a chairlift and funicular climbing Cerro San Antonio behind.
What you actually see
- The Argentino Hotel - a vast 1930 hotel on the seafront, still working.
- Piria's castle - the founder's own house on the hillside above the town.
- Cerro San Antonio - the hill behind, climbed by chairlift for the view.
- The rambla - the long seafront promenade under the hills.
When to go
December to March is the season. Outside summer the town is quiet but not closed, unlike the Rocha villages. Winter storms hit the rambla hard.
Honest expectations
The Argentino Hotel is grand from outside and dated within. The beach is narrow and gets crowded in January. The chairlift is old and closes in wind.
Nearby
Cerro Pan de Azucar is north, and Casapueblo is east.
What to pack for Piriapolis
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.