Punta del Diablo

The point lies on the coast south of the fortress of Santa Teresa, begun by the Portuguese in 1762. In 1935 a family named Rocha moved here because one of their children suffered from asthma and had been advised to live by the sea. From about 1942 fishermen from Valizas began to come for the season, drawn by shark fishing: oil was extracted from the livers and exported. By the mid-20th century the settlement was known as the hill of the fishermen of Punta del Diablo.

In 1949 an inn, the Hostería del Pescador, was built between Route 9 and the point, with a track to the road; beyond it travel continued by cart until an access road to the point was made in 1968. The fishermen's wives began making crafts from shells, starfish, stones, wood and clay, the start of the artisan tradition that still runs alongside the fishing.

Tourism followed. In 2008 Lonely Planet ranked the village among the places to visit, and its popularity grew steadily as the single farming family that had owned the land sold plots to investors, including foreign buyers. Strict building rules have kept out high-rise towers and large resorts, and in 2011 the long-announced plan for a deep-water port on the Rocha coast became an issue for the area.

Punta del Diablo's identity rests on two groups: the families who still fish from the beach, and the artisans who began with the fishermen's wives and their shell and wood crafts. The boats on the Playa de los Pescadores and the craft stalls beside them remain the centre of village life, and buying fish directly from the people who caught it is part of a visit.

Surfers, campers and summer renters have added a bohemian layer, and the village is known for its eclectic architecture of wooden cabins and colourful houses on sandy lanes. In summer live music is a staple, with folk singers in restaurants and a club scene that peaks around full moons, and the crowd is regional: mostly Argentinians, Brazilians and Uruguayans.

Winter is a different place. With the visitors gone, the beaches empty and the surf is at its best. Many locals get around by motorbike, quad bike or on horseback.

The 2023 census counted about 2,000 permanent residents, more than double the 823 of 2011, many of them fishermen and artisans. In high season the population swells to around 25,000, mostly Argentine, Brazilian and European holidaymakers renting houses and cabins or staying in hostels and small hotels.

The economy rests on tourism and fishing, and many residents are fishermen or artisans; the artisanal fleet still works from the beach and sells its catch there. Most hotels and hostels open only in the high season, but a growing number of places, including some restaurants, now stay open all year as visitors arrive out of season.

Services are basic. Some buses stop at the turn-off on Route 9, about 5 km away, cash machines may be scarce, and there is a bank in Chuy, about 43 km north. The rhythm is set by the seasons: a few crowded weeks from Christmas to February and in Easter week, then quiet months of surfers and residents.

Fish is the point of Punta del Diablo's kitchen. The day's catch is sold straight from stands on the fishermen's beach, and the simple kitchens and restaurants nearby serve it fried or grilled. Corvina and brótola, a white fish, are the common catches on this coast, and a picada — a mixed plate of fried fish, squid and other seafood to share — is a standard order, along with rabas, rings of battered squid.

The village's own speciality, shared with Cabo Polonio, is buñuelos de algas, fritters made with seaweed, sold from stalls and kitchens. Empanadas, filled pastries, are the everyday snack and are sold hot at the craft market on the beach. Paella appears on some menus, and shrimp from the coastal lagoons are eaten in season.

The rest follows Uruguayan habits: beef and chorizo from the parrilla, or grill; chivitos, the steak sandwich layered with ham, cheese and egg; and dulce de leche in alfajores and desserts. The butiá palm of Rocha gives small orange fruit made into jam, sweets and a liqueur, and mate, the bitter herbal infusion shared from a gourd, is drunk at all hours.