Discover Piriápolis 2026

Industrialist Francisco Piria founded the town in the early 20th century as a planned holiday destination with a grand hotel, a wide waterfront promenade and landscaped parks, long before Punta del Este rose to become Uruguay's better-known resort.

Opened in 1930, this imposing grand hotel with its own thermal spring water once ranked among South America's most luxurious accommodations, and its striking façade still shapes the Piriápolis beachfront today.

The surrounding hills Cerro San Antonio and Cerro del Toro can be climbed on moderate hikes, offering spectacular panoramic views over the Bay of Piriápolis and the Río de la Plata coastline.

The eccentric castle of town founder Francisco Piria combines Gothic, Moorish and Renaissance elements and today houses a small museum telling the visionary story behind Piriápolis' founding.

From Montevideo, Piriápolis can be reached by bus in about an hour and a half along the coastal road towards Punta del Este.

Industrialist Francisco Piria founded the town in the early 20th century as a planned holiday destination with a grand hotel, a wide waterfront promenade and landscaped parks, long before Punta del Este rose to become Uruguay's better-known resort.

Opened in 1930, this imposing grand hotel with its own thermal spring water once ranked among South America's most luxurious accommodations, and its striking façade still shapes the Piriápolis beachfront today.

The surrounding hills Cerro San Antonio and Cerro del Toro can be climbed on moderate hikes, offering spectacular panoramic views over the Bay of Piriápolis and the Río de la Plata coastline.