IL Postcard

Uruguay’s “Hidden Assets” Revealed

Date: 08/06/2008 Author: Lee Harrison

Thursday, Aug. 7, 2008

Read more about Uruguay in International Living Postcards —your daily escape

Dear International Living Reader,

The term naturista has two meanings in Spanish. If you’re referring to a doctor, it would describe one who practices natural medicine. But when referring to a beach, naturista means “nudist.” So as I crested a tall sand dune at Playa Chihuahua just outside of Punta del Este and saw a sign that said playa naturista, I was pretty sure that I wasn’t approaching a beach filled with naturopathic doctors or Shamans.

A number of years ago, Punta del Este lifted a long-time ban on topless bathing on its beaches in an effort to increase the flow of tourists from Brazil, Argentina, and Europe. Nonetheless, I’ve found it very unusual to see topless bathers on any of Uruguay’s beaches. While you might see a nude bather on very remote stretches of beaches to the north, you generally won’t find them in public.

Playa Chihuahua has been a nude beach since the 1960s, and at that time the beachgoers were arrested now and then in an attempt to discourage them. But in 1994, the Uruguayan nudism association (Asociación Uruguaya de Naturismo) succeeded in having Chihuahua accepted by the community as a nude beach. At that time, the association took care of maintaining the beach and keeping it clean.

Since the year 2000, Playa Chihuahua has been declared an official playa naturista, and as such is maintained by the state government of Maldonado along with the Ministry of Tourism. (In fact, the official nudist area stretches 500 meters back from the beach, which explains the other nude people we saw in a wooded sector on the way out to the highway.) The state provides portable rest rooms, lifeguards, beach cleanup, and maintenance. Additionally, they patrol the beach several times daily to make sure the upstanding character of the beach is being maintained…a much sought-after assignment, no doubt, in the local police department.

In summertime (December through February) you can find between 2,000 and 3,000 people at Playa Chihuahua, which stretches for about 1.6 miles. Most beachgoers are couples (of all ages) and families, although there is a portion of the beach unofficially reserved for gay men. Even in the middle of winter, you’ll often find a person or two at the beach on a nice day.

If property on a nude beach is just what your property portfolio needs, then I’ve got a couple of opportunities for you.

My friend François Liegey has two properties for sale on Playa Chihuahua. One is a beachfront lot and it is about one-third of an acre, the biggest lot in the area. It is on a slight hill, so it has a great 180-degree view, including a view of the famous landmark Casapueblo. He is asking $190,000. His other lot is actually on the second row, but it’s on higher ground than the property in front of it. He’s asking $140,000 for this one. Write to fliegey@yahoo.com in English, Spanish, or his native French.

A nearby real estate office, Punta Ballena Inmobiliaria, has a quarter-acre beachfront lot in Playa Chihuahua with 64 meters of beach frontage for $250,000. It also has ocean-view lots a block back from the beach starting at $34,000.

If you’re interested in completed homes, there’s a brand-new, contemporary beachfront house for sale, with four bedrooms (two suites), five baths, a large living room, two-car garage, and an outdoor grill with an integrated pizza oven. The view is incredible from the wooden deck. It is listed by Mieres Inmobiliaria for $495,000. Mieres also has a two-story, contemporary four-bedroom home for sale in Chihuahua located about 150 meters back from the beach. The asking price is $140,000.

Playa Chihuahua is located at Kilometer 115.5, just before you get to Punta del Este. But it’s not Uruguay’s only official nude beach. While researching the 2008 rewrite of the Uruguay Owner’s Manual (available soon), I came across another one named Playa Sirenita in the village of Aguas Dulces, just outside the town of Barra de Valizas in the Department of Rocha. I’m not familiar with this beach, but judging by the hundreds of cars in its parking lot, I’d say it’s also quite popular.

Lee Harrison
Roving Latin America Editor, International Living

Editor’s Note: Lee has traveled the entire country over the last few months while researching the new Uruguay: The Owner’s Manual. So he is brimming with exciting new stories and important information that he is just dying to share with you. To hear Lee spill the beans about Uruguay, join us at our Live and Invest Overseas event in Long Beach, California, Oct. 3–5. Book before Friday to take advantage of our early bird discount of $200.

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