South America's glamorous summer beach resort
Punta del Este fills a peninsula where the River Plate meets the Atlantic: calm Playa Mansa on one side and surf-exposed Playa Brava on the other, where the giant fingers of La Mano sculpture rise from the sand. From late December to February, it is the summer playground of Argentines and Brazilians, with beach clubs and late nights; out of season it is quiet. Casapueblo, the whitewashed artist's house-hotel at Punta Ballena, is the sunset spot, and José Ignacio up the coast is the chic, low-key village.