Although sometimes forgotten because of its size and the fact that is compressed in between two giants, Uruguay is a charming country with lots of good attributes. In the fifties, it was one of the richest countries in Latin America and was referred to as the "Switzerland" of the region. And even during its formation as a country, it had to fight hard for its existence for both Argentina and Brazil wanted that tiny piece of land. What was so important about it? The port of Montevideo - one of the best exits of the region to the sea.
What is so important about it nowadays? Punta del Este, which is extending further east and now also includes Jose Ignacio, as one of the main attractions. Those are among the trendiest beaches of the Southern Cone, sometimes compared to what St. Tropez used to be a few years ago. The irony is that hundreds of years later Argentines and Brazilians are still trying to conquer the place. Tourists from those countries come by the thousands each year and what I think a little bit outrageous, is that they tend to think they own the place (especially Argentines). They want to pay with their currencies (ask in Brazil or Argentina if they accept Uruguayan Pesos) and they don't even make the effort to speak the language. Argentines don't need to, agreed. But Brazilians tend to think that if they speak Portuguese slowly they are actually speaking Spanish. Anyway, since money makes the world turn around and Uruguay's income depends mostly on services and tourism, nobody really complains about that.
I always say that there's no bluer sky than the Uruguayan one and as soon as we get off the plane, the air feels different. It's pure, fresh - it's the air of my childhood. We usually, as almost everybody else, only go to the basic places, that is, Montevideo (the capital) and Punta del Este. However, what I like the most is the countryside. The lack of mountains and heights in general (Uruguay is as flat as a French crepe), makes the horizon seem infinite. It's one of the only places where you can really have the sensation that land and sky are actually touching.
This year, we discovered Pueblo Garzon. A tiny, tiny, tiny village (approximately 200 inhabitants) located about 45 minutes by car from Punta del Este. Back in the early 20th century, the village gained some importance with the construction of a mill and a train station. At its peak, Garzon had 2000 residents and the train would serve Montevideo-Garzon as much as four times a day. Nonetheless, History is the same everywhere. The town went in decay when the mill was shut down, the trains stopped running, a highway was constructed 11km away from the village and people moved to bigger nearby cities. Garzon became a real ghost town.
In 2004, Argentinians restaurateur Francis Mallman and winemaker Manuel Mas bought together a property there and transformed it into a boutique hotel, with a nice restaurant:
El Garzon. That's the reason why we actually visited Garzon. Lunch there was a great experience, but above all, it was a very nice surprise to discover such a charming place. The food is good and the setting is a pleasure. We ate in the garden, at a big communal table which is built around the trunk of a huge and beautiful palm tree. While we were having lunch, the kids could run around and play in the big garden and they were even allowed to swim in the swimming pool. The hotel has five bedrooms and is a great retreat for someone looking for isolation, quiet time or some kind of disconnection with reality.
Although not far away from a big tourist pole, Garzon is in the middle of nowhere, lost in time and carries the feeling of a ghost city. In a way, Mallman gave back to the place some of its past shine. Recently other persons also bought some houses there and restored them (mainly artists). But by talking with a young woman who's from Montevideo and has a design store next to the hotel, the impression is that nobody really resists to spend more than a few months in Garzon (the hotel only opens for 6 months or so). The village is clean, many houses are painted in different colors the way typical Uruguayan towns used to be and the main square (
Plaza Independencia) is impressively well maintained. And, of course, since the hotel was opened and the artists moved there, the whole town is on sale. So if you want to buy a house in nice quiet place, this is your chance.
Last but not least, Garzon is in the middle of the countryside. The views are beautiful. The silence is priceless.
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| From top left: Garzon - hotel and restaurant; the palm tree under which we had lunch; the swimming pool; view from our table |
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| One of the specialties - the lamb cooked for 7 hours and a half |
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| Ojo de bife with chimichurri over potatoes |
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| Some snapshots of Garzon: first row is Plaza Independencia; in the middle of the second row you can see what used to be the train station; and at the bottom right hand side corner is a picture of a real Gaucho. |
Photo credits: Me and Cedric Leberre
