In the hills above Punta Ballena, this secluded retreat is ideal for budget-minded travelers who prefer low-key fireside camaraderie to Punta-style partying. The six- to eight-bed dorms are pretty standard issue (and the triple-decker bunks may give pause to acrophobes), but the on-site bar-restaurant invites cozy conversation by the parrilla, and the beach (Playa Portezuelo) is a short walk downhill.
Hostel Punta Ballena
Punta del Este
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
1.42 MILES
Gleaming white in the sun and cascading nine stories down a cliffside, Uruguayan artist Carlos Páez Vilaró’s exuberantly whimsical villa and art gallery…
7.34 MILES
Punta’s most famous landmark is this monster-sized sculpted hand protruding from the sands of Playa Brava. Constructed in iron and cement by Chilean…
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5.79 MILES
Boats leave every half hour or so (daily from December through Carnaval, weekends rest of year) from Punta del Este’s yacht harbor for the 15-minute trip…
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12.84 MILES
About 10km offshore, this small island is home to the world’s second-largest southern sea-lion colony (200,000 at last count), along with colonies of…
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7.04 MILES
In summertime, Punta del Este's busy yacht harbor overflows with beautiful people, who come to see and be seen at the surrounding restaurants and clubs…
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7.43 MILES
This beach on the eastern (Atlantic Ocean) side of Punta del Este's long peninsula has rougher water, as reflected in the name Playa Brava (Fierce Beach).
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7.43 MILES
This small beach on the eastern (Atlantic Ocean) side of Punta del Este's peninsula gets good waves, making it popular with surfers.
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7.38 MILES
On the Atlantic Ocean side of the peninsula, this is the southernmost of Punta del Este's many beaches, and a favorite with surfers.
Nearby Punta del Este attractions
1.42 MILES
Gleaming white in the sun and cascading nine stories down a cliffside, Uruguayan artist Carlos Páez Vilaró’s exuberantly whimsical villa and art gallery…
5.79 MILES
Boats leave every half hour or so (daily from December through Carnaval, weekends rest of year) from Punta del Este’s yacht harbor for the 15-minute trip…
6.96 MILES
This calm river beach straddles the western (Río de la Plata) side of Punta del Este's long narrow peninsula.
7.04 MILES
In summertime, Punta del Este's busy yacht harbor overflows with beautiful people, who come to see and be seen at the surrounding restaurants and clubs…
7.34 MILES
Punta’s most famous landmark is this monster-sized sculpted hand protruding from the sands of Playa Brava. Constructed in iron and cement by Chilean…
7.38 MILES
On the Atlantic Ocean side of the peninsula, this is the southernmost of Punta del Este's many beaches, and a favorite with surfers.
7.43 MILES
This beach on the eastern (Atlantic Ocean) side of Punta del Este's long peninsula has rougher water, as reflected in the name Playa Brava (Fierce Beach).
7.43 MILES
This small beach on the eastern (Atlantic Ocean) side of Punta del Este's peninsula gets good waves, making it popular with surfers.