Jose Ignacio and Punta Del Este

Only 20 minutes from the shimmering skyline of the fashionable Punta del Este with its expansive golden beaches and low headlands that stretch northeast along a single coastal road, you’ll find the towns of La Barra and then Manantiales and ultimately Jose Ignacio, each one more quiet and low-key than the last. You’ll find an abundance of cute boutiques and good cuisine, pairing favourite local tastes with global trends. There are plenty of bohemian shops with flowy dresses alongside places with Gucci sunglasses; dulce de leche ice cream and the local Chivito sandwich, with Japanese sushi just next door. This area to Uruguayans is as the Hamptons are to New Yorkers – a chic retreat from city life that exudes barefoot elegance with a distinctly South American charm.