Clips from the Coast: Cabo Polonio, Uruguay
“Where we’re going, we don’t need roads!” If this line wasn’t so famous, you might think Doc Brown was talking about Cabo Polonio, the beautifully isolated beach shanty town located in Uruguay’s northern coast. Wonderfully unique and completely laid back, the 3 days I spent there reinforced the notion that you don’t need much to be happy; which is a good thing because, well, there isn’t that much there.
Minimal is the new luxury. Getting away from some of the comforts of home, like electricity, air conditioning and wifi was liberating. The days felt like they lasted longer. We talked with more people. We sang songs and played guitar all day. We walked along the beach for hours. We could see our very own Milky Way Galaxy streak across the night sky in all it’s glory. This was another highlight from our time in South America.
Here is my first edited video from my RTW adventure. It’s short and sweet and shows a bit of what Cobo Polonio has to offer. Now that I learned how to edit video, more clips soon to come!
Some photos:
Some interesting facts about Cabo Polonio:
As mentioned before, Cabo Polonio has no roads leading to the core area. It is located about 7 km from the main highway and can be accessed by walking over and around the expansive sand dunes. The most common way to get there, however, is by specially equipped 4×4 vehicles that have seating for 20-30 and are elevated high above the ground. The region has no electricity or running water for the few hundred houses and shacks. A few generators use solar and wind give some power two grocery stores and a several hostels, but very little.
There are tons of sea lions that hang out on boulders and rock islands along the shoreline. A lighthouse is located on the high point and for a few bucks, you can climb to the top to get a 360 view of the area. Sand dunes stretch for as far as can be seen, and a 2-4 hour trek down the beach offers nice views of the area’s natural beauty.
If you go to Uruguay, this place is a must visit!