Uruguay · UY

Playa Brava

Playa Brava is the Atlantic-facing beach on the eastern side of Punta del Este's narrow peninsula in Maldonado, Uruguay. Its name — brava means wild or rough — tells you exactly what to expect: open-ocean swell, strong currents, and wind-scoured golden sand that stretches in a long arc far past where day visitors stop. The beach is best known for La Mano (also called Los Dedos), a dramatic sculpture of giant concrete fingers clawing up from the sand, created by Chilean artist Mario Irarrázabal in 1982 as a warning about the sea's power. It has become the most photographed landmark in Punta del Este and is completely free to see at any hour.