the beach resort of your dreams and a great carnival

"K2T Wisata"

Seven kilometers east from La Paloma and almost 250 kilometers from Montevideo lays the resort village of La Pedrera, a small and very charming place to spend your vacations in Uruguay, with fun and enjoyment guaranteed for all ages.

Its name literally means “the stone quarry”, as this resort of the department of Rocha was built over antique rocky formations that are over 500 million years old – from the Gondwana times. The place is therefore of great scientific and paleontological interest, as it is not rare to find, hidden in the rocks or lying on the sandy beaches, parts of fossils like i.e. those of glyptodonts.

The rocky formation is surrounded by two main beaches, “El Desplayado” facing the east, and “playa del Barco” facing the west. Barco means “ship” in Spanish – this beach got its name because the Chinese ship Cathay was wrecked in its coast in 1977.

This is a rare case for beaches in Uruguay: because both beaches are open to the Atlantic Ocean, there is not a “tame” beach and a “brave” beach, but both are quite “brave” and have big tides and very fresh and salty oceanic water. While “El Desplayado” is more flat and has thinner white sand, “playa del Barco” has a more golden and thicker sand, as well as deeper waters, making it ideal for surf and all water sports in Uruguay.

La Pedrera is also good for those who enjoy bird watching, as you can find a great variety of species in this resort, including the oyster catcher, the thrush, the lark and the red.

Traditionally a quiet place for family tourism in Uruguay, all beaches in Rocha have experimented growing popularity among young people in recent years. Particularly in La Pedrera, a “hippie – chic” atmosphere prevails, making it a target area for design exhibitions, special parties and events.

There are no big clubs but nightlife takes place in the main street, where restaurants play their music and people dance in the street. The carnival parties in February / March are especially big, every area of La Pedrera and nearby towns arranges a theme for their costumes, and groups or friends and families do the same. A costumes parade is held one of the days, and then parties take place all night long, with people enjoying the feeling of hiding behind the mask, costume and make up.

Also in January, and since 2004, there is an annual special: La Pedrera Short Film Festival, with the participation of films from several countries.