In the 1980s, Franco Macri He was a forerunner in the quiet fishing port that is today springs. The businessman built Springs Terraces in an environment with little traffic in Punta del Este at that time. A beachfront complex of 100 apartments, with terraces overlooking the sea. The clan gave memorable parties at the end of the year at their residence, which turned this unknown paradise into one of the most famous sites in Uruguay.
From the ’80s to today, a lot happened in the East. Route 10 went further, bringing vacationers back and forth. Jose Ignacio reached an ever greater role and there are currently real estate ventures in areas that were unimaginable at the time, such as Waiter or beyond on the coast of Rocha. But Manantiales continues to maintain its centrality. Both as a space to go shopping, meet and eat, or to make real estate investments, the area that begins in the bar and extends for several kilometers bordering the sea, it continues to be the favorite place for those who spend the summer in Punta.
The strenghts
The memory of the Macri remains intact in the neighborhood, although the family has sold most of its properties. The shopping center, on Route 10, attracts all those who live in the surroundings or pass through to other beaches to its stores, bars and restaurants.
Reservations are required to find a table in restaurants such as Domâ, Soma, Cactus y Pescados, Fish Market, O’Farrell or, a few blocks inland, the unmissable El Abrazo. International brands such as Zadig & Voltaire or the Brazilian Osklen join Argentine labels such as El Camarín, to brighten up a shopping trip that brings together all of Punta del Este.
As for the beach, the Montoya Parador, on the border with La Barra, is the favorite meeting place for teenagers. But Bikini continues to be the most inviting arena, especially at the time of the “after”, where the party lasts until late at night.
At the peak of the season, this is from the end of the year to the second week of January, the route becomes impassable, the bars are saturated and the beach has massive visits. The inhabitants of the area agree that this year there are more people than ever, a phenomenon that (through a pandemic) has been missed in recent seasons. According to official data, by December 31, 2022, hotel reservations and rentals reached 100 percent of the beds.
The constructions, not surprisingly, also registered a large increase. According to real estate agents in the area, for about 5 years, they have grown uninterruptedly, especially in closed neighborhoods such as Pueblo Mío, Laguna Estates and La Reserva. A trend that was surely accentuated when many Argentines thought about making Uruguay their place of permanent residence. Despite time and fashion, Manantiales does not give up its privilege: to be the true heart of Punta del Este.
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by Maria Pastore
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