The walls
Pink granite.
rodoluca — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Kleidas — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Marcos Mendizábal — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Diego Muñoz Acosta — CC BY-SA 3.0
A five-pointed star-shaped stone fortress, begun by the Portuguese in 1762 on a narrow strip between lagoons and the ocean, then seized and completed by the Spanish, to guard the coastal road between the two rival empires in South America. Its thick walls of pink granite have sharp angles and small sentry towers, and visitors pass the gate into a broad courtyard with barracks, stores and kitchens, plus a museum of colonial-era weapons and tools; the ramparts look over lagoons and woods. The fortress is part of Santa Teresa National Park, with large woods, greenhouses, a rose garden, beaches and campsites, where many spend a full day or more. Payment is in Uruguayan pesos only. The Rocha coast is wild and quiet most of the year and busy in January; the ocean is cold with strong waves, so swim only at guarded spots.
Pink granite.
Barracks and museum.
Woods and roses.
Santa Teresa National Park, Route 9 near the Brazilian border
Payment is usually in Uruguayan pesos cash only, so bring cash; entry is UYU 50.