Isla Gorriti

About this place

Isla Gorriti is a small island facing the port of Punta del Este, 1.7 km long, 900 m wide at its broadest and 71 hectares in all. A thick pine forest covers it, calm beaches surround it and it keeps remains of old fortifications, making it a nearby escape from the resort's towers by a short boat ride. Juan Díaz de Solís sighted it in 1516, and Diego García de Moguer named it Isla de las Palmas in 1527. It takes its name from the Spanish commander Francisco Gorriti, who raised a fortification on it to defend the Río de la Plata against the Portuguese advance. Pedro Medrano, the lawyer and poet who took part in Argentina's independence, was born here in 1769, and it is now a national heritage site. You step from the boat onto a wide sandy path under tall pines, full of shade and quiet. The beach has golden sand with sailboats on the water, and the rocky side shows stone layers facing the line of resort towers. Exposed stone walls stand among the trees, and old rusted cannon lie on the grass at the eastern battery. It is about 2.2 km in a straight line from Punta del Este. Boats usually leave from the port in season, so ask about the last return trip before you go. Facilities are few outside summer, so bring water and food, and take your rubbish back. Do not climb the old walls, watch for slippery rocks and ask about swimming before going in.