• -34.275278-53.7830561 Aguas Dulces – Similar and close to but less busy and more expensive than Barra de Valizas.
• -34.336111-53.7944442 Barra de Valizas – The hippies have moved on to this nice and laid-back little village with live music every evening and a nightmarket. There are no apparent borders between the village, dune and beach, but unlike Cabo Polonio it comes with all the modern conveniences, a prettier beach and a large dune to its south, which begs to be explored.
• -34.3975-53.7891673 Cabo Polonio – A very popular beach community and tourist hotspot, especially amongst Uruguayans and Argentinians. Simple beach houses are scattered around, and there is no running water or electricity. Worth a visit, also for its interesting seal and sea lion colony at its lighthouse and the dunes north east of the village.
• -34.1575-53.6930564 La Esmeralda – Similar to Punta del Diablo but more quiet and barely any budget accommodation.
• -34.66245-54.1556055 La Paloma – A good alternative to Punta del Este if you just do not get what all the fuss is about there. It has active nightlife, many bars and a free popular club, and a large lagoon to its west.
• -34.590556-54.1266676 La Pedrera – A very laid-back beach and surf experience, worth a visit with many inexpensive hostel accommodations and close to La Paloma.
• -34.866111-55.2747227 Piriapolis – An alternative to Punta del Este mostly for couples and older people, but no party or hippie hotspot.
• -34.955739-54.9381158 Punta del Este – A world famous beach party town for the posh and party people among us.
• -34.045833-53.5388899 Punta del Diablo – A sleepy old fishing village, and beach and surf hotspot with inexpensive budget accommodation. Head here if you just want to lay back, see the famous Playa Los Pescadores, and seek the secret beach party at 3 in the morning.

• -33.698729-53.46375410 Chuy – The border town with Brazil.
• -34.908825-54.95808611 Maldonado – The capital of the eponymous department, a key bus hub with a couple of small historical attractions.
• -34.483333-54.3512 Rocha – Another departmental capital, useful for bus connections but low on attractions.
• -34.8-54.91666713 San Carlos – An unremarkable town, but with an old church that was built in colonial times.

Punta del Este Airport (PDP ^IATA) is in Maldonado and has a few commercial flights, mainly from Buenos Aires (AEP ^IATA). The other option is to fly into Montevideo (MVD ^IATA); intercity buses from Montevideo to this region generally stop at the airport to pick up passengers.

Frequent buses are available from Montevideo; see the Tres Cruces Bus Terminal website for schedules. A few buses are also available from other parts of Uruguay.

International buses to Punta del Este are available from Porto Alegre and Florianópolis, Brazil. You can also take a bus to the Brazilian border town of Chuí, walk across the border to Chuy, and take a bus from there.

The most important highways are the Interbalnearia, which connects Montevideo to Punta del Este; Route 10, which hugs the coast; and Route 9, which is a little further inland.

Cruise ships and yachts can dock at Punta del Este.

Depending on where you're trying to go, you might have direct buses multiple times a day or you might find yourself having to transfer on a route that does not run frequently. Maldonado near Punta del Este and Rocha are the most important hubs.