La Esmeralda is a beach town and seaside locality in
Uruguay
Uruguay, officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay, is a country in South America. It shares borders with Argentina to its west and southwest and Brazil to its north and northeast, while bordering the Río de la Plata to the south and the A ...
,
Rocha Department
Rocha () is a Departments of Uruguay, department in the east of Uruguay. Its capital is the city of Rocha, Uruguay, Rocha. It borders Maldonado Department to its west, Lavalleja Department to its northwest, Treinta y Tres Department to its north, ...
.
History
The story of the area began with afforestation of sand dunes in 1949. Then, in the 1970s, the owners of the afforested areas, seeing its potential in tourist business, divided the land in ''solares'' (undeveloped plots) intended for the construction of summer homes.
Although this is still an unspoilt resort, in recent years there has been a gradual but steady increase in tourist business development. In last years, the construction of a casino and five-star hotel is planned.
Geography
The town is located on the southeast side of
Route 9, about northeast of the capital
Montevideo
Montevideo (, ; ) is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Uruguay, largest city of Uruguay. According to the 2023 census, the city proper has a population of 1,302,954 (about 37.2% of the country's total population) in an area of . M ...
, northeast of the resort city of
Punta del Este
Punta del Este () is a seaside city and peninsula on the Atlantic Coast in the Maldonado Department of southeastern Uruguay. Starting as a small town, Punta del Este grew to become a resort for the Latin and North American jet set and tourists. T ...
, and southwest of
Chuy
Chuy () is a city in the extreme east of Uruguay, in the Rocha Department, northeast of Montevideo. It lies on the border with Brazil, separated from its Brazilian sister town of Chuí only by a shared avenue that serves as the border, and by the ...
.
La Esmeralda is situated in La Angostura,
isthmus
An isthmus (; : isthmuses or isthmi) is a narrow piece of land connecting two larger areas across an expanse of water by which they are otherwise separated. A tombolo is an isthmus that consists of a spit or bar, and a strait is the sea count ...
of only 3000 meters wide, between the
Laguna Negra and the
South Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest of the world's five borders of the oceans, oceanic divisions, with an area of about . It covers approximately 17% of Earth#Surface, Earth's surface and about 24% of its water surface area. During the ...
on
Rocha Department
Rocha () is a Departments of Uruguay, department in the east of Uruguay. Its capital is the city of Rocha, Uruguay, Rocha. It borders Maldonado Department to its west, Lavalleja Department to its northwest, Treinta y Tres Department to its north, ...
Wetlands, area declared a Biosphere Reserve by
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO ) is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) with the aim of promoting world peace and International secur ...
in 1976. Just a few kilometres from the seaside locality are important tourist spots like
La Pedrera,
Valizas,
Cabo Polonio,
Punta del Diablo
Punta del Diablo is a village and seaside locality in Uruguay, Rocha Department, east from the capital Montevideo. According to the 2011 census, its permanent population consisted of 823 inhabitants, mostly fishermen and artisans, while during hi ...
, the
Fortaleza de Santa Teresa,
La Coronilla, the
Fuerte de San Miguel and the city of
Chuy
Chuy () is a city in the extreme east of Uruguay, in the Rocha Department, northeast of Montevideo. It lies on the border with Brazil, separated from its Brazilian sister town of Chuí only by a shared avenue that serves as the border, and by the ...
.
The topography is slightly undulating, allowing an excellent view of the ocean. It is densely forested with pines, eucalyptus and acacia, which enabled dune fixation.
Climate
La Esmeralda is in the Southern Hemisphere's temperate zone and has four seasons. Temperatures average in summer and in winter.
Population
In 2011 La Esmeralda had a population of 57 permanent inhabitants and 240 dwellings, a figure that has been increasing year by year.
No census results have been given for previous years. During the summer season the number or residents is increased significantly due to tourism.
Source: ''Instituto Nacional de Estadística de Uruguay''
In the town are a police station, a fire department, accommodations for visitors, a restaurant and several shops.
References
External links
La Esmeralda - 2010 Summer - YouTubeLa Esmeralda - Tourism in Rocha - Government Website(in Spanish)
{{Rocha Department
Populated places in the Rocha Department
Seaside resorts in Uruguay