Unbelievable Uruguay And The Romance Of Fasano Punta Del Este

There are horses by the highway in Uruguay. Horses with people on them who wear majestic boots and big brimmed cowboy hats. Not a few horses, mind you. The half million horses or so in Uruguay are the way of life in the sleepy South American country found under Brazil. They trot along the roadways as cars pass languidly along. Coming from California where highways are 8 lanes in one direction made of ash colored cement, I found this utterly charming. This is why we travel, of course. Travel uncovers entire new worlds to us that delight, spark, and at times, boggle the mind. Uruguay as an entire country that does so, and the splendid Fasano Punta Del Este resort located within it is a good reason to visit now.

It takes two or so lazy hours by car to get to Fasano Punta Del Este from the main city of Montevideo, and it’s a drive you’ll be happy to take slow. Much of Uruguay reminds me of Napa Valley or the South of France, but a South American version of rolling fields of vineyards, idyllic stone laid houses, sheep and cows grazing about, and unending land. Indeed, once you turn off the road to the gates of Fasano Punta Del Este resort, amid the the Vina Eden, Deicas and Bodega Garzon wineries, the stunning enormity of the property starts to unfold.

Set within 1,190 acres of a preserved rancho, Fasano Punta Del Este resort is a world into itself. The landscape is beautifully halting, filled with white and grey stones that jut out from the ground, towering pine trees, fields of yellow grass, and views of the Pacific Ocean far in the distance. The terrain must have inspired famed Brazilian architect, Isay Weinfield, who designed the property in 2010 for the Fasano family. Legend has it that Brazil’s gastronomy patriarch, Rogerio Fasano, once handed Weinfield a brick as inspiration for their first property together, the Fasano Hotel located in São Paulo, Brazil. For Fasano Punta Del Este resort, the same timelessness of design was continued. Rustic while contemporary, all of the buildings found within the resort are enduring like the land itself yet utterly exciting in the way brilliant architecture achieves. Ragged concrete, sharp geometrical lines, and wood paneling are carried throughout the 32 bungalows. The effect is a Louis I. Kahn meets Uruguayan chacra (ranch), and it is unforgettable.

There are many spots to take in the captivating essence of Fasano Punta Del Este. One of my favorites was in the subterranean pool tucked inside the spa. There’s something transportive about a wall to ceiling window, an all beige interior, and views of green as far as the eye can take in. Upstairs in the main building, the casual Las Piedras Restaurant expands to a massive patio for sunsets seemingly summoned by God every evening. A bonus is seeing the people, all who appear from a gorgeous ad for Ralph Lauren. I also loved the equestrian center, filled by horses with coats that sheened in the light on late afternoons. And for later evenings, which Brazilians just call dinner time, the property’s renowned main restaurant, Fasano Restaurant, is a candle lite dream of Italian cuisine.

Sometimes I feel a speck of sadness leaving world-transportive places like Fasano Punta Del Este resort. The good news, at least with the Fasano brand, is there are nine other properties to visit and two more in the making, including the gemstone looking Fasano Cidade Jardim in San Paulo. I take this as a sign as needing to book another adventure to South America, if not for the horses in Uruguay, then at least for another Fasano escape.