Tours and Activities:

Cycling around Piriápolis

A beautiful city indeed, Piriápolis is perfect for cycling around and seeing all the sights while moving, but slowly.

A plan visitors to Piriápolis should not miss is cycling around this city. They may fully cover this wonderful city and its surroundings in a few kilometers during a unique ride.

The idea is to set out at Playa Hermosa (Beautiful Beach), level with Parada 14 on the ocean drive.

This first spot -which borders on Playa Verde (Green Beach) to the west- lies on a bay and features a beach of clear sand. Short boat rides and craft fishing may be enjoyed at this location, an ideal site to behold sunset.

Two kilometers towards the east, following the road and almost at the access to the city, we came to Playa Grande (Big Beach). Featuring rocks on the fine sand, this is another good site to fish or swim in the saltwater creeks that naturally flow amidst the rocks.

Once we resumed our ride, we entered the city. Now the tour revolved around the promenade known as Rambla de los Argentinos. The delightful beach of Piriápolis lay always on the right and it presented several accesses suitable for bicycles. If we preferred, we could leave our vehicles on the promenade.

Towards the left, the first thing to call our attention was the magnificent Hotel Argentino, an imposing palace. Going inside and taking some photographs is a must. This building announced our arrival in the most populated area where all the commercial hustle and bustle of the city is concentrated.

The next 500 meters feature the most popular beaches (with volleyball courts, football fields and beach bars to taste some cold drink) on one side. Several gastronomic venues and stores lie right opposite the seafront.

The tour continues up to Hotel Colón, a small castle founded by Francisco Piria in 1910. We stopped there to have a look at the eye-catching construction. Some exercise machines located in front of the beach invite visitors to work out.

Afterwards, the path led to the access to Mount San Antonio. While the most adventurous could choose to cycle uphill, there was also the chance to park the bikes and go up the chairlift. In both cases, the purpose is to hit the top of the hill, located 130 meters MSL, and catch a unique glimpse of the city.

At the end of the circuit, the attractive port of Piriápolis is reached. Its appealing boats, breakwaters and the unmistakable lighthouse make up the postcard.

Un lugar ideal para, luego de la travesía, detenerse a contemplar el paisaje, tomar unas cuantas fotografías y, ¿por qué no?, disfrutar de algunos de los frutos de mar que se ofrecen por la zona.

See also: Hotels in Piriápolis and other accommodation venues