Montevideo to José Ignacio by car

Driving in Uruguay guide

A lighthouse, two beaches and the quietest coast.

José Ignacio is a small village on a point, with a calm beach on one side and an open-sea one on the other. You get there on the same road as Punta del Este and continue along Route 10, with two bridges worth stopping for.

  • Distance159 km
  • Approx. time2 h 45 min
  • 2 tolls · $ 428 one way

The road, stop by stop

Kilometers from our office (La Paz 1319). Approximate times, without stops.

When to set off. It’s the same road as Punta del Este, and in January the stretch of Route 10 between La Barra and José Ignacio gets busy. Before you set off, check Waze or Google Maps: they show live traffic and the best route.

  1. km 32
    Pando toll · $ 214, paid when you return the car
  2. km 81
    Solís toll · $ 214, paid when you return the car
  3. km 133

    Punta del Este

    You drive along the waterfront. The stops on the way here (Piriápolis, Casapueblo, the Lussich Arboretum) are in the Punta del Este guide.

    See the guide
  4. km 138
    La Barra bridge

    La Barra bridge

    The wave-shaped bridge over the Maldonado creek, from 1965. On the other side Route 10 begins, with La Barra and Manantiales.

  5. km 159

    José Ignacio

    You made it. Below: what to see and where to leave the car.

  6. km 167
    Laguna Garzón bridge

    Laguna Garzón bridge

    Eight kilometers further on, a circular bridge by Rafael Viñoly, opened in 2015. Its shape makes you slow down, which is the point: to look at the lagoon.

  7. km 177
    Pueblo Garzón

    Pueblo Garzón

    Short detour

    A tiny country village with its old railway station. Nearby is Bodega Garzón, with tours and tastings.

PandoSolísMontevideoJosé Ignacio
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When you arrive

  • The lighthouse

    The lighthouse

    At the tip of the village, surrounded by rocks and sea. It can be visited; opening hours change with the season.

  • La Mansa and La Brava

    La Mansa and La Brava

    Two beaches on either side of the point: La Mansa, calm, for swimming and watching the sunset; La Brava, open to the ocean and with bigger waves.

  • Where to leave the car

    The village is small and its streets fill up in high season. The practical thing is to park on the streets at the entrance and walk: everything is close.

Choose your car

Lowest daily rates of the upcoming seasons: they vary with the dates. You’ll see the exact total when you choose yours.

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Explore Uruguay at your own pace

For this trip

A round trip is about 318 km: the 300 km included in a 2-day rental won’t cover it, so rent for 3 days or more (unlimited mileage) or add extra km when you book.

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  • Everything is closeUruguay is small: from Montevideo, Punta del Este is just over 2 hours away and Colonia 2 h 30. In a few days you can combine coast, countryside and city.
  • Your own paceStop wherever you like, change plans on the go and reach places buses don’t.
  • Hassle-freePick up at the office, the Airport, the Port or Tres Cruces. The car has an electronic toll tag and from 3 days mileage is unlimited.

More getaways

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Before you go

What must be in the car

  • Your valid driver’s license, the physical card (local or foreign).
  • Your ID card or passport.
  • The car’s documents (a copy of the registration and of the insurance policy): they’re already in the car, don’t take them out.

Driving without fines

  • Low beams always on. On highways they must be on day and night.
  • Zero alcohol. The limit is 0.0 g/l for all drivers.
  • Speed limits. The general highway limit is 90 km/h, but signs show where it goes up or down along the way. Waze also shows the limit for each stretch and warns about speed cameras: it’s the app that works best for this.

Fines and the deposit

Traffic fines are sent to us, and local governments take about 15 to 20 days to notify us. That’s why the deposit stays held on your credit card for that period after you return the car. If a fine arrives after the return, it’s charged to the deposit.

Renting an electric car?

You can also make this trip in an electric car. Good to know:

  • Charging on the roadSeveral apps show public charging points, and some let you pay for the charge from your phone. UTE’s app is UTE Mueve, with points all over the country.
  • Emergency cableThe car comes with a cable of about 2 kW to plug into a Schuko outlet rated for that power. It charges slowly: it’s to get you out of a jam.

Photos: Wikimedia Commons. Some photos are cropped.

Carlos E. Gonzalez (CC BY-SA 3.0) · Axe (Public domain) · Jimmy Baikovicius (CC BY-SA 2.0) · Eduardo.terian (CC BY-SA 3.0) · Casaseneleste (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Casaseneleste (CC BY-SA 4.0)