Punta del Este is Uruguay's best-known beach resort, sitting on a narrow peninsula where the Rio de la Plata meets the Atlantic Ocean, and a rental car is a genuinely useful way to move between its two contrasting shorelines and the string of smaller coastal towns that extend along the coast in either direction. Most visitors arrive via Laguna del Sauce Airport, a small regional field just outside town, or drive in from Montevideo, roughly two hours west, with rental counters run by international and local operators serving both the airport and the town center itself.
From Punta del Este, the calmer Mansa side facing the bay and the wilder Brava side facing the open Atlantic are only minutes apart by car, while towns like Jose Ignacio, known for its quieter, more low-key beach scene, sit around thirty to forty-five minutes east along the coastal road. Heading toward Montevideo, the Ruta Interbalnearia is the main highway connecting the capital to this entire resort coastline, a well-traveled route lined with beach towns, gated developments and seasonal traffic that builds considerably during the peak summer months of December through February.
Driving is on the right throughout Uruguay, and the Ruta Interbalnearia and connecting coastal roads are generally well paved and easy to navigate, though summer weekends bring real congestion as vacationers move along the coast, particularly around holiday weekends. Some sections of this highway corridor use toll booths, with cash or card accepted at the gate, so keeping a little local currency or a card on hand is worthwhile before a longer coastal drive. Fuel stations are frequent in Punta del Este and along the main highway, though smaller side roads toward quieter beach towns can go longer stretches without one, so it is sensible to top up before heading off the main route.