Playa del Rivero
Punta del Diablo, Rocha, Uruguay
Playa del Rivero is the northernmost of Punta del Diablo's beaches, a small sheltered bay in this Rocha fishing village turned surf town in Uruguay. It has lifeguard coverage and restaurants running through summer, which sets it apart from the rougher, current-prone beach on the town's south side. Fishing boats still work out of the same stretch of coast.
Lifeguard coverage and easy walking access make it the practical choice in town, but it's also the most straightforward, least distinctive of Punta del Diablo's beaches, solid rather than a special trip.
How we score beachesIf you're swimming rather than surfing, stick to Rivero over the town's other beaches. The southern beach, Playa de la Viuda, has stronger currents and isn't the one locals recommend for a casual swim.
Punta del Diablo sits off Ruta 9 near km 298, a five kilometer paved access road into town. Buses from Montevideo's Tres Cruces terminal run about four hours to a stop just outside town, with a short shuttle covering the last stretch. Parking within town is easy outside peak summer weeks.
It's a short walk of a few blocks from the town's craft market to the beach, flat and easy, no dune crossing or steps involved the way some of the more remote Rocha beaches require.
Uruguay runs a standard four season year here, not a wet or dry split. December through February is peak season with the warmest water and a full summer crowd, while June through August is cold and quiet with most services scaled back.
More South America beaches
Tabatinga Beach
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Tabatinga Beach sits along the Conde coastline in ParaĆba, Brazil, known for a run of clay cliffs striped red, yellow, and purple where the vegetation cuts off and bare earth takes over. Two lookout points sit above the sand, one nicknamed Dedo de Deus. Coconut palms line the beach itself, and the water stays calm most of the year.
BaĆa do Sancho
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BaĆa do Sancho is the beach most people picture when they imagine Fernando de Noronha, a cove cut into cliffs off the Brazilian coast, part of Pernambuco's marine national park. You reach it either by boat or by climbing down a metal stairway wedged into a crack in the rock, and either way the water below is clear enough to see the reef fish from the ledge above.
Praia do Satu
CaraĆva, Bahia, Brazil Ā· South America
Praia do Satu sits about three kilometers north of the car-free village of CaraĆva in southern Bahia, Brazil, past cliffs and a couple of small natural lagoons. There's no road in. Most people cross the Rio CaraĆva by canoe from the village, then walk the beach north, or hire a speedboat straight there. It's one of the quieter stops on this stretch of coast.