We'll be going back to this area tomorrow, and trying Patricio's posada, which has opened now - will let you know!
First published in International Living, May 2007
www.internationalliving.com

November 2006

Ask people in the U.K. what they know about Uruguay, and they will probably answer “Football”. Some may know Punta del Este, the glitzy resort which comes to life for two months annually when film stars and botoxed Cleopatra-coiffed Argentinean beauties flock over from Buenos Aires.

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But in the northern province of Rivera, a five-hour drive from Montevideo and about as far from Punta as you can get, is an undiscovered gem: the Valle del Lunarejo.

This valley boasts no fancy hotels, casinos, restaurants, or spas. So what makes it special? Precisely that. Few tourists have reached this rugged, sparsely populated corner.

I travelled there recently, and met Mario, Patricio and Alpahuaca, three farmers who have joined forces to try to develop ecotourism in the area. Their valley is home to one of the few remaining natural woodlands in Uruguay, and is rich in flora and fauna. And quiet.

Patricio has taken out a loan to buy and convert a one hundred-year-old schoolhouse into a posada – an inn – which will have simple but comfortable en-suite bedrooms when it opens around April. Among the many birds we saw in the lagoon beside it were spoonbills, jacanas and southern screamers.

We drove twenty kilometres across the rocky terrain to the edge of the valley, and scrambled down to the river. On a rocky ledge we saw eggs in a buff-necked ibis’ nest. The river had big deep pools perfect for a dip.

We went to Mario’s home for lunch, and were welcomed by his wife and four children, who had barbecued a lamb for us. After lunch we rode horses to “the balcony”, another part of the valley falling steeply into woodland below. We swam in the river and showered under a small but powerful waterfall.

That evening we consumed more meat and sipped maté, the typical Uruguayan tea sipped from a calabash through a silver straw. A sheep wandered into the living-room, and Maria, Mario’s youngest, bottle-fed her.
I slept at Mario’s house – probably a couple of his children vacated their bedroom for me. Next morning I helped Mario milk a cow for our morning’s milk.

Mario and his friends are determined to preserve the environment, but they want to share their treasure and their knowledge of the local flora, fauna, geography and geology. They already offer informal walking tours and horse treks to passing visitors who stumble on them. When Mario’s posada opens, access will be easier. The area is close to a regular bus service from Montevideo, and Rivera, seventy kilometres to the north, has a small international airport.

The area should not get overrun, since it is within private property. Fortunately, the hoards who visit Punta del Este are not interested in quiet holidays. Meanwhile, if you want a spot which is absolutely unspoilt, and northern Uruguay is on your itinerary, contact balconesdellunarejo@hotmail.com. You may be the first guests at Patricio’s posada, and you will receive a warm welcome.

Daily buses link Montevideo with Rivera and Tacuarembo.
Rivera is also linked to Montevideo by plane.