The glamorous resort town of Punta del Este, Uruguay, attracts ritzy crowds from Argentina, Brazil, and beyond.
With high-end hotels, casinos, restaurants, and nightlife all down the beachfront, it shouldn't come as a surprise that Punta del Este is known as the "Monaco of the South" and the "Hamptons of South America."
December, being the height of summer in Uruguay, is when Punta del Este is at its liveliest — in fact, it's mostly empty for much of the rest of the year. It's also when hotels are at their most expensive, but budget travelers have found plenty of free or cheap things to do there.