Playa Chihuahua

Playa Chihuahua is Uruguay's most famous naturist beach and the heart of the gay scene around Punta del Este. Set on Portezuelo bay off Ruta 10 (around km 115.5), a short drive west of the peninsula and near the Laguna del Sauce airport, it has been an informal nude beach since the 1960s and was officially authorised for naturism by the Maldonado authorities in 2012. The roughly two-kilometre sweep of sand draws a mixed naturist crowd, with the western dunes long established as the gay gathering area. The gay-men-only Undarius Hotel sits just behind it. Busiest from December through February, it is quiet and low-key off-season. Uruguay is very safe, though guides suggest avoiding the wooded areas alone late in the day.