![rocha_uruguay](https://images.suitcasemag.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/10190953/why-uruguay-is-top-of-our-2022-travel-list_6530cd60a76de.jpeg)
1. Its coastline is pristine and (genuinely) untouched
“Untouched” might just be the most flexibly used word in modern
travel writing but, in the case of Uruguay’s coastline, it is
appropriately employed. One of the least-populated shores in the
world, the country’s entire south-east coast is laced with pristine
beaches that are empty for 10 months of the year. Coastal towns
range from hippie hideaways like Rocha, near the Brazilian border,
to pounding Punta del Este – dancefloor to South America’s starry
elite – and José Ignacio, a chilled-out fishing village that’s home
to Posada
Ayana, an artist’s retreat we’ve earmarked as our favourite
waterfront bolthole-to-book.