A resort named José

A resort named José

When the socialites are in town, don't bother trying to park anywhere near Brava Beach in José Ignacio. The dirt roads are narrow, the Porsches wide, and there are too many drivers anxiously vying for a spot. After all, everyone's eager to check out the scene unfolding by the shore: models in micro bikinis, wealthy Americans trying hard not to stare, European bon vivants staring unabashedly, and Argentine beauties blowing air kisses every which way.

To the old timers of José Ignacio, a small village on the southern coast of Uruguay, the traffic jams are something of a shock. Not long ago, this was a sleepy fishing outpost, a refuge for loners and the occasional celebrity seeking to escape the paparazzi in nearby Punta del Este, a glamorous playground often ucompared to St.-Tropez.

mehr: http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/11/13/travel/09next.php