La Posada del Faro

Aegean-style holiday home turned boutique guesthouse on a sandy bluff overlooking the beach in chic and fashionable Jose Ignacio

Cloth awnings flap like sails in the sea breeze. A stripe of sand beckons beyond the dunes. Smiling staff serve early afternoon breakfast under a bamboo pergola by the pool complete with swim up bar. This unpretentious all-white inn still feels like a private home in the (once sleepy) fishing village of Jose Ignacio complete with historic lighthouse (faro), 35km west of brash Punta del Este. José García-Arocena extended his own family’s summer home to include 15 rooms, all but three with private decks or balconies overlooking the pool and unspoiled beach, 50 metres beyond. Expect rustic-chic cosy comfort - whitewashed walls, plank floors, sheet-draped loveseats, cushioned sun loungers - punctuated with sleek marble bathrooms and occasional splashes of colour.

Charming Jose Ignacio, Punta del Este’s quaint, quirky and deliciously exclusive alter ego, insists on its lack of nightlife and neon, and draws le tout beau monde to restaurants owned by celebrated South American chefs and pristine beaches to west and east of its small peninsula. Surf, shop and dine like there’s no tomorrow.

Highs

• Just 50 metres from quieter Playa La Mansa with rock pools and bluffs, which faces into the sunset; close to feistier waves on the equally beautiful but busier Playa La Brava
• Far from (condo-central) Punta, yet an easy drive to its after-hours action if you're so disposed
• The mellow atmosphere and personalised make-yourself-at-home service
• All but three rustic-elegant rooms have a private deck or balcony and second-storey rooms have ocean views; some have fireplaces, too
• The pool has a swim-up bar, and there's a multi-level shaded pool deck with candlelit conversation areas
• Open year-round: come in the low season for cheaper prices and tranquil empty beaches; make the most of the great Beach Club serving cocktails, drinks, bar snacks in high season

Lows

• Over Christmas there's a 10-night minimum stay - and it gets booked up many months ahead
• It's expensive in high season too
• Noise is restricted post-midnight; if you love partying till dawn, you’ll be happier staying in Punta
• It's deadly dull off-season (or blessedly peaceful, depending on your perspective) and many restaurants close
• If you want to explore the coastline you will need a car, although the Posada can book taxis for you and there are regular buses to Punta and beyond