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By
PAOLA SINGER
Published: November 9, 2008
Photos
Horacio Paone for The New York Times
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 compared to St.-Tropez.
But in the last five years, José Ignacio has evolved into arguably
the chicest spot in Latin America, favored by jet-setters from around
the world.
“It seemed like a lot of people were coming here,” said
Mike Rosenthal, a Los Angeles fashion photographer who’s a frequent
guest on “America’s Next Top Model.” Mr. Rosenthal
heard about José Ignacio from a friend, and then logged into
A Small World, an invitation-only social networking site, for the
latest hearsay. “From the food to the music to the way people
live,” Mr. Rosenthal said, “it’s all very European.”
Typical days include leisurely lunches at 3 p.m., late afternoons
sunbathing at the beach (the sun sets at about 9:30 this time of year),
midnight dinners of braised lamb and sweet potatoes, and late-night
parties given by luxury brands like Lacoste or Chivas Regal at beachfront
tents.
But that’s a small part of the allure. Except for a few frenetic
weeks after Christmas, when the social high season leaves no time
for siestas, José Ignacio remains a sleepy place. The only
sounds are of Atlantic waves crashing and the winds whistling. Noisy
discothèques are forbidden and parties have a 2 a.m. curfew.
“If people want a busier place, they go to Punta del Este,”
said Martín Pittaluga, an owner of La Huella, a fashionable
beach shack where everyone goes — not just for the fresh seafood
and clericó (a white sangría), but to see old and new
friends.
Indeed, José Ignacio’s newfound cachet owes much to the
development (some say overdevelopment) of its splashier sibling only
20 miles away. “Punta,” as everyone calls it, is starting
to look a lot like Miami Beach these days, full of gleaming condos,
megachain hotels, expensive stores and loud discos.
Sure, there remain abundant forested lands and long stretches of uncluttered
beaches around Punta. But José Ignacio appeals to those who
prefer the wittingly bohemian, informal atmosphere of dirt roads,
hand-painted street signs, mom-and-pop boutiques and bed-and-breakfasts.
“There are fewer tourists; it’s less commercial,”
said a London banker, Sophie Slade, her long legs crossed elegantly
while she sipped espresso at Casa Suaya, a new boutique hotel that
faces the grassy sand dunes of Brava Beach. “It’s kept
its old style.”
That style goes all the way back to 1877, when a lighthouse was erected
on a rocky peninsula that became José Ignacio. For much of
the 1900s, the area remained uninhabited, though a small group of
high-society families from Montevideo and Buenos Aires began summering
there in the 1970s, and built Mediterranean-style homes by the sea.
Still, the village stayed under the radar for most of the ’90s.
Among the first celebrities to show up was Mirtha Legrand, an Argentine
movie and television star best known for a long-running daytime show.
She was soon followed by other boldface names like the musician Fito
Páez and the hotelier Alan Faena. Shakira, the Latin pop star,
owns a ranch nearby and the British writer Martin Amis lived here
for several years to escape the “world hum,” as he told
a British newspaper in 2002.
Upscale dining, art galleries and boutique inns soon followed. Buzzing
restaurants include Marismo and Namm, both hidden down a winding dusty
road, surrounded by a thick forest of pines, eucalyptuses and acacias.
Marismo, known for its slow-braised lamb, is strictly alfresco, with
candlelit tables set around a bonfire on the sand. Namm, which serves
sushi and grilled meats, is housed in a wooden hut furnished with
dim lanterns, low tables and pillowed bench seats.
The more secluded the location, the more appealing it seems. A case
in point is La Caracola, a private club on an otherwise deserted beach
accessible only by boat. Guests such as Giuseppe Cipriani, the renowned
restaurateur and playboy, spend the day there drinking caipirinhas
and nibbling on empanadas by the shore, followed by long lunches of
barbecued beef and freshly caught fish.
While much of José Ignacio retains a laid-back, hideaway vibe,
locals are concerned about development. Going up a few minutes from
town is Laguna Escondida, a sprawling 200-unit lakefront resort being
built by the Florida real estate mogul Jorge Perez.
And all eyes are on a luxury Setai hotel that will include a 25,000-square-foot
beachfront lodge, 10 rental villas and 40 residences, set to open
just outside the village in 2010. As a preview, the Setai opened a
restaurant and lounge inside a large Moroccan-themed tent that has
been frequented by scene stealers like the polo champion Ignacio Figueras,
also known as the face of Ralph Lauren’s Polo Black fragrance.
“Some people say José Ignacio is growing too fast, but
it still feels like a small town,” said Adolfo Suaya, a restaurateur
from Los Angeles who opened Casa Suaya. Although his hotel attracts
a fair share of celebrities like the recent guests Naomi Watts and
the Formula One racer Michael Schumacher, Mr. Suaya is not worried
about overcrowding.
“This place is like the Hamptons in the 1960’s,”
he said, “and it is going to stay the same for another 20 years.”
THE CLIENTELE IS JET SET, THE ATMOSPHERE LOW KEY
GETTING THERE
There are no direct flights to José Ignacio from New York.
Many visitors first fly into Buenos Aires, then switch to Aerolineas
Argentinas or Pluna airlines for a connecting flight to Punta del
Este. American Airlines offers direct flights to Buenos Aires starting
at about $900 for travel this month. Connecting flights on Pluna start
at about $240 in the high season. Driving from Punta del Este to José
Ignacio takes about 40 minutes. You can also fly into Montevideo,
Uruguay’s capital, and drive 100 miles. Rental cars are scarce
during the high season and must be booked in advance.
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