Mountains. Spectacular. Distant. Intimidating.
In Uruguay, not so much. A country not really known for it’s mountains, since there aren’t any here. However, on our way from Punta del Diablo down to Punta del Este, we made a brief detour to visit the country’s highest point. A hill which rises to a respectable 513.66m above sea level, it’s easily accessible from a nearby track. The area is full of wind turbines, so the road surface is surprisingly good.
We passed through Rocha, and a few minor hamlets along the route. Sleepy towns where it looks like nothing much has changed in decades.
There’s a small parking area at the top of the hill, and a sign marking the spot. It’s been hit by more than a few shotgun blasts. There is no gap in the fence, so we squeezed through.
A very brief walk led up to the rock formation which gives the hill its name – Cerro Catedral, “Cathedral mountain”. These sort of outcrops are fairly common in the area. It might remind you a bit of the Burren, in Co. Clare.
At the top, a small concrete triangulation point marks the spot.
Here I am being the highest thing in Uruguay.
We did our flag thing, warmed up with a flask of tea, and returned to the car. We can tick that one off the list!
Country high points visited (As of 2016):
We were rewarded with a distant lightning strike, on the way down. As a detour on our way somewhere else, it was well worth the visit.
Louco Barato 🇧🇷 🇮🇪 