Laguna Garzon Lodge — Hotel in Maldonado

We had been previously for drinks and tea or a meal but this year we had a wonderful few nights stay during Easter week at the end of March 2018. In fact we enjoyed it so much that we requested 2 more nights and luckily they had room for us for the week nights so our 2 night stay became a 4 night stay! The room was gorgeous - we had one of the cabins for 3 people which was perfect for us and our 15 year old daughter. All the rooms are little floating cabins that you reach from the entrance and restaurant along boardwalks. My husband had a boot on one foot following Achilles' tendon surgery and had to take care at certain points but it was manageable! ||Pablo and Andy really look after the lodge and also the guests. it was great to talk to them about the special care they take of the wooden cabins in the water and also the care that they take with the beautiful lagoon where they are based. They obviously love it and appreciate what they have. We were extremely lucky to see a wonderful large otter-like animal come up to visit and sun bathe on the deck of one of the nearby cabins! We also enjoyed seeing the hundreds of birds and scenery around the lagoon when we went for a boat trip on the lagoon for several hours one day. ||Breakfasts were delicious and the restaurant terrace was special for teatime card games or chats! We had a couple of good evening meals but it was too chilly to be out on the terrace at night. There were a few restaurants still open (out of the main summer season) in nearby Jose Ignacio. The lodge has kayaks and other little boats. I didn't ask if they had bikes for hire but that would be fun and easy since the area is flat. ||All in all a superb, peaceful and renewing few days. Our 15 year old nature lover was in heaven and perfectly happy to be hanging out with us, reading books, instagramming the amazing photos...

My partner and I just spent three lovely and peaceful nights at the Laguna Garzon Lodge. Located about 20 minutes from the "Hamptons" like vibe of Jose Ignacio, and about 40 minutes from the Miami Beach frenzy of Punta del Este, Laguna Garzon consists of 12 rustic cabins that float on the Laguna Garzon, a bird and fish sanctuary. Each cabin has its own deck from which you can jump directly into the lagun, outfitted with beach chairs and a hammock. You can spend your days floating on your deck and rocking back and forth in your hammock, or go across the street to a pristine and virtually empty beach, whose brown sands and foamy white waves seem to stretch for miles. There are also certain water sports nearby. The lodge itself is informal, done in beachy chic, with repurposed materials, ie. old fishing baskets as lampshades. We took full advantage of the wonderful cook, who made us fresh meals each day (and made us feel like she was our personal chef). The staff is made up in part of members of the nearby fishing village, and their catch of the day is often on the menu. The staff went out of its way to accommodate our needs. ||I have only two caveats to this wonderful place: one, I highly recommend that you have a car, as we found taxi service (and Uber) to be expensive and often unavailable, and two, it would have been nice to have had a naturalist available who could have guided us through the wildlife in detail. Aside from those comments, this is truly a place for those looking for an alternative to the usual Uruguayan...

I spent three amazing nights at the Laguna Garzon Lodge, and I would return there in a heartbeat. If you're looking for a relaxing and beautiful spot to vacation, this is your place. The rooms are private floating cabanas, with comfy beds and the water to rock you to sleep at night. All of the rooms are positioned for greatest privacy, and don't share walls. The sunsets and stars at night were phenomenal. The owners and staff were so helpful and kind (including giving me a ride back to Punta del Este, which was such a lovely and generous surprise). There are no TVs, so if that's what you're looking for you're in the wrong place, but I didn't miss one as I caught up on my reading or simply sat on the deck and watched for wildlife (the otters were my favorite!). The beach is a short walk away, but I was just as happy sitting in my hammock on the patio. ||||I was there during the off-season, so there wasn't much activity, but that fit my goals of relaxation perfectly. I spent my days walking around the beautiful natural area and reading books in gorgeous spots. It really felt like paradise and was difficult to return to a city after being there.||||I would recommend having a car, particularly if you are travelling in the off-season. There simply weren't really food options within walking distance. The hotel staff were very willing to call me a cab into Jose Ignacio (about 8km away), so that is always an option, but there weren't...