Monument · Punta del Este, Uruguay
La Mano de Punta del Este
La Mano (The Hand) is a sculpture in Punta del Este by Chilean artist Mario Irarrázabal. Built 1982.
Photo: María Cecilia via Wikimedia Commons, CC0. Cropped and resized for display.
Landmark facts
| Location | Punta del Este, Uruguay |
|---|---|
| Type | Monument |
| Built | 1982 |
| Architect | Mario Irarrázabal |
| Coordinates | 34.9579° S, 54.9372° W |
Every fact above is taken from the sources listed below; anything no source states is left blank rather than guessed.
What La Mano de Punta del Este is known for
La Mano (The Hand) is a sculpture in Punta del Este by Chilean artist Mario Irarrázabal.
About La Mano de Punta del Este
La Mano (The Hand) is a sculpture in Punta del Este by Chilean artist Mario Irarrázabal. It depicts five human fingers partially emerging from sand and is located on Parada 1 at Brava Beach in Punta del Este, a popular tourist town in Uruguay. It is a famous sculpture that has become a symbol for Punta del Este since its completion in February 1982 and in turn has become one of Uruguay's most recognizable landmarks.
History
The sculpture was made by Chilean artist Mario Irarrázabal during the summer of 1982, while he was attending the first annual International Meeting of Modern Sculpture in the Open Air in Punta del Este. There were nine sculptors, and he was the youngest one. He was inspired to make a sculpture of a hand "drowning" as a warning to swimmers, as the waters at La Barra up the beach had rougher waves. While Irarrázabal had the entire summer to complete the project, he managed to finish in the first six days, despite facing minor delays due to the strong southeast wind which is common in Punta del Este.
How to get there
| Nearest town | Punta del Este |
|---|---|
| Nearest airport | Capitan Corbeta CA Curbelo International Airport (PDP) |
| Distance from the airport | 11.2 miles (straight line) |
Nearest major airport by straight-line distance from the landmark’s coordinates; road distance will be longer.
Airports near this landmark
The airports a visitor would actually fly into, nearest first — each link opens its profile on our sister site AirportProfiles.
- Carrasco General Cesáreo L. Berisso International Airport (MVD) · Ciudad de la Costa, Uruguay · 62.3 miles away
Landmarks nearby
The closest landmarks in this library, by straight-line distance.
More landmarks in Uruguay
More monuments
Frequently asked questions
What is La Mano de Punta del Este?
La Mano (The Hand) is a sculpture in Punta del Este by Chilean artist Mario Irarrázabal.
Where is La Mano de Punta del Este located?
La Mano de Punta del Este is in Punta del Este, Uruguay. Its coordinates are 34.9579° S, 54.9372° W.
How do I get to La Mano de Punta del Este?
The nearest town is Punta del Este, and the nearest airport is Capitan Corbeta CA Curbelo International Airport (PDP), about 11.2 miles away (straight line).
When was La Mano de Punta del Este built?
La Mano de Punta del Este was built 1982.
Sources
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_Mano_de_Punta_del_Este — Wikipedia article — overview, history and core facts (CC BY-SA).
- https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q6906958 — Wikidata — built year, architect, height/size, visitors, official website (CC0).
- https://github.com/jbrooksuk/JSON-Airports — Nearest major airport computed from landmark and airport coordinates (haversine); airport list: jbrooksuk/JSON-Airports.
Page last updated 13 November 2026.