La Esmeralda, Uruguay facts for kids

Quick facts for kids La Esmeralda
Beach Town
La Esmeralda, Uruguay Location in Uruguay
Country	Uruguay
Department	Rocha Department
Elevation	37 m (121 ft)
Population  (2011)
• Total	57
Time zone	UTC -3

La Esmeralda is a lovely beach town located in the Rocha Department of Uruguay. It's a popular spot for people looking to enjoy the seaside.

History

The story of La Esmeralda began in 1949. At that time, people started planting trees on the sand dunes to make the area more stable.

Later, in the 1970s, the landowners saw how beautiful the area was. They realized it could be a great place for tourists. So, they divided the land into small pieces called solares, which are like empty plots of land. These plots were meant for building summer homes.

Even though it's still a quiet and natural place, more and more tourists have been visiting La Esmeralda. There are even plans to build a casino and a fancy five-star hotel in the future.

Geography

La Esmeralda is located in the southeastern part of Uruguay. It's about 280 kilometers (174 miles) northeast of Montevideo, which is the capital city. It's also 154 kilometers (96 miles) northeast of the popular resort city of Punta del Este. The town of Chuy is about 61 kilometers (38 miles) to the southwest.

The town sits on a narrow strip of land called an isthmus. This strip is only about 3,000 meters (1.86 miles) wide. It's located between the Laguna Negra (a black lagoon) and the South Atlantic Ocean. This area is part of the Rocha Department Wetlands, which UNESCO declared a Biosphere Reserve in 1976. This means it's a special place protected for its nature.

Close to La Esmeralda, you can find other interesting places to visit. These include La Pedrera, Valizas, Cabo Polonio, Punta del Diablo, the Fortaleza de Santa Teresa (a historic fort), La Coronilla, the Fuerte de San Miguel, and the city of Chuy.

The land in La Esmeralda is gently rolling, which gives you amazing views of the ocean. The area is also covered with many trees, like pines, eucalyptus, and acacia. These trees helped to keep the sand dunes from moving around.

Climate

La Esmeralda is in the southern part of the world, where it has four different seasons. In the summer, from December to February, the temperatures usually range from 21 to 27 degrees Celsius (70 to 81 degrees Fahrenheit). During the winter, from June to August, temperatures are cooler, typically between 10 and 16 degrees Celsius (50 to 61 degrees Fahrenheit).

Population

In 2011, La Esmeralda had 57 people who lived there all the time. There were also 240 houses, and this number has been growing each year. During the summer, many more people come to stay because of tourism.

Source: Instituto Nacional de Estadística de Uruguay

In La Esmeralda, you can find a police station and a fire department. There are also places for visitors to stay, a restaurant, and several shops.

See also

In Spanish: La Esmeralda (Uruguay) para niños