La Floresta, Uruguay facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
La Floresta
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City
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 La Floresta, Uruguay
Location in Uruguay
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| Country |  Uruguay |
| Department | Canelones Department |
| Municipality | Municipality of La Floresta |
| Founded | 1909 |
| Population
(2011)
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| • Total | 1,595 |
| Time zone | UTC -3 |
| Postal code |
16200
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| Dial plan | +598 437 (+5 digits) |
La Floresta is a cool city and a popular vacation spot in Uruguay. It's located on the Costa de Oro (which means "Coast of Gold") in the Canelones Department.
The name La Floresta also refers to the larger area, or municipality, that includes the city. This municipality covers several other resorts along the Costa de Oro, stretching east towards the border of the Maldonado Department.
Contents
Where is La Floresta?
La Floresta is about 54 kilometers (about 33 miles) east of Montevideo, the capital city of Uruguay. It's separated from a place called Parque del Plata by a small stream called Arroyo Solís Chico. To its east, La Floresta shares a border with the resort of Costa Azul, with the Arroyo Sarandí stream between them.
History of La Floresta
La Floresta started in 1909 thanks to a person named Dr. Miguel Perea. He was a lawyer and also started several banks. Dr. Perea began planting many pine and eucalyptus trees on a large sandy area. This area was between the Sarandí and Solís Chico streams, and it stretched from a town called Mosquitos (now known as Soca) all the way to the River Plate.
In March 1911, this new area became a tourist resort. It was known for its many trees and as a great place for swimming. They called it La Floresta, which means "The Forest." By 1920, most of the resort was finished.
One of the most important buildings, the Hotel La Floresta, opened on January 3, 1915. It was the tallest building in the resort and was made even bigger in stages until 1921. The hotel used to have a casino, which closed in the early 2000s. It also had a movie theater that still shows films during the summer months.
Even as the town grew, the tree planting continued. By 1918, an amazing one million trees had been planted! In 1936, a second large hotel was built in La Floresta. This building later became a condominium, where people own individual apartments.
Also in 1936, electricity came to the resort, making life much easier. Between 1945 and 1950, the streets were paved, making them smoother for travel.
In December 1940, La Floresta was officially recognized as a populated area by a special law (Ley N° 9.974). Then, on December 3, 1969, La Floresta officially became a city by another law (Ley N° 13.806). As more people moved to La Floresta and nearby areas, a local grammar school (a type of high school) was built in 1974. Many people living in La Floresta today are descendants of the very first settlers.
People of La Floresta
In 2011, a census showed that 1,595 people lived in La Floresta. However, in 2010, the local government (the Intendencia de Canelones) recorded a larger population of 6,561 for the entire municipality during elections.
Here's how the population has changed over the years:
| Year | Population |
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| 1963 | 566 |
| 1975 | 853 |
| 1985 | 959 |
| 1996 | 1,211 |
| 2004 | 1,109 |
| 2004 | 1,595 |
Source: Instituto Nacional de Estadística de Uruguay (National Institute of Statistics of Uruguay)
Fun Things to Do in La Floresta
La Floresta's main street, Treinta y Tres Avenue, has lots of different shops. A very important cultural place to visit is the Monumental Sanctuary of the Virgin of the Flowers. It's located about a kilometer north of La Floresta.
Many middle-class people from Uruguay, as well as visitors from Argentina and Paraguay, love to spend their summer vacations in La Floresta.
Cultural Activities
The Liga de Fomento of La Floresta (which means the Development League of La Floresta) works to promote cultural events. For example, they organized the first and second International Biennial Sculptures Encounter. These events were held in January 2005 and January 2007.
At the first Sculptures Encounter, many artists from different countries came. These included Juan Carlos Mercury and Adriana Baddi from Argentina, Beatriz Carbonell from Spain, Eddy Walrave and Erik Verhelst from Belgium, Brenda Oakes from Wales, and Giorgio Carlevaro from Uruguay. For over ten days, people could watch these invited sculptors carve large pieces of granite into amazing sculptures. This allowed everyone to see many different modern sculptures being created and as finished artworks. Soccer is also a very popular sport that people all over Uruguay enjoy playing.
Places to Visit and Worship
- Parish Church of the Blessed Luigi Orione (Roman Catholic, run by the Sons of Divine Providence)
- Shrine of the Virgin of the Flowers in Estación Floresta (Roman Catholic)
Images for kids
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A view of the Virgin of the Flowers shrine.
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Another angle of the Santuario Virgen de las Flores.
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The Shrine of the Virgin of the Flowers located in Estación La Floresta.
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A closer look at the Santuario in Estación La Floresta.
See also
In Spanish: La Floresta (Uruguay) para niños
