Entrepreneur Alex Vik may not have visited Uruguay until adulthood, but the South American country is firmly in his blood. Norway-born Alex’s grandfather was a high-ranking Uruguayan military official who made waves when he advocated for democracy during the country’s military dictatorship. The military junta reacted by appointing him ambassador to Mexico and then Norway, urging him to stay there.
Two generations later, Alex and his American wife Carrie have also caused ripples in Uruguay — though with a mission far more acceptable to the government.
Over the past five years, the visionary husband-and-wife team have opened two uber-luxury hotel properties in José Ignacio, a fishing village turned jetsetter hotspot near Punta del Este, and plan to open a third in April.
The Viks’ decision to develop luxury retreats in Uruguay was organic, not calculated. “We instantly fell in love with Uruguay — the horses, the endless fields, the coast,” explains Carrie. “We wanted to share it with our friends but realized there weren’t any high-end places to stay.”
Estancia Vik, which opened in 2009 (from $550), was the Vik family’s remedy to that problem. Set on a hill overlooking rolling fields and a sparkling laguna, the Spanish Colonial main building is the family’s homage to Uruguayan ranch life. But walk inside and it quickly becomes clear: Estancia Vik is not your average farmhouse.
Geodes jut from the walls of the living room whose ceiling is covered in colorful scenes of Uruguay from above inspired by Google Earth, while the corrugated tin walls of the barbeque area — the most sacred part of any Uruguayan ranch — are awash with abstract graffiti. A different contemporary Uruguayan artist designed each of the property’s 12 spacious guestrooms: the stunning “Master Suite Legrand” features a floor made of quebracho logs and a wall hung with hundreds of framed polymer paintings while seductive blondes gaze out at guests from the walls of the sultry “Musso Suite.”
Meanwhile, along with its posh guest quarters, Estancia Vik also includes ample equestrian activities including polo lessons on its world-renowned polo field.
Shortly after buying the land for Estancia Vik, the family decided to expand their local footprint with a second Uruguayan property. They commissioned Uruguayan starchitect Carlos Ott — who masterminded the Opéra de la Bastille in Paris — to help them with the design. So on a stunning beach-front parcel, Ott designed Playa Vik (from $750 for two) — six grass-topped, glass-and-steel villas that wind around a main building that the Viks refer to as “the sculpture.”
Guests enter the structure through an epic bronze door sculpted by Uruguayan artist Pablo Atchugarry reminiscent of gates that might have protected ancient Rome. A walk into the study reveals a James Turrell installation glowing from the wall and striking acrylic bench by Zaha Hadid. A few steps further into the living room and Playa Vik’s true highlight becomes clear: its view.
From the deck outside, a black granite infinity pool stretches precariously over the azure Atlantic Ocean. At night, small fiber-optic lights illuminate a celestial pattern on the pool’s smooth floor, allowing guests to feel as though they were swimming in the Milky Way.
From the pool deck, Alex points across the bay to the newest Vik ventures, La Susana restaurant, which opened in December, and Bahia Vik, which will have its soft opening in April (prices to be determined). Having envisioned a property that is slightly more organic than the avant-garde Playa Vik, the Viks worked with architects to design Bahia Vik’s 11 bungalows using various Uruguayan aesthetic styles nestled directly in the dunes. One will be made of the whitewashed adobe — the mainstay of Uruguay’s seaside architecture — another will be clad in titanium, and one will be covered entirely in sand.
While Bahia Vik will include its own restaurant, guests can also walk two minutes down the beach to experience the Vik’s new beachside restaurant, La Susana — named after Alex’s mother. In a relaxed wooden building decorated with Japanese manga cartoons and diverse Uruguayan art, diners can sample Executive Chef Marcelo Betancourt’s shrimp tartare, clay-oven baked salmon and specialty burger with blue cheese, mushrooms and onions.
GETTING THERE
American Airlines and Aerolineas Argentinas both have direct flights to Buenos Aires’ international airport (EZE). Visitors can then take an Aerolineas Argentinas flight without transferring airports, or transfer to Buenos Aires’ municipal airport (AEP) to fly to Punta Del Este (PDE). Jose Ignacio is approximately a one hour drive from the Punta Del Este airport.
EATING
La Huella: A Jose Ignacio institution as famous for its people watching as it is for its delicious seafood. Built on a dune steps from Playa Brava, reservations are a must at this pulsing joint, which hawks up fresh gazpacho, crispy octopus and buttery grilled seabass. Meal: $60-70 with wine, appetizer and main. Calle de Los Cisnes, José Ignacio 20402, Uruguay; +011 598 4486 2279
La Caracola: Run by the La Huella team, La Caracola is a dining club set on a tiny island ten minutes drive from José Ignacio. Space is limited to 30 guests, who are boated across a lagoon to a private beach and plied with as much clerico, seafood and meat as they’d like for a set rate of $180. A whole day affair, guests normally arrive around 2 p.m. and leave around 8 p.m. All-inclusive price: $180; Ruta 10, km 185; e-mail reservations; 011 598 9422 3015
Marismo: A few miles from Jose Ignacio up a dusty road sits Marismo, a Jose Ignacio gem. Candles are the main source of light and pines the only source of cover in this fully al-fresco restaurant that serves up slow-braised lamb and seafood. Prepare to get lost a few times trying to find it, no signs mark Marismo’s presence nor does it have a real address. Ruta 10 Km 185 | 200 meters to the left, Jose Ignacio, Uruguay, 011 598 42-486-2273.
BEACHING
Playa Brava: Models in barely-there bikinis and their oglers abound on this beach, which is the place to see and be seen. Bring a towel as beach chairs run around $40 in this popular spot.
Playa Mansa: Quieter than Playa Brava, Playa Mansa’s location on the western side of José Ignacio’s peninsula makes this beach the best place in town to watch the sunset.
SHOPPING
Mutate: Tucked behind Jose Ignacio’s most popular coffee shop, Mutate (meaning “astound yourself”) sells a curated mix of men and women’s clothing, vintage accessories and trinkets. José Ignacio Town. Café de la place. (frente a la plaza). 011 598 0486 2585
El Canuto: Located steps from Playa Vik near Jose Ignacio’s iconic lighthouse, El Canuto stocks an impeccable collection of easy-breezy beachwear and handmade jewelry in a beautiful rustic environment. Calle Los Cisnes s/n esq. Los Horneros, Playa Mansa, José Ignacio, Uruguay; + 011 598 48 62 028.