Piriápolis
| Piriápolis | |
|---|---|
| City | |
 |
|
 Piriápolis
|
|
| Coordinates: 34°54′0″S 55°17′0″W / 34.90000°S 55.28333°WCoordinates: 34°54′0″S 55°17′0″W / 34.90000°S 55.28333°W | |
| Country |
 Uruguay
|
| Department | Maldonado Department |
| Founded | 1890 |
| Founded by | Francisco Piria |
| Area | |
| • Total | 25 km2 (10 sq mi) |
| Population (2011) | |
| • Total | 8,830 |
| Time zone | UTC -3 |
| Postal code | 20200 |
| Dial plan | +598 443 (+5 digits) |
| Climate | Cfa |
Piriápolis is a city in the Maldonado Department of Uruguay. It is an important summer resort in the country, predating the larger and better known resort town of Punta del Este. Because it is mainly used as a resort, it has a relatively small permanent population for a city of its size.
Piriápolis is also the name of the municipality to which the city belongs. It includes the following zones: Piriápolis, Playa Grande, Playa Hermosa, Playa Verde, Punta Colorada, San Francisco, Punta Negra, Sauce de Portezuelo, Ocean Park, Barra de Portezuelo, La Capuera, Puntas de la Sierra, La Falda, Miramar, Colonia V. Suárez, Sierras del Tirol.
It is located on the coast of Río de la Plata, on Route 10 and its intersection with Route 37. It is about 100 kilometres (62 mi) east of the national capital, Montevideo (via Ruta Interbalnearia and Route 37).
Piriápolis was founded on 5 November 1890 by Francisco Piria. Its initial name was El Balneario del Porvenir (the Resort of the Future). In 1890, Piria had bought a very big stretch of land, including the hills Cerro Pan de Azúcar, Cerro del Inglés and Cerro del Toro, all the way south to the beach. In 1897 he finished the construction of his personal residence, Piria´s Castle, in 1905 the construction of "Hotel Piriápolis", today known as "Colonia Escolar de Vacaciones", in 1910 he constructed the coastal avenue Rambla de los Argentinos, and in 1912 he started selling the first building lots. In 1913 he established a scenic steam train line joining the (under construction) Port of Piriápolis with the Cerro Pan de Azúcar. The construction of the port finished in 1916. From 1920 to 1930 he constructed the Argentino Hotel, one of the biggest hotels of South America of the times. When Piria died in 1933, his natural and legal children started fighting each other over the inheritance.
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Wikipedia