Aerial view of the star-shaped stone fortress on a green hill, with woodland, a road and flat wetlands stretching behind

National park · Rocha Department

Santa Teresa National Park and Fortress

A forested coastal park run by the army near Punta del Diablo, with an 18th-century fortress, gardens, a huge campsite and quiet beaches

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Photo: Paulo Kopzinski (@kopzinski) / Unsplash

Discover Santa Teresa National Park and Fortress

Santa Teresa National Park stretches along the coast of northern Rocha, entered from Route 9 at kilometre 302. Around 1,400 of its roughly 3,000 hectares are wooded, with native and exotic trees from many parts of the world, crossed by roads and paths that lead to picnic areas, viewpoints and the sea. Entry is free, and the park has its own services, including a supermarket, restaurants, a bakery and emergency medical care.

On a rise inland stands the Fortaleza de Santa Teresa, a five-pointed stone fortress begun in 1762 and restored in the 20th century, whose rooms now hold a museum. Elsewhere in the park are a 1939 greenhouse of tropical plants with a small aquarium, a shade house and a rose garden with more than 300 varieties, a natural stone pool known as El Chorro, and a wildlife refuge with boardwalks through wetlands. Four beaches, Playa Grande, Playa del Barco, Playa Achiras and Playa La Moza, line the coast up to Cerro Verde.

Don’t miss

01The pentagonal Fortaleza de Santa Teresa with its museum, chapel, powder magazine and barracks
02A 1939 greenhouse of tropical plants, a shade house and a rose garden with over 300 varieties
03The wildlife refuge and wetland boardwalks, with peacocks roaming freely
04El Chorro, a stone-built natural pool
05Twelve kilometres of beaches, including Playa La Moza for surfing
06The Laguna de Peña lookout, a place to see capybaras and waterbirds

History & culture

The story of Santa Teresa National Park and Fortress

The fortress was started by the Portuguese in October 1762, on a strategic pass between the ocean and the marshes around the Laguna Negra, at a time of conflict with Spain over the borderlands of the Río de la Plata. The Spanish under Pedro de Cevallos soon took the site and built the present fortification, an irregular pentagon with bastions at each corner and a perimeter of 652 metres, completed in the mid-1770s. It changed hands several times, passing to the Orientales in 1825, and later served as a border watchpost and even a prison before being abandoned.

In the 1920s the historian Horacio Arredondo championed its restoration, which began in 1928, and the park grew up around it with large-scale tree planting and gardens. The fortress has housed a museum and welcomed visitors since the 1940s. The park is maintained by the national army.

Local life & traditions

Camping is central to the park's life: the campsite under the trees has 1,600 pitches for up to 10,000 people. Its supermarket, bakery and restaurants turn the park into a small seasonal village. Neighbouring Punta del Diablo, a village of fishermen and artisans, is within walking distance along the beach.

Things to do

Experience it like a local

Visitors explore the fortress, walking the walls past the cannons in their embrasures and seeing the commander's building, chapel, powder store, forge, infirmary and barracks, plus a museum with models of Uruguay's forts. Self-guided paths lead through the woods to the greenhouse and rose garden, the wildlife refuge and the Laguna de Peña lookout. On hot days people swim at El Chorro or head for the beaches: Playa del Barco is the quietest, Playa Achiras is easy to reach and good for fishing, and Playa La Moza has some of Uruguay's best surf. The campsite, cabins and hostel make it easy to stay several days.

When to go

Summer, from December to February, is the main season for camping and the beaches. From July to October, southern right whales pass along the Rocha coast and can be watched from Cerro Verde at the northern end of the park's coastline. The fortress and gardens can be visited all year.

Plan your visit

Verified information

Entry fee: Free entry to the park; campers must register and pay for their pitch. Source: turismorocha.gub.uy ↗
Visiting hours: Tuesday to Sunday, 08:00 to 18:00, as listed on the Rocha tourism portal (the page has not been fully updated recently, so confirm before visiting). Source: turismorocha.gub.uy ↗
Getting there: The only entrance is on Route 9 at km 302, between Punta del Diablo and La Coronilla. Source: turismorocha.gub.uy ↗
Camping: 1,600 pitches for up to 10,000 people, some rustic and some with electricity and water; houses, cabins and a hostel are also available and should be booked ahead. Source: turismorocha.gub.uy ↗
Rules: Animals and firearms are not allowed in the park, and feeding the animals of the wildlife refuge is prohibited. Source: turismorocha.gub.uy ↗

Checked against the sources on 31 October 2026. Opening times and fees can change — confirm before you go.

Travel tips

Leave pets at home; animals are not allowed in the park.
Check opening days before you go, as the park is listed as closed on Mondays.
Book cabins and houses well ahead for summer.
Do not feed the animals in the wildlife refuge.
Combine the fortress with a walk to Playa La Moza, about 800 metres away.

General guidance from our specialists, not official information.

Around Santa Teresa National Park and Fortress: food, markets & places to stay

Punta del Diablo lies at the park's southern edge, reached along Playa Grande. Across Route 9 is the Laguna Negra, a large coastal lagoon with small beaches and birdlife, and to the north the Cerro Verde viewpoint looks out over islands with sea lion colonies. La Coronilla and Chuy are further north towards Brazil.