Estancia Vik José Ignacio

Estancia Vik stands on 4,000 acres of rolling countryside outside José Ignacio, on the Atlantic coast of Uruguay some 20 kilometres north-east of Punta del Este. The Uruguayan architect Marcelo Daglio built it as a traditional Spanish colonial estancia, with white adobe walls and red tin roofs, and more than half of its 50,000 square feet is open courtyards, gardens, covered walkways and an herb garden. Inside, it is a showcase for contemporary Uruguayan art. A marble sculpture by Pablo Atchugarry, 12 feet tall, stands in the living room beneath a painted ceiling by Clever Lara that maps José Ignacio, Punta del Este and Montevideo. The 12 suites sit in two wings, each with original work made for that room, and the four master suites upstairs have outdoor showers on their patios. A 20-metre pool of black granite is lit from below to mirror the southern night sky. Days go to riding Criollo horses across the plains with gauchos, polo, canoeing and fishing on the lagoon, tennis on grass courts and long afternoons at the asado in the parrilla. The ocean lies about two kilometres away.