Estancia Vik José Ignacio

Estancia Vik José Ignacio is a Spanish colonial estancia built from scratch by architect Marcelo Daglio for owners Carrie and Alex Vik. Adobe walls and a red tin roof enclose a 4,600 m² structure, more than half of it open courtyard, covered walkway and herb garden. The estate runs across 1,600 hectares of rolling country, bordered by the Arroyo and Laguna José Ignacio, which reach the Atlantic a mile and a half away. Twelve suites fill two wings, eight at 47 m² on the ground floor and four upper Master Suites near 84 m², each with its own patio access and outdoor shower. Every suite carries original work by a contemporary Uruguayan artist, chosen with curator Enrique Badaró Nadal. In the main living room, a white marble sculpture by Pablo Atchugarry rises 3.5 metres toward a 300 m² ceiling painted by Clever Lara as a satellite view of the land. El Asador serves Uruguayan barbecue under a tin roof hung with paintings by Marcelo Legrand. A brick-vaulted dining room, built without mortar, leads down to a wine cellar under a suspended glass floor. Outside, a 20-metre granite pool runs along the south lawn, its floor set with fibre-optic lights. Guests ride with gauchos across open pampa, fish the lagoon, or play polo and golf on the estate's own ground. Punta del Este airport is a half-hour drive along the coast.