Garzón, Uruguay (2025)

The old warehouse 'La Pulperia' in the small town of Garzón, Uruguay. It is now converted into a designer shop called 'La Casa de las Hermanas', sometimes also hosting art exhibitions. Some people say "There's an energy that doesn't exist anywhere else in the world. it's a mix of light, the people, authenticity, simplicity of life, tranquility, solitude and beauty."

Plaza Garzón is the centre of the small town of Garzón, Uruguay. As in most rural communities in Uruguay, the main town square is the main focus of activity. There you will find the church, the town hall, a social club, an old warehouse converted into a designer shop, Mallmann's restaurant and a museum-café opened by two of his daughters.

Garzón first became a place about a century ago, when farmers and ranchers flooded eastward from Montevideo towards Brazil. They erected a small pueblo (town) that didn't get a name until 1935. By the 1960s, after a new highway was finished, the population had plummeted from around 2.000 to less than 200. Over the past decade Garzón’s abandoned homes opened up as high-end restaurants, wine bars and art galleries. Jet-setters from around the world began flooding in, enchanted by its unpaved streets and time-warp nostalgia.

This yellow & white building is one of the more modern buildings in the small town of Garzón, Uruguay. It serves as the Garzón Recreational and Social Club.

Garzón is a hidden town with silent visitors. It was not discovered, it was revived. Garzón became a refuge with a wide gastronomic, wine tourism and artistic offer. There are numerous art galleries and design shops: there are as many as there are houses.

Uruguay is a mainly catholic country and as such every little town has its own church or chapel in this case. This here is the small Catholic chapel called 'Our Lady of Mercy Chapel in Garzón' in the small town of Garzón, Uruguay.

Garzón is the place where time has stood still. A centuries-old land with the same 18 blocks since its foundation, the same 57 houses and the same 59 ranches. A town that changed without expressing it, a town where silence, its main charm, seems to want to say something.

We really loved visiting the old Pueblo Garzón Train Station in the little town of Garzón, Uruguay.. It is no longer in use but has been restored to its former glory using the original colours.

Trains have not stopped there for half a century. At the back, rusty tracks stretch into an empty horizon, long buried under grass. Two abandoned wagons joined through a wooden walkway offer a space to emerging Latin American artists.

The platform of the Pueblo Garzón Train Station in the little town of Garzón, Uruguay.

The tracks, once bustling with the sounds of trains, now lie silent, creating an eerie yet fascinating atmosphere. As you stroll along the rusted rails, you'll be surrounded by lush greenery and the tranquil beauty of the Uruguayan landscape, making it an ideal spot for photography enthusiasts and nature lovers alike. The juxtaposition of the decaying infrastructure against the vibrant natural backdrop provides a unique perspective on the passage of time.