Punta del Diablo has no high-rises and no ATMs, and the waves are audible at any time, from any point in town.

BBC: Uruguay��s laid-back surfing devil

Time spent in Punta del Diablo is time spent on the beach, rather than party-hopping, as it is in Punta del Este.

BBC: Uruguay��s laid-back surfing devil

Punta del Diablo attracts a bohemian crowd from across Latin America, as well as backpackers who stop along their route through South America.

BBC: Uruguay��s laid-back surfing devil

While other South American beaches might top Punta del Diablo in wave height or blueness of the water, few compare in terms of tranquillity.

BBC: Uruguay��s laid-back surfing devil

Punta del Diablo also is situated about 175km from flashy Punta del Este, where the stylish set from bordering countries like Argentina descend to party during the summer.

BBC: Uruguay��s laid-back surfing devil

The town is peppered with basic houses painted in a kaleidoscope of colours, and the sandy dirt roads that criss-cross Punta del Diablo can still be traversed in about an hour on foot.

BBC: Uruguay��s laid-back surfing devil