Many Uruguayans consider this department to have the best beaches in the country. With a coastline that stretches over 180 kilometers with ocean beaches, some of them unknown to visitors, make this a great attraction for tourists. The most well known are: Punta del Diablo, Cabo Polonio, La Pedrera, and La Paloma.

Other places that should not be missed while visiting this department are: La Fortaleza de Santa Teresa, and El Fortín de San Miguel.

Rocha also has hills, palm groves, sand dunes, cliffs, shipwrecks and great lagoons that are the biggest fresh water natural reserves in the country.

LA PALOMA.
La Paloma (The Dove) is a small city famous for the great sunsets at the beach La Balconada. Many surfers chose this place for its waves. And many bird watchers also visit its lagoons for the variety and diversity of birds there.

SANTA TERESA FORTRESS (FORTALEZA DE SANTA TERESA).
Constructed in 1762, it is an exciting testimony of the clashes in these lands between Spanish and Portuguese. Nowadays it is the epicenter of the National Park Santa Teresa, which receives thousands of visitors at its camping site during the summer season.

SAN MIGUEL FORTRESS (FORTALEZA DE SAN MIGUEL).
Its construction began in 1734 by the Spanish army and was finished by the Portuguese. Fortaleza de San Miguel has a square format and is smaller than the Santa Teresa one. Inside the fortress, its rooms are carefully set to the epoch. It is located within the National Park San Miguel, with swamps that shelters important ecosystems.

CABO POLONIO.
A tiny village, surrounded by hundreds of marine wolves, next to a lighthouse and without electricity, attracts thousands of tourist during the summer season, that can only access it through dunes with special vehicles.

PUNTA DEL DIABLO.
The most famous resort of the Uruguayan coast after Punta del Este. A small fishermen town during the winter, turns to a crowded resort with hotels, restaurants and plenty of night life from January through March.