How One Lucky Couple Is Preserving Paradise on the Coast of Uruguay They’re maintaining the legacy of the late architect Mario Connio, at his former seaside retreat. By Ana Karina Zatarain and produced by David M. Murphy Jan 6, 2021 Ricardo Labougle Once a remote getaway, the beachfront town of Punta del Este, in southern Uruguay, has met a fate similar to the world’s other ocean-facing utopias. Decades ago, private homes began to sprout along the coast, followed by small hotel developments and, eventually, the inevitable towers that rose to fix their silhouettes on the horizon. A few miles away, in Punta Piedras, one residence has so far been able to retain the charm afforded by seclusion. Initially designed as a personal vacation home by the late Argentine architect Mario Connio, the house was sold more than two decades ago to a couple who use it as a retreat from their home base in San Francisco.