sierras de mahoma

Sierras de Mahoma is a large rock formation in the hills of a private property, and is open to the public for a small ticket price of USD 1.50 (this was in April 2014). I've rated it very good, but it can also be rated average, depending on the expectations of the visitor. Given the strange rock formations, the nice hiking trail in between the rock formations, the scenic spots from atop the rocks and the possibility to mountain bike in specially marked trails, I gave it a "very good". The landscape is not that typical in Uruguay, which is mostly flat lands. Don't expect any fancy park, just rustic, rough terrain with basic services. When I was there the bathrooms they have at the foot of the rocky formations/hills were nightmarish. But the bathrooms at the entrance building so to speak, were decent. You get to Sierras de Mahoma by private vehicle, taking route 1 from Montevideo to Colonia or viceversa. Half way into the journey (about 45 kms from Montevideo), you take a turn on route 3 in direction to the city and department of San Jose. Once in the town, follow signs directing you to route 11. Uruguay does not have fantastic directional signs on roads and secondary highways, so bear with local reality. We locals do get lost too, so we wonder how tourists make it. You'll find route 11 or ask if in doubt. After taking route 11, the first tiny town that you will pass is "Juan Soler". You really have to pay attention as a few scattered houses along the road is considered a "town" in the Uruguayan countryside. A short distance after passing Juan Soler, route 23 starts. There is some old sign in bad shape somewhere there that sort of tells you the distance to Sierras de Mahoma. Take route 23 for about 27 kilometers. After passing the even smaller town of "Mal Abrigo" (all towns have a sign by the road so you won't miss them) (by the way, Mal Abrigo translates into "Bad shelter"...) then you only have about 2 kms to go. You will then see the entrance into this private property. The admission ticket was 30 pesos per person (April 2014) which is roughly US$ 1.50. There was a small building offering some things to eat and drink, bathrooms, etc. there is a parking area, some games for kids, a small lagoon, and the rock formations and some caves are a bit of a distance away, some people continue in their cars to get to the foot of those hills and start their walk or settle for the day with a picnic there. One tip: The trails are marked with color arrows, depending if you are on foot, bike, or what. However, if you find yourself in the maize of trails and rocks in the late afternoon, get out of there before dusk, as you won't be able to see the directional arrows painted on the rocks. Not even with a flashlight, as they are painted ahead and to the side of you at times, you can only see them easily during daylight.

Sierras de Mahoma is located in the Department of San Jose. You get to San Jose de Mayo which is the capital of this department (Ruta 1 out of Montevideo for about 45 kms, then take Ruta 3 to San Jose de Mayo. Once there, look for signs to Ruta 11 or ask...take Ruta 11 out of San Jose de Mayo .... a few kms you will pass a very small rural town of Juan Soler...take Ruta 23 from there for about 25 kms.... soon after you pass a very tiny rural town of "Mal Abrigo" you will see the entrance to Sierras de Mahoma, about 2 kms from Mal Abrigo. There is a ticket to pay per car (when I was there it was about USD 1.50) Hiking here in these rocky formations is a good exercise, there is also a mountain bike track or tracks all over the place, some small caves to visit, and lots of walking on semi marked trails. Do not find yourselves at dusk in the middle of all this because you won't see your way out. It almost happened to me, the sun was setting and I wasn't sure how much more distance still to the exit of this maize of rocks, some too huge to see ahead. The trail is marked by colored paint on the rocks themselves, so if there is no sunlight, you can't see the next mark ahead....not even a flashlight will help, as some of the marks are pretty much ahead of you and can only be seen by the eye that is looking. It is very good exercise, only a short trail, but it seems longer for being were it is. Perfect for kids 10 and older. Bathrooms were horrible when we were there, no flushing system, no paper, yucky. The area is also nice for picnics. By the park entrance there is a building and restaurant, bathrooms and so on, but I am referring to the facilities right next to the hills themselves, which are a certain distance from the main entrance.

Soy maragato ( y he ido mas de una vez , hace unos años y un fin de semana de Abril 2014), la verdad, que el mar de piedras es lindo para realizar una caminata y cansarse un buen rato, si lo tomas como ejercicio está todo bien, la meta era llegar a una piedra donde había una placa. Llegamos pero también nos cansamos. Con ir una vez es suficiente.No es fácil llegar si no es de la zona, pero averiguando se llega.

Muy bueno espectacular para estar solo con la naturaleza y aislado del ruido de la ciudad, energisante y espectacular atención.

hermoso lugar, de caracteristicas muy particulares por eso es llamado Mar de Piedras, con microclima, fauna y flora autoctona