CANELONES

About Canelones:

Crossing the Carrasco Arroyo towards the east, the urban landscape merges into the visual aperture created by the spacious Roosevelt Park, the International Airport of Carrasco and the residential zone around the lake. This is the area of the first suburban seaside resorts -Lagomar, Solymar, El Pinar, Pinamar, Salinas, Marindia - all have been inhabited by a stable population that in the capital city.

The coast of Canelones does not have natural harbors given the fact that the streams that give onto it generate dense sand banks. In this century the sand began to be exploited for construction purposes. They say that at the end of the 18th century gold dust was found in the streams of Canelones. It was probably for this reason that these 70 kilometers of coastline began to be known by the name of " Costa de Oro" (Gold Coast). Undoubtedly the name could also be an allusion to the beauty of its fine golden beaches that stretch into its calm and salty waters.

The other beaches along the "Costa de Oro": Atlantida, Las Toscas, Parque del Plata, Las Vegas, La Floresta, Costa Azul, Araminda, Bello Horizonte, Guazubira, San Luis, Los Titanes, La Tuna, Santa Lucia del Este, Biarritz, Santa Ana y Jaureguiberry come to life in the summer months. Easy access, the good infrastructure in lodging, services, camping sites, sports centers and comfortable atmosphere, where an informal lifestyle reigns. Fishing boats from Pinar until the outlet of Solis Chico and Solis Grande offer one the opportunity to catch river and ocean species. While the peaceful gentleness of the waters invites one to practice the most varied range of water sports.

Towards 1909 a group of doctors and students connected to the "Associacion Arboricora Uruguaya" bought land around the present area of Atlantida. At that time the place was pure wilderness, scarcely populated with a few fishing huts along its solitary sand dunes. Slowly the association began to forest the area with pine trees, acacias, eucalyptus and to open up roads and construct houses. In 1939 Natalio Michelizza acquired these lands and began to construct important buildings and hotels. Today Atlantida is a seaside resort centered on Punta de Piedras Negra and is considered one of the most tranquil and well-rounded summer vacation sports in the country. Apart from its tourist attractions and infrastructure, the city has other areas of particular interest. Examples being the chalet named " Atitla" by Pablo Neruda where he courted Matilda, and the Casa del Aguila, a surprising construction along the seaside. The church of Nuestra Senora de Lourdes, which was built in 1950 by the architect Eladio Dieste who applied his technique of centering arches to the brick, vaults of double curvature. The curved walls fill the function of a buttress beam. In the interior a wooden sculpture of Christ is the work of the Spanish artist Diaz Yepes.

The proximity of the capital to the country and the exodus of the people of Montevideo in search of peace in the suburbs have proportioned to Canelones its explosive growth converting these suburbs into little villages with an enormous amount of public transport. Its 4532.5 km2 of undulating pasturelands are populated by 443.700 inhabitants according to the 1996 census.

The capital of the Department of Canelones is called Canelones and ranks as the third most important demographically speaking after Las Piedras and Pando, it is the seat of the municipal government and has in its center, the plaza surrounded by public buildings and social clubs. The city emerged around the middle of the 16th century and was named at that time the village of Guadalupe and has since that time been the birthplace of several famous historical and cultural Uruguayan personalities: Juan Spikerman, Avelino Cheveste, Jacinto Vera, Joaquin Suarez, Tomas Berreta, Arahualpa del Cioppo, Milton Estelardo, Eudoro Melo and Nelson Covian amongst many others. The name of the department and its capital were taken from the Arroyo Canelon and comes to mean a species of thee that the guaranties called "Capororoca" of "herb that burst" as do, in fact, the leaves of this species when thrown in the fire.

Around the surrounding of Las Piedras an important military battle took place in 1811. It was here where Artigas victoriously began the oriental revolution. The poet, Enrique Casarquilla Lemos; the painter, Manuel Rosa; the politician, Vivian Trias and the famous Tango singer Julio Sosa were all born in this important commercial and agricultural city.

Football and to a minor extent basketball, take up the majority of the leisure time of the inhabitants of Canelones. Social clubs and other organizations organize dances and other events in Santa Lucia in the beer festival week, which takes place in March. In Canelones as in Pando the most important celebration is Carnival and the nautical competitions on the "Lago Canelon Grande" in October. In Las Piedras the festivals of the 18th of may commemorate the historical battle and in March there are the harvest festivals.

Santa Lucia is located upon the river of the same name. The natural beauty of the water reservoir of Canelon Grande with its forested Park and natural fishing spots, its beautiful old farms and historical sites such as the "Parador Tajes" are only a few of the visiting places for the tourist.

Canelones grew and prospered through the efforts of Uruguayans who believed in work and productivity. The ease of their communications, the closeness to the capital if the country and the natural beauty of their "Costa de Oro" have all helped to convert "Canelones" into one of the best places departments in the Republic.