The Incredible Mueso del Mar

Located off the beaten path and outside the seaside resort town of Punta del Este, the Museo del Mar is a gem of a museum.  One would not expect that in the obscure backwaters of La Barra, down some dirt roads where the neighborhood dogs roam, lies one of the greatest natural history museums on Earth.  The Mueso del Mar was the brainchild of one man (his dog is taxidermied in the museum), and is home to possibly the most extensive collections of shells – perhaps over one hundred thousand – displayed in exquisite condition under one roof.  The museum is also home to many other marine-related fauna displays: taxidermied seabirds and sea lions, baby hammerhead sharks preserved in formaldehyde, whale skeletons and eardrums, elephant seal skulls, seafaring artifacts and curiosities.  As you walk through the museum, a wonderful soundtrack of oldies plays from the speakers.  I was there with family, otherwise I would have not only spent the entire day there, but would have returned the following day.

 

Across the road from the Museo del Mar is the Insectario.  This separate museum looks like a long barn from the outside, but once you enter you will find thousands (38,000 to be precise) of insects displayed in hundreds of glass frames that line the sides of the room.  As with shells in the Museo del Mar’s ocean exhibit, the insect room contains more insects house under one roof than any other place I have stepped foot in.  Both the Insectario and the Mueso del Mar are marvelous, and I would personally make a trip down to Uruguay with the sole purpose of visiting them.