Visit the Punta Carretas Shopping mall
Montevideo, the capital of Uruguay, is a city with well-preserved architecture. A local heritage committee was formed specifically to protect it. We have them to thank for the unexpected rehabilitation of the Punta Carretas prison, which today serves as a shopping center.
History
The Punta Carretas penitentiary was built in 1915, originally housing 400 cells.
Beyond its impressive architecture, the Punta Carretas prison is best known for two daring escapes.
The first occurred on March 18, 1931, when 11 anarchists serving long sentences managed to break out. Accomplices set up a fake coal business just outside the prison walls. They dug a tunnel leading directly into the prison toilets, allowing the inmates to flee.
Forty years later, the history of the 1931 escape clearly still held some inspiration. At that time, around a hundred Tupamaros rebels were held here. This time, they dug from the inside out to emerge beyond the perimeter. It goes without saying that the escape of 110 dangerous detainees had major repercussions.
Punta Carretas Shopping
The city closed the prison in 1986 and began looking for a new use for the site. The idea of a shopping center gained traction, and by 1994, shoppers were finally able to explore this modern temple of retail.
Major renovations took place in 2018 to transform the site into a mixed-use living space. The footprint was expanded, and it now houses restaurants, gyms, hotels, doctors, and offices. All of this was done while maintaining the high-end profile of the property.
It is by far the most welcoming prison you will find in Uruguay.
Not much to see here. It is a very luxurious shopping mall and pretty generic. I went twice, both times just to use the free Wi-Fi, nothing more.