Chacras: small farms and country estates for sale in Uruguay
99 Properties Found
A chacra is a small rural property that, in Uruguay, is used mostly as a country home: for weekends, for the summer or for living year-round with space and nature, close to the coast and to everyday services. Here you will find the chacras we represent, most of them in Maldonado (José Ignacio and Garzón, La Barra and Manantiales, Punta Ballena and Laguna del Sauce, the hills around Pueblo Edén), as well as in Colonia and Rocha.
If you are looking for a working farm or cattle ranch, see our farms and ranches for sale: it is a different market, with a different scale and different prices.
A nature and comfort retreat in the heart of the Uruguayan countryside.
Treinta y Tres | Uruguay
5 bed • 4 Bathrooms
Clara Luz
Colonia | Uruguay
4 bed • 2 Bathrooms
Amazing farm in Pueblo Eden.
Pueblo Edén | Maldonado | Uruguay
5 bed • 6 Bathrooms
Farm in Lapataia.
Lapataia | Punta Ballena | Maldonado | Uruguay
7 bed • 7 Bathrooms
Chacra Las Coronillas
Medellin Faro | José Ignacio | Maldonado | Uruguay
Farm in Lapataia with very good location.
Lapataia | Punta Ballena | Maldonado | Uruguay
1 floors
Unique farm on the sea
La Carolina | Punta Ballena | Maldonado | Uruguay
5 bed • 5 Bathrooms
Hotel Las Cumbres: An Iconic Property for Sale
Laguna Del Sauce | Punta Ballena | Maldonado | Uruguay
Excellent property in Laguna del Sauce.
Laguna Del Sauce | Punta Ballena | Maldonado | Uruguay
8 bed • 8 Bathrooms
Event Farm in Laguna del Sauce
Laguna Del Sauce | Punta Ballena | Maldonado | Uruguay
1 floors
18 acre farm on the Laguna del Sauce
Laguna Del Sauce | Punta Ballena | Maldonado | Uruguay
4 bed • 4 Bathrooms
Farm in Laguna del Sauce.
Laguna Del Sauce | Punta Ballena | Maldonado | Uruguay
1 floors
What a chacra is
There is no single legal definition: a chacra is a rural parcel of a few hectares, with a house or land to build one, where the appeal is the landscape and the lifestyle rather than production. According to the Ministry of Livestock, Agriculture and Fisheries, the minimum size for subdividing rural land is 3 hectares (7.4 acres) in Montevideo, Canelones, Colonia, San José and Maldonado, and 5 hectares (12.4 acres) in the rest of the country. That is why coastal chacras usually start at 3 or 5 hectares.
Many are in chacra communities with their own bylaws, private roads and HOA-style fees; others are stand-alone parcels on highways and country roads. If the parcel is rural, it pays the rural property tax to the local government (Intendencia), based on the official cadastral value; the national primary-education tax on rural land has exemptions in some cases.
Where they are
Each area has its own character. Around José Ignacio and toward Pueblo Garzón, chacras among lagoons, hills and vineyards, with stricter subdivision rules. Between La Barra and Manantiales, along Route 104 and Camino Eguzquiza, chacras a few kilometers from the beach. In Punta Ballena and around Laguna del Sauce, hills and a freshwater lagoon close to the airport. In Pueblo Edén, hills, streams and native woodland about 50 km from Punta del Este. And in Colonia, chacras near the Río de la Plata and Buenos Aires.
| Area | Department | Punta del Este | Punta del Este airport | Montevideo |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| José Ignacio | Maldonado | 36 | 52 | 159 |
| Pueblo Garzón | Maldonado | 69 | 75 | 176 |
| Manantiales | Maldonado | 15 | 31 | 149 |
| La Barra | Maldonado | 10 | 26 | 138 |
| Punta Ballena | Maldonado | 15 | 10 | 121 |
| Laguna del Sauce | Maldonado | 25 | 15 | 127 |
| Pueblo Edén | Maldonado | 48 | 36 | 130 |
| Colonia del Sacramento | Colonia | 318 | 298 | 180 |
Source: Our own calculation with OpenStreetMap routing (OSRM), October 2026. Punta del Este: Plaza Artigas; Montevideo: Plaza Independencia.
Rules that vary by area
On top of the national minimum, each area can have its own rules. Between the José Ignacio and Garzón lagoons, a local land-use plan applies (Maldonado departmental decrees 3927 of 2014 and 4060 of 2022): outside the coastal zone, rural subdivisions are approved only with lots of 5 hectares or more. Around Laguna del Sauce, which supplies drinking water to Maldonado and Punta del Este, the departmental council approved a plan for the whole watershed in April 2026, with protection buffers and conditions on subdivisions.
Before buying, ask the Intendencia for the parcel's zoning information: what can be built, the required setbacks from roads and waterways, and whether the land can be subdivided.
What to check before buying
The title and the survey plan; that the parcel is classified as rural, and its actual size; access by public road or by an easement; water (well or borehole) and the power connection; any native woodland, which generally cannot be cleared; the bylaws and fees if the chacra is in a community; and that existing buildings have permits and a certificate of completion.
If you buy through a company, keep in mind that to own a rural parcel, all of its capital must be held as registered shares owned by individuals, unless the Executive Branch authorizes otherwise. Our team will guide you through each step, together with your Uruguayan notary (escribano).
Frequently asked questions
What is a chacra in Uruguay?
A rural property of a few hectares used mostly as a country, weekend or vacation home rather than for production. A campo, by contrast, is a working farm or ranch of dozens to thousands of hectares.
What is the minimum size of a chacra?
For subdividing rural land, 3 hectares (7.4 acres) in Montevideo, Canelones, Colonia, San José and Maldonado, and 5 hectares (12.4 acres) elsewhere. Some local plans require more: between the José Ignacio and Garzón lagoons, 5 hectares outside the coastal zone.
Can a foreigner buy a chacra?
Yes. Today, the rules do not require an individual buyer to be a citizen or a resident. If a company buys, since a chacra is rural property, all of its capital must be held as registered shares owned by individuals, unless the Executive Branch authorizes otherwise. Confirm it with a notary when you buy.
How much does a chacra near Punta del Este cost?
There are no official statistics: the Ministry of Livestock, Agriculture and Fisheries' figures cover working farms of 10 hectares or more, which are a different market. Price depends mainly on location, views, access and the house. Inquire about any listed chacra and we will send you the details.
Does buying a chacra qualify for Uruguay's new tax-resident regime?
Not through the real-estate route: the regime in force since 2026 only counts urban property, and a chacra is rural property. Check with a Uruguayan accountant before you buy.
What taxes does a chacra pay?
On purchase, the property transfer tax: 2% paid by the buyer and 2% by the seller, based on the cadastral value and withheld by the notary. Every year, the rural property tax to the Intendencia, based on the cadastral value; the primary-education tax on rural land has exemptions in some cases: check with an accountant.
Sources
- MGAP, Fraccionamiento de padrones rurales
- IMPO, Decreto departamental de Maldonado 4060/022 (Plan Local José Ignacio-Garzón)
- IMPO, Ley 18.092 (titularidad de inmuebles rurales)
- IMPO, Decreto 188/026 (régimen de nuevos residentes fiscales)
- DGI, Impuesto a las Transmisiones Patrimoniales
- El Observador, la Junta de Maldonado aprobó el plan de la Laguna del Sauce (30/04/2026)