Who would have thought of it? Thousands of visitors flood the beaches of Uruguay each summer, yet few manage to experience the natural beauty of the interior of the country.

George Winter, an American raised in the Uruguayan countryside, has recognized the treasure that is Uruguay’s interior wilderness, and has begun to bridge this gap. With his wide range of contacts in the Rocha area, and his deep knowledge of the land, in the fall of 2009, he embarked on a new business with the vision of bringing visitors into the heart of Uruguay, to know its people, places, plants, and animals.

In the initial stages, the focus was on hiking and camping. One of George’s most popular trips was to guide visitors through a wildlife reserve near Punta de Diablo. Guests are also treated to personalized tours, which include archeological sites and hikes through the indigenous forest to learn about the wildlife that live in the area, the trees, and even the mosses and lichen. ¨What is most impressive,¨ says George, is that cattle have been excluded from the reserve for several years now and the biodiversity is absolutely incredible.¨ Bird watching towers allow bird lovers to spot exotic species.

After fielding several inquiries for canoe trips, George designed a four-day float down the Rio Negro. From this different perspective, visitors can appreciate how Uruguay is ranked in the top five countries worldwide for bird population and bio diversity.

Even more demand for river trips followed, so George partnered with a veteran fisherman in nearby Valizas to offer a boating day trip. The trip takes in a visit to the sea lion colony, a swimming stop at a remote island where sea life is abundant and the water is a stunning shade of green, and then, although not the main focus of the tour, guests are invited to dangle fishing lines over the edge as the boat returns to port.

Finally, George, accompanied by a local estancia owner, offers daylong trail rides that begin in Punta de Diablo. ¨Sometimes, visitors want a classic adventure, and because Uruguay really is a land of horses, the combination is perfect,¨ says George about the popular trip.

With his childhood spent in the countryside and his early adulthood in the U.S., the tours that George offers are the crucial link that connects outsiders with that which is the essence of Uruguay. George told me, ¨Uruguay has no mountains or deserts, but there is a gentle beauty in all of its landscapes that captures the imagination and remains in the memory of those who have had the chance to explore it.¨

The company is based in Punto de Diablo and its name, a combination of the two languages, was chosen to pay tribute to Laguna Negra, located only five miles from the busy beaches of Punto del Diablo.

For more, visit: http://www.blacklaguna.com