Santa Teresa, National park in Rocha Department, Uruguay.

Santa Teresa is a national park along Uruguay's Atlantic coast that stretches across coastal land with forests, dunes, and wide sandy beaches. The grounds also contain a former military fortress with associated structures as well as gardens and aquariums for visitors to explore.

The Portuguese built Fortaleza de Santa Teresa in 1762 as a military fortification, preserving cannons, tunnels, and a chapel to this day. This fortress was later incorporated into the national park and now serves as a historical testament to the region's colonial past.

The greenhouse, established in 1939, displays tropical flora from five continents alongside a small aquarium containing koi carp and water gardens.

The park has multiple beach sections that are accessible through different routes and offer varying surface conditions. Visitors should expect different conditions depending on the season, especially in coastal areas.

The park's name comes from the Fortaleza de Santa Teresa, whose walls are double layers of ashlar stone tied by buttresses and packed between with earth and rubble to absorb the shock of enemy gunfire. In 1825, Leonardo Olivera's men retook it from Brazilian troops without firing a shot.