5 Things To Do In Uruguay
In Uruguay, you’ll have some of the most amazing sights to see especially old trucks and cars. You will see them on streets, parked among bourgainveilla plants or seen in the street markets. The country is located between Brazil and Argentina. Uruguay is the second smallest country in South America.
The national language of Uruguay is Spanish and English is not widely spoken here. Most visitors come to Uruguay from either Brazil or Argentina. International visitors outside of South America usually arrive by cruise ship or through Buenos Aires using the ferry.
Montevideo, the capital city of Uruguay is
360 miles from Buenos Aires, the largest city in Argentina. It takes
two hours 26 minutes to fly from Sao Paulo Brazil to Montevideo.
Uruguay is a country not to be missed. Here are 5 things to do in Uruguay:
Punta del Este
Punta del Este is one of South America’s top seaside resorts and attracts visitors from all over the world. To the rich Argentinians, Punta del Este is like their East Hampton. It is located
83 miles from Montevideo and a
54 minute flight from Buenos Aires.
Other than the sandy beaches and beach activities, Punta del Este has a few attractions that are must-sees for visitors. The Hand sculpture known as La Mano at Paseo de las Americas is the symbol of Punta del Este.
Casapueblo a seaside house owned by artist Carlos Paez Vilaro is now an art museum. This surreal building is beautifully located at the edge of Punta Ballena. Casapueblo also provides a beautiful sunset view.
Colonia del Sacramento
Uruguay’s oldest city and the only Portuguese influenced town is located one-hour ferry ride away from Buenos Aires. It was declared as UNESCO World Historic Heritage site in 1995.
The city is filled with colorful historical houses, cafés and cobblestone streets.
Montevideo City Tour
This port city has one third of the country’s population. Montevideo’s Old Town, Cuidad Vieja is a great place to start your tour around the city. The Cuidadela, the old gate to the Cuidad Vieja is the only remaining part of the old wall of Montevideo.
Inside Cuidad Vieja, take a stroll around the parks and parts of the old cobblestone roads. Visit museums, old cafés like Café Brasilero and visit churches and old homes. Puerto Mercado the old harbor market has many restaurants where you can taste the special asado and Uruguayan barbecue meat and sausages.
Just outside Cuidad Vieja is Teatro Solis, the old concert hall and Plaza Independencia. In the center of Plaza Independencia is General Artigas monument and under the monument is his mausoleum where his ashes are stored. The mausoleum is closely guarded around the clock by two honor guards.
Soccer fans will enjoy a tour of Museo del Futbol and Centennial Stadium. Uruguayans like their neighbors love soccer and the stadium was built in the 1930s for World Cup Soccer. It is a landmark of Montevideo and is named by FIFA as the Historical Monuments of soccer in the world.
Montevideo’s La Rambla and mate drinking culture
Montevideo’s residents are privileged to have over 40 km of shores and La Rambla is the boardwalk along the shores. In the weekend locals hang out at La Rambla with friends to drink mate (a type of tea that is shared among friends and family), jogging, exercising or just walking along the shores and boardwalk.
A visit to La Rambla will help you understand the Uruguayan culture of family and the simple lifestyle of sharing mate with friends. Uruguayans are known to hold a ‘gourd’ cup with green leaves (mate) floating on top and a thermos in their arm.
Estancia – Farm stay and horseback riding
Most of Uruguay is farmlands and the gaucho culture is still strong in this agricultural country. No trip to Uruguay is complete without a farmstay or a chat with a gaucho.
An estancia stay usually includes lodging in the old farmhouse, homemade meals, horseback riding and visiting a gaucho. One place that includes meals, horseback riding and a gaucho visit is
San Pedro de Timote.
The farm is located about
60 miles from Montevideo.
For help with currency conversion, please use our
currency converter calculator. Uruguayan peso is US$0.047.
Have you been to South America? Let us know.
