Uruguay is one of the most underrated countries we have been to! This tiny little country wedged between Brazil and Argentina should not be overlooked on your South America trip. It may be small, but it has so much to offer.
We went to Uruguay in December 2021, shortly after they lifted their Covid-19 travel ban (yes, I know I am far behind on writing this). With that being said, we may have had a slightly different experience in the country than what it is now, but that doesn’t take away from how many beautiful and amazing things there are to do here! We surely want to go back and experience more of the country!
- How Much Does it Cost to Visit Uruguay
- How to Get Around Uruguay
- Where to Go in Uruguay
- Best Time to Visit Uruguay
- What to Do in Montevideo
- What to Do in Punta del Este
- What to Do in Colonia del Sacramento
If you’re like us, Uruguay has never been on your radar as a country to visit. We had no clue what was even in Uruguay, but oh my, were we in for a surprise. After reading this blog, hopefully you will be planning a trip to Uruguay because this little South American country is truly a hidden gem!
So, we rented a car and made a little road trip during our two weeks in Uruguay. We spent our time in Montevideo, Punta del Este, and Colonia del Sacramento, as well as some beautiful places in between.
How Much Does it Cost to Visit Uruguay
The currency in Uruguay is the Uruguayan Peso. Currently, $1.00 US Dollar is equivalent to $37.91 Pesos (as of 07/24/2023). You will want to check Google for current exchange rates before your trip. The conversion makes many things much cheaper for US citizens, such as car rentals and accommodations. However, we found that meals were still kind of expensive when eating out in a restaurant.
How to Get Around Uruguay
We found that Uruguay is quite a calm country, especially in terms of South American traffic. It was very easy to drive from city to city with a rental car and feel comfortable driving on the highway. We recommend renting a car in order to visit multiple cities in Uruguay.
Where to Go in Uruguay
Surprisingly enough, this little country has a ton to do, and as you can see from our road trip map above, we only hit a handful of places in the country.
Best Time to Visit Uruguay
Uruguay’s summer is from October to March, which offers great temperatures and beautiful blue skies! We visited Uruguay in December and had amazing, blue days.
Montevideo (and What to Do)
Montevideo has been one of our favorite big cities we have visited in South America. The city was founded in 1726 and much of the old architecture can still be seen throughout the city! We are not sure if it was because of Covid regulations just being lifted, but we found the city of Montevideo to be very calm and organized, especially for a capital city! The city may be calm, but there is no lack of things to do.
Mercado del Puerto
Mercado del Puerto is full of mouthwatering steakhouses and some little shops. Unfortunately, we were not hungry to try any of the restaurants during our visit, but we did buy some dulce de leche and some alfajores in one of the little shops.
Mercado Ferrando
Mercado Ferrando is a great hipster style food market with many restaurant options. We ended up eating at La Milpa which is a taco place and finished our meal with some ice cream at Chelato. There are also a couple of stores inside the market.
Rambla
A wonderful way to spend a sunny afternoon in Montevideo is to walk along the Rambla. The Rambla is an avenue for walkers, runners, and bikers that stretches for 13.7 miles along Montevideo’s coastline.
Montevideo Letters
One of the “basic tourist” things to do is stop at the Montevideo Letters for a picture. It is a beautiful spot in front of the beach, with a view of the city in the background. While we are not typically ones to partake in touristy attractions, we couldn’t resist snapping a picture at the letters before walking along the beach.
De Los Pocitos Beach
Montevideo boasts many beaches too! De Los Pocitos Beach is the beach right behind the Montevideo Letters, so it is perfect to relax or take a stroll on the beach after grabbing some photos at the letters.
Punta Carretas Lighthouse for Sunset
Go to the Punta Carretas Lighthouse for sunset! It is the perfect spot to watch the sun go down over the water. Unfortunately, we could not go inside the lighthouse during our visit, but the sunset was still great.
Cafe Brasilero
I am all about going to cafes in new cities, so when I heard that Cafe Brasilero is the oldest cafe in the city, we had to stop! While it was not the best coffee that we ever had, it was still neat to visit the oldest cafe, of which, was built in 1877 and still retains much of its architectural history!
Walk the Historical Streets
Montevideo has some beautiful architecture, and we had a lot of fun just walking around and enjoying the sights along the way. You do not want to miss Plaza Independencia and the Salvo Palace, but make sure you devote an afternoon to exploring the historic district of Montevideo because there are beautiful buildings at every turn.
Go to Carrasco Neighborhood
We were given a recommendation to visit the Carrasco Neighborhood (not too far out of Montevideo). Carrasco is an upscale residential suburb of Montevideo, which began as an elegant seaside resort town. When arriving in Carrasco, you cannot miss the large casino, Casino Carrasco. If you want to try your luck, stop in and gamble a few dollars. The neighborhood also has some really great restaurant options, and we had one of the best alfajores of our lives at the Burrow Cafe!
Drink Yerba Mate
You cannot visit Uruguay without trying the famous Yerba Mate. You will not be able to walk down the street without seeing every other person holding their yerba mate cup and thermos, or even driving their motorcycle with the cup and thermos in hand! It really may be a bit of an addiction.
We were under the impression that we would be able to try this famous drink at a restaurant or cafe. That is not the case. You will either need to make friends with a Yerba Mate Drinking Local, or you will need to purchase the necessary tools for yourself. We decided that we needed to purchase the items to try the drink, but to also have a souvenir to take home.
If you want to know how to make Yerba Mate, watch our YouTube tutorial. Disclaimer: We are not experts by any means…
On the Way to Punta del Este
After leaving Montevideo, we made a few stops along the way to break up the drive to Punta del Este. The drive takes about 2 hours, so it is not super far to just drive straight through. However, we found a couple castles along the way that we couldn’t resist taking a detour to.
Castillo Pittamiglio Las Flores
The Pittamiglio Las Flores Castle was quite an unexpected surprise for us. I found the pin on Google, and we decided to stop by and check it out. The castle was not actually built until 1956 by architect and politician Humberto Pittamiglio, who used it as his summer residence. They now host daily tours, events, and have a little cafe and shop. The castle and the gardens are simply beautiful.
Francisco Piria Castle
The Fransisco Piria Castle was another gem that we were glad we stopped at. As the name suggests, the castle was owned by Fransisco Piria, a Uruguayan entrepreneur, most notably known for founding the town of Piriapolis. The 1897 castle is now a museum. We were too late for a guided tour, but we were able to walk around the rooms and grounds for free.
Biarritz Beach
Biarritz Beach was another point that I found on Google Maps, so we decided to stop. It was a beautiful beach where I found lots of beautiful stones washed up on the shore (for all the rock collectors out there). We didn’t spend too much time at the beach as we wanted to get checked into our hotel in Punta del Este, but we were glad we made the stop.
Punta del Este (and What to Do)
Punta del Este is a neat beach town nestled along the coast of Uruguay. It is only 2 hours away from Montevideo, the capital city. Known for its stunning beaches and vibrant nightlife, Punta del Este attracts travelers from all over the globe! With its luxurious resorts, delicious dining options, and outdoor activities, it is the perfect mix of relaxation and fun. We enjoyed the laidback atmosphere on the peninsula!
Casa Pueblo
Casa Pueblo was one of our favorite places in Uruguay! Artist Carlos Páez Vilaró began constructing the home in 1958, intending it to be his summer home and workshop. The unique construction style of the house was inspired by the hornero’s nest, a typical bird in Uruguay.
The home is now a museum, art gallery, cafeteria, and a hotel which is possible to rent for your stay! We loved visiting the museum and learning about the construction of the home, the Artist’s life, and viewing his work.
The very best part about Casa Pueblo is the view though! It is the optimal place to watch the sunset over the Atlantic Ocean, where we saw some of the best sunsets of our lives! The view with the sunset is what inspired Carlos Páez Vilaró to construct Casa Pueblo in this very location!
Walk Around the Peninsula
We spent an afternoon walking around the peninsula of Punta del Este. We enjoyed looking at all the old houses and buildings. There is a sidewalk along the coast that you can follow all the way around the peninsula, offering great views of the ocean and coastline!
The Fingers of Punta del Este
The Fingers of Punta del Este is a large, concrete sculpture of a hand, built in 1982 by Chilean artist Mario Irarrázabal. It is situated in front of the beach, and it creates a very unique scene.
Watch Sea Lions at the Port
There are typically sea lions hanging out along the port in Punta del Este due to the fishermen bringing back their catches and cleaning them at the port. It is fun to watch the sea lions pop up and down out of the water up so close and personal!
Swim With Sea Lions at Isla de Lobos (Sea Lion Island)
If you are brave, there are boat companies at the port that offer a tour to Isla de Lobos to swim with the thousands of sea lions that call the island home! This small little island is actually one of the largest sea lion colonies in the world!
At the time of our visit, there were no other tourists interested in going, and the companies did not want to take a boat out to the island just for us. Luckily, several months later we ended up getting to swim with sea lions in Lima, Peru!
Bodega Garzon
Bodega Garzon is a beautiful winery situated in the rolling hills of Uruguay’s countryside about 1.5 hours outside of Punta del Este. I recommend that you make reservations if you want to have a meal, because we did not make reservations and we could not order off the full menu. We did taste a few of the wines and ordered some delicious appetizers.
Unfortunately, we did not take any pictures during our time at the winery. Our car was running low on gas, and with no gas stations in sight, and having had drove for miles on dirt roads, we were more worried about finding a gas station before we were left stranded! Thankfully we made it to one just in time!… So, be sure you fill up with gas before heading to Bodega Garzon!
Viña Eden Winery
Viña Eden is another beautiful winery located in Uruguay’s countryside. You can reserve tours of the vineyard online, or you can have a delicious meal paired with their amazing wines. The winery is about 40 minutes outside of Punta del Este, but the place is beautiful and definitely worth a stop.
Parque Salto del Penitente
Parque Salto del Penitente is a beautiful park in the countryside of Uruguay. It is pretty far from Punta del Este, but we stopped after our visit to Vina Eden and made a little day trip out of it. The park is open every day of the year from 9:30am until sunset.
We arrived just hours before the sunset, so we only had time for a short hike, but the park offers activities like climbing, biking, and horseback riding.
We simply enjoyed driving through the countryside of Uruguay. Every turn offers beautiful rolling hills and breathtaking views!
Colonia del Sacramento (and What to Do)
Colonia del Sacramento is one of our favorite historical colonial towns that we have been to! It is situated on the shore of the Rio de la Plata, just across the river from Buenos Aires, Argentina. Now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, you will feel yourself travel back in time on the beautiful cobblestone streets.
The well-preserved architecture is a fusion of Spanish and Portuguese influences from the years of fighting over the city. There is something special for everyone to explore in Colonia del Sacramento!
Walk the Historical Streets
One of our absolute favorite things on our entire Uruguay trip was walking around the historical streets of Colonia del Sacramento! The quaint streets are simply beautiful, and it feels like you are stepping back in time. We loved the atmosphere in Colonia del Sacramento.
Bull Ring: Plaza de Toros Real de San Carlos
Another unique and exciting thing to do in Colonia del Sacramento is to pay a visit to the bull ring. The Plaza de Toros Real de San Carlos was built in 1909 and abandoned only 3 years later in 1912 when bull fighting was abolished. It was refurbished until 2021. They now host guided tours of the bull ring, as well as musical events!
For more to do in Colonia del Sacramento read our full blog below:
I hope that if you have made it to this point, you are getting ready to book your trip to Uruguay! It is truly a unique and fascinating country with so much to be discovered! The people, food, landscapes, and culture are something that we will never forget!
-M & J
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