Uruguay

Overview

Known for its colonial-era historic districts in Colonia and Montevideo , amazing beaches on the Atlantic Coast , its socially progressive society, and beef production, Uruguay is a true gem among South American nations, as it boasts a level of stability that few countries on the continent can match.

Uruguay has a rich agricultural and civic history. It has more than three times as many cattle as people (the highest ratio of any country in the world by far). The dominant pre-20th century live stock driving techniques are still utilized in some areas, and are less visited tourist attractions than the pleasant beaches and city centers. The country has a mostly low-lying landscape. Cerro Catedral, the country's highest point, is 514 m (1,686 ft) high.

Uruguay is the only South American country located entirely in the temperate zone. The country is flat grassland and all locations are particularly vulnerable to rapid changes from weather fronts and forceful winds as there are no high mountains that could act as shields. As Uruguay is located south of the Equator (approximately at the same latitude as Johannesburg and Sydney ), summer and winter are reversed compared to the Northern Hemisphere. In the winter temperatures under freezing are rare but not unheard of.

Places to explore

Uruguay is divided into 19 departments, which can be very roughly grouped into the following four general regions. Montevideo , the capital of Uruguay, is its own department. Each of the other departments has a capital city, which sometimes has the same name as the department. This can occasionally lead to confusion—if someone says they're going to (for instance) Tacuarembó, you might have to ask whether they mean Tacuarembó the city or Tacuarembó the department. There's another bit of terminology that may be confusing to outsiders: Uruguayans use the word "interior" to refer to the whole country except Montevideo, not just the inland area.

Sights and landscapes

While there are interesting things to see all over Uruguay, the main sights of interest are concentrated on the coastline. Perhaps unsurprisingly the largest concentration of things to see is the capital, Montevideo . There the "father of Uruguayan nationhood", general Jose Artigas rests in a mausoleum under an equestrian statue of himself in the middle of Plaza Independencia surrounded by buildings iconic to the capital such as Palacio Salvo, the old and new presidential palaces, the city gate and the Edificio Ciudadela. Passing through the city gate one will arrive in the old town of Montevideo hosting several museums, old buildings that once were the residences of wealthy families as well as the Puerto del Mercado. Other points of interest not to be missed in Montevideo include the neoclassical parliament building Palacio Legislativo, the Centenario Stadium and the adjacent football museum and the 22 km long beach promenade Rambla stretching along the Atlantic shore with several sights next to or nearby it.

A two and a half hour bus trip west takes you to Colonia del Sacramento , a city established in 1680 by the Portuguese. While the modern part of the city isn't much of a tourist attraction, the well-preserved colonial barrio histórico is a UNESCO World Heritage site . As it is located a mere one hour from Buenos Aires by catamaran, it is also a popular day trip for visitors to the Argentinian capital.

East of Montevideo is Punta del Este , a beach resort popular among the rich and famous and the city where the Los Dedos sculpture and the Casa Pueblo resort museum are located. Just north of Punta del Este is the city of Maldonado with the lighthouse of José Ignacio. Closer to the capital is the city of Piriápolis where you can visit the Castillo de Piria.

Further off the beaten path, check out Uruguay's industrial history in Fray Bentos , where a former meat processing plant is also a World Heritage site. And of course that meat had to come from somewhere—Uruguay also has a strong history of agriculture, and visitors can tour estancias (ranches) dotted throughout the country's interior. In the northern interior , you're sure to encounter gauchos : Uruguayan cowboys who still wear traditional clothes and ride horses alongside the highway.

Culture and food

Uruguayan cuisine is typical for temperate countries, high on butter, fat, and grains, low on spice. It has an important Italian influence due to the strong Italian immigration. If you are from the Mediterranean or Mexico, you will find it bland, but if you come from the Northern Europe, Russia or the US, you won't have trouble getting used to it.

There are many public markets where you can get a hundred varieties of meat . Vegetarians can order ravioli or other pasta just about anywhere, but check to make sure the sauce doesn't contain meat. Vegans may have trouble as meat and dairy are nearly ubiquitous; restaurants with good vegan options exist, but they're few and far between.

Uruguay has traditionally been a ranching country, with cattle outnumbering people more than two-to-one, and therefore features excellent (and affordable) steaks . One dish that should not be missed is chivito , a heart-attack-on-a-platter sandwich (some guidebooks call it a "cholesterol bomb") that is made of a combination of grilled tenderloin steak, tomato, lettuce, onion, eggs (hard-boiled and then sliced), ham, bacon, mozzarella cheese and mayonnaise and fries. There are two versions of chivito. Al pan means it's served "on bread", this is the classic variant and it looks like a hamburger served on a plate. If it is served al plato it is like a hamburger minus the bread and often with more vegetables.

Travel guide text compiled and adapted from Wikivoyage article (contributors). Sections were selected and reordered for this guide. Text is shared under CC BY-SA 4.0. Check current arrangements with your travel consultant.