Uruguay
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Visas, Embassies & Border Crossings
I am currently working in Antofagasta Chile and I am about to visit Uruguay.
Just to let you know that in your website you have stated that most foreigners
require a Visa to enter Uruguay. I have spoken with the embassy of Uruguay in
Chile and this is actually not so anymore. Visitors from Australia, New Zealand,
United Kingdom, Canada, South Africa, and many western European countries do not
require a Visa for a stay of less than three month. They just need a valid passport .
Hope you can use this information to entice potential visitors who are unaware of this recent change.
Natalie Gracia, Chile (Dec 01)
Travel Tips
I'm pretty sure you don't mention that Uruguay follows day light savings time,
putting it, during the South American summer, an hour ahead of Argentina.
This was problematic when returning from a day excursion to Colonia from Buenos Aires. Luckily,
I was a little confused about how exactly to spend 8 hours in tiny Colonia, and ended up deciding
to go to the ferry terminal an hour early. Because of the time change, I got there about 5
minutes before the boat left.
Nora Mallonee, USA (Nov 04)
Taxis: taxis are metered. The meters work on "fichas" like in Bogota
and not in pesos so at the end of the ride the taxidrivers show you a table that
converts fichas to pesos. This way the price can be changed without having to
adjust the taximeter. This is the way the taximters are supposed to work here and they
are not "out of wack" as LP puts it. Prices for hotels are generelly quoted in dollar
rather than pesos. We got fair exchangesrates when paying in pesos (30 pesos for one dollar).
Frida Andrae, Sweden (Aug 04)
Pickpockets are very active in Montevideo, do not wear jewelry and expensive clothes.
ATMs: the only machine that takes any kind of card, included debit card,is the one located at casino level in Radisson hotel Montevideo. We did try at so many legitimate looking banks and shopping center without any luck. Some machines take you through all the steps to leave you at the end without money and no idea if any deductions from your account accrued. Even if they offer English menu, they always jump into Spanish at the end.
City La Paloma : tourist info is right on the exit from route 9 in Rocha. They have some hotel information plus are willing to make a calls to confirm space, but in Spanish only. The city is surrounded by camp grounds, bungalows and some organized forms of vacations. Thy offer selection of shows everywhere. Two crafts fairs 5 miles a part each with plenty booths offering local handcrafts, food, drinks. And live music on the stage stages. At 0100 AM fair was crowded, and this was middle of the week. Every night magicians were performing for kids in center part of the city. Parrilladas are everywhere, from basic sausage on roll sell from the street cars to big restaurants. City offers bike rentals and horseback rides.
La Pedrera: village on the hill with an astonishing rocky shore. Between stones it has an amazing variety of sea life forms. Small fish, crabs, snails and selection of algae get caught at low tide.
Anatol Kolendo, USA (Feb 04)
I have just returned from a week in Montevideo. It was my first visit here. As a single traveler, I had a wonderful vacation here. I had an enjoyable time walking the avenues at day or night, of course taking care as your would in any large city. I enjoyed the tucked away little shops and the artisans.
The people were reserved until you took the time to talk with them. And most can speak a little English and a phrase book goes a long way to help. The police were always visible and I felt safe at 12pm as well as 12am. The plazas were pretty and the weekend party went on long into the night outside my hotel. I found the accommodations at the Hotel Lancaster inexpensive, very clean and the staff helpful. I loved the food and ate all the regional favorites to get a taste to this country. I found the beaches clean and welcoming.
This small country tucked between two massive neighbors is well worth a visit. Just pack your bags and leave any attitudes behind.
Terry Murphy, USA (May 00)
Gems, Highlights & Attractions
Many people of my generation grew up eating Fray Bentos meat, especially
pies and corned beef. I had no idea until I came back to South America
that Fray Bentos was a picturesque Uruguayan town, and was once home to an enormous
British owned food company. Apparently, the town used to be known as the world's
kitchen! At the height of World War Two the factory employed 5,000 people and helped Britain's
war effort by feeding the troops. The current population of the town is a mere 22,000 and, surprise,
surprise, it too sits on the east bank of the River Uruguay. That night I booked into a lovely hotel
that was home to a big, beautiful Siamese cat called.... Brian! The owner proudly explained that he
was named after the famous English singer of the same name. Brian? Brian! Any ideas?
That night I went down to the waterfront. This is where the young people go to ride their scooters,
chat and of course drink mate. The following morning I looked out of my window. Across the roof
tops I could see the cathedral tower. In the foreground I could see someone's underwear on the
washing-line. I went and hung my football shirts on the washing-line instead and took what I
believe will be a photo of great artistic quality: my Gillingham F.C. shirt moving gently in
the breeze, with the sunlit tower of Fray Bentos Cathedral in the background. Beautiful.
I left the hotel early and strode purposefully down to, and along, the riverfront. My
destination was the old Fray Bentos factory now known as The Museum Of The Industrial
Revolution. I am not as vegan as I should be. However, I have been vegetarian for 15
years and therefore one would expect that a visit to a former slaughterhouse would have a certain
poignancy. But I would defy any meat-eater to go there and not be struck by the experience. That
morning I was lucky because I was the only person on the 11.30am guided tour and I feel I
benefited from those circumstances.
It can be very strange walking round any derelict factory, I'm sure. It can be stranger
still to contemplate that on a DAILY basis 4,000 sheep, 2,000 cattle and 1,000 pigs, not to
mention chickens, were slaughtered on that very site. It's difficult to quantify
just how strange it was for me to find myself among the dust and cobwebs, surrounded by
machines that fell silent many decades ago. I was thousands of miles from home
yet the signs on these machines said: Made in Bradford, England or Glasgow, Stockport,
Slough, etc. It just felt SO weird, and weirder for the fact that I was alone. On the
banks of the River Uruguay. In the hot sun. One redeeming feature of this huge-scale
slaughter was that absolutely nothing was wasted. Local people used to say that
only "el mugido" (the "moo" of the cow) didn't have a use.
Adrian Pope, UK (Dec 02)
To see in Montevideo: Just after midday (at least on Fridays). The changing of the
guard on the monument to Artigas. Pomp and circumstance from possibly the world's
most dishevelled collection of military dress uniforms and the singing of what (I guess)
is the Uruguayan national anthem, accompanied by the battered instruments of the dullest, most
out-of-tune marching band I've ever seen. It's interesting to observe the spectrum of types that
gather among the dozing stray dogs to honour this event; from poverty stricken street dwellers
joining-in heartily, through school classes brought there to study their nation's history, to
patriotic businessmen respectfully interrupting their lunch interval to honour the liberator.
P.D. Lynam, UK (Oct 01)
The nicest experience for me was the farm stays. There are about 20 or
30 estancias (cattle ranches that accommodate guests). They typically charge US$80 per
day per person, 4 meals, horse riding etc. included. Ranch life is still more traditional
then in Argentina or southern Brazil- ranch hands do dress Gaucho style.
Go for the ones that have no more then 4 guestrooms, they are more authentic.
Peer Voss, Germany (Jan 01)
Yarns, Fables & Anecdotes
I would like to recommend a great book, the novel "Killing the Mandarin",
by Juan Alonso, is one of the best treatments of the politcal uprest in Uruguay
during the 1960's and 1970's. Though vitually unread these days, Alonso is one of the finest
novelists North and South America has ever produced. More information about Alonso can be
reached at www.juanalonso.com. Many thanks
Jeff Bowman, USA (Oct 04)
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