Things to do in Uruguay
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Plaza Independencia
Plaza Independencia is at the heart of Montevideo's Ciudad Vieja (old city). This broad square, lined with palms, is dominated by a huge statue of José Artigas, Uruguay's greatest hero. You can pay your respects to Artigas at his underground tomb beneath the statue.
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Mausoleo de Artigas
In the middle of the downtown Plaza Independencia is the Mausoleo de Artigas, whose aboveground portion is a 17m, 30-ton statue of the country's independence hero. Below street level an honor guard keeps 24-hour vigil over Artigas' remains.
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Biblioteca Museo Eusebio Giménez
The Biblioteca Museo Eusebio Giménez displays paintings by the local artist.
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Catedral de Nuestra Señora de las Mercedes
The imposing Catedral de Nuestra Señora de las Mercedes dates from 1788.
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The Uruguayan Riviera
This is one of the most Westernized places in Uruguay, with innumerable beach resorts, plenty of water activities and lots of well-groomed, narcissistic tourists sporting hibiscus shirts. Immediately east of the capital is the major resort of Atlántida, and Piriápolis is a mere flick of the towel away.
The largest and best known of the resorts is Punta del Este, one of South America's most glamorous and exclusive destinations. The place is awash with yacht and fishing clubs, golf courses, casinos and beautiful holiday homes. If that's not enough, there are excellent bathing beaches, perfect for swimming and sunbathing.
Just offshore are Isla Gorriti, which has more supe…
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La Mano en la Arena
Punta del Este's most famous landmark is the monster-sized hand emerging from the sands of Playa Brava. La Mano en la Arena, sculpted in iron and cement by Chilean artist Mario Irarrazabal in 1982, won first prize in a monumental art contest that year and has been a Punta fixture ever since. The hand exerts a magnetic attraction over visitors to Punta, who climb and jump off its digits and pose for thousands of photos with it every year.
Up close, the hand is starting to show its age. There's graffiti scrawled all over it, and its ungraceful cement base often gets exposed by shifting sands. But watch out - the hand's still likely to reach out and grab you!
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Real de San Carlos
At the turn of the 20th century, Argentine entrepreneur Nicolás Mihanovich spent US$1.5 million building an immense tourist complex 5km north of Colonia at Real de San Carlos. The attractions included a 10,000-seat bullring (made superfluous after Uruguay outlawed bullfights in 1912), a 3000-seat fronton (court) for the Basque sport of jai alai, a hotel-casino and a racecourse.
Only the racecourse functions today, but the ruins of the remaining buildings make an interesting excursion, and the adjacent beach is popular with locals on Sundays.
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Buenos Aires To Rio Unplugged
17 days (ex Buenos Aires)
by Intrepid
Travel to funky Palermo in Buenos Aires, Experience farm life during a Uruguayan estancia stay, Visit Rio de Janeiro and party with the locals, See the Iguazu R…Not LP reviewed
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Rio To Buenos Aires Unplugged
17 days (ex Rio de Janeiro)
by Intrepid
Get caught up in the Brazilian passion of Rio de Janeiro, Discover a piece of beachside paradise on Ilha Grande, Swim in the warm waters of Paraty Bay, Soak up …Not LP reviewed
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SOS Rescate de Fauna Marina
Ten kilometers south of Piriápolis is Uruguay’s premier marine-animal rescue and rehabilitation center, SOS Rescate de Fauna Marina. Run entirely by volunteers, its emphasis is on educating schoolchildren, who can assist with daily feedings and observe penguins, sea lions, turtles and other rescued wildlife. Visitors willing to support the center’s mission with the requested UR$50 donation (or more) are welcome with advance notice.
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Museo del Indio y del Gaucho
This museum is located in the town of Tacuarembó, gaucho (cowboy) country. Not your 'we pose for pesos' types, but your real-deal 'we tuck our baggy pants into our boots and slap on a beret just to go to the local store' crew. Fitting then, that the local museum should pay romantic tribute to Uruguay's original inhabitants and gauchos.
For more guacho festivities, the mid-March Fiesta de la Patria Gaucho merits a visit.
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Plaza Mayor 25 de Mayo
At the southwest corner of the plaza are the Casa de Lavalleja (formerly General Lavalleja's residence), the ruins of the 17th-century Convento de San Francisco and the restored 19th-century faro (lighthouse). At the west end, on de San Francisco, the Museo Municipal has antique homewares, dinosaur remains and huge petrified mushrooms. The Casa del Virrey - which was never home to a viceroy - is just to the north.
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Bosque de Ombúes
The Ombu is native to the Pampas, a hardy, fast-growing tree able to survive on very little water. A tour through Bosque de Ombúes (Ombu Forest) takes an hour by jeep or tractor, or two hours by foot. Your guide will point out unique forest flora, fascinating birdlife, and carpinchos - large rodents used traditionally to cure influenza and the common cold.
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La Penultima
La Penultima has views of the wild ocean from the front balcony and a Mexican cantina feel. It serves up pizzas and seafood and sometimes has live music. Other little bars open up along the seafront during the summer, but the best parties happen on the beach where locals and visitors gather around beachfires to play guitars, sing songs and just generally hang out.
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Punta's Beaches
From Playa Mansa, west along Rambla Williman, the main beach areas are La Pastora, Marconi, Cantegril, Las Delicias, Pinares, La Gruta at Punta Ballena, and Portezuelo. Eastward, along Rambla Lorenzo Batlle Pacheco, the prime beaches are La Chiverta, San Rafael, La Draga and Punta de la Barra. In summer, all have paradores (small restaurants) with beach service.
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Iglesia Matriz
Historic Colonia's two main squares are the vast Plaza Mayor 25 de Mayo and the shady Plaza de Armas, also known as Plaza Manuel Lobo. The latter plaza is the home of Colonia's Iglesia Matriz. The church, begun in 1680, is Uruguay's oldest, though it has been completely rebuilt twice. The plaza also holds the foundations of a house dating from Portuguese times.
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Playa Mansa
Beaches are the big daytime draw in sunny Punta, and there are plenty to choose from. On the west side of town, Rambla Artigas snakes along the calm Playa Mansa on the Río de la Plata, then passes the busy yacht harbor, overflowing with boats, restaurants, nightclubs and beautiful people, before circling around the peninsula to the open Atlantic Ocean.
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Casa Pueblo
Casa Pueblo is an astonishing Mediterranean villa and art gallery at scenic Punta Ballena, a short trip from Punta del Este. The villa was built by Carlos Páez Vilaró entirely without right angles and boasts jaw-dropping views. Visitors can tour five rooms, view a film on the artist's life and the building's creation, or have a drink at the bar.
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Casa Pueblo
Casa Pueblo is an astonishing Mediterranean villa and art gallery at scenic Punta Ballena, a short trip from Punta del Este. The villa was built by Carlos Páez Vilaró entirely without right angles and boasts jaw-dropping views. Visitors can tour five rooms, view a film on the artist's life and the building's creation, or have a drink at the bar.
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El Faro
El Faro (the lighthouse), on the southern tip of Punta del Este, is the tallest structure in the area due to the city's old laws, which state that no building may exceed a height of 43m (141ft). Though not open to the public, the surrounding area offers a change in pace from beach-hopping, and is in the least developed, most attractive part of the city.
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Centro de Tortugas Marinas
While Uruguay has no nesting beaches for sea turtles, the area from Barra del Chuy to Punta del Diablo is an important foraging area. The Center for Marine Turtles provides information on when to see these cute creatures, as well as running a volunteer program and educating visitors on environmental factors threatening the turtles and their habitat.
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1949 Hostel Bar
This is a good place to meet up with other travelers. Once they boot you out of there, you'll have a gang together to roam the streets - either down to the port area for more drinks at the hip, minimalist Soho and Hop! or the slightly more laid-back Moby Dick. All stay open as long as there's a crowd and sometimes have live music on weekends.
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Cycling
Get yourself a bike and go cruising along the walking-jogging-cycling track that follows the riverfront Rambla; bikes can be rented at both the Montevideo Hostel and the Ciudad Vieja Hostel. If all that seems a bit too energetic, bus 64 goes from Av 18 de Julio along the coast road - just jump off when you see a beach you like.
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El Viejo y El Mar
This ramshackle restaurant is suffused with a carefully calculated rustic-hip atmosphere - its candlelit walls are adorned with fishing nets, wine bottles, lanterns and guitars, and a friendly dog roams from room to room. You're offered whatever they're serving that night, with fish and wine sure to feature prominently.
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Mercado del Puerto
The Mercado del Puerto is a wrought-iron superstructure sheltering a gaggle of restaurants (watch out for the steakhouses - they serve up slabs the size of your head). Saturday lunchtime is a fun time to come - the market is crammed with locals (who use the market to cruise each other) and musicians liven up the area.
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