Uruguay
Like many travellers who visit South America, we nearly didn't make it to Uruguay, but we are so glad that we did! Only a 2 hour (And pretty expensive!) ferry ride from Buenos Aires, it really is a no-brainer!
This beautiful country has the rustic feel of real untouched South America, riding with gauchos in the Uruguayan countryside, wandering cobbled streets gazing at the colonial charm of the old towns, getting your football fix in the capital and beach hopping your way up the coast, from hidden gems to the resort life of the rich and famous.. Uruguay just cannot be overlooked!
Planning a trip to Uruguay?
Stepping off the ferry onto the beautiful cobbles, like most travellers our first stop was Colonia Del Sacremento. This is one of the most picturesque towns that we have visited, wandering the pastel coloured streets with camera in hand, admiring each and every corner of this exquisite town you are treated to the most perfect vistas, each preserved street looks like it has been plucked from a movie set. Although this town isn't the biggest, it more than makes up for it with its beauty. If you would like to see more of the surroundings, you can easily venture out to the countryside to ride horses with the gauchos!
Just a short two hour journey from the coastal town of Colonia is the capital, Montevideo. The home of the first ever World Cup Final and of course the eventual winners! We spent the first few hours being absolutely fascinated by everything and anything in the football museum at Estadio Centenario (Well I did anyway..), from the first ever ball used in the World Cup to match worn shirts from some of the greatest ever players such as Pele and Maradona! As soon as I could be pried away from the stadium, we then went to explore the rest of the city. The capital has some very impressive architecture, especially in the main plaza you can find some incredible buildings and structures. Wander the boardwalk, have a picnic in the plaza or visit some thought provoking museums.
Unfortunately we were unable to explore more of this incredible country and here is our list of must do's that we didn't!
- Punta Del Este
- Punta Del Diablo
- Cabo Polonio
- La Paloma
- Rocha
Getting around..
Luckily most of Uruguay's main places of interest are located down the coast with the majority being no more than two hours away from each other. All bus companies are very easy to buy a ticket for, either from the bus companies website or just from the bus station itself, most buses are very frequent up and down the coast. So if you have the time and money make sure that you make the most of the coast! When buying bus tickets just head down to the bus station to buy them, this will always be your cheapest option and sometimes the day before is the best idea to make sure that there is room for the long journeys!
Here are some of the bus & ferry companies that we used or heard good things about;
- Turil (Bus)
- COT (Bus)
- Colonia Express Ferry (Ferry to/from Argentina)
- Buquebus (Bus & Ferry company to/from Argentina)
A useful bus website to use is www.busbud.com!
Our Route..
Useful Info
- Capital City: Montevideo
- Time Difference: GMT minus four hours.
- Language Spoken: The official language here is Spanish.
- Local Cuisine: The Uruguayans love their meat as much as anyone, so an Asado (Mixed meat barbecue) is a very popular dish that you will not be able to resist! (Unless you are veggie, of course), you must also try the Chivito's (A huge artery-clogging sandwich filled with all kinds of meat, egg, salad and mayo!), Empanada's (Fried pastries filled with meat, veg or cheese), Arroz con Leche (Rice with milk), and finally Churros con Dulce de Leche (Churros with delicious caramel sauce).
- Local Beers & Drink: The most popular beers that you will see here are Pilsen & Patricia and you have to try the Mate (An infused herb-like tea that is a full blown obsession in this part of the world).
- Visa: Generally not required for stays of up to 90 days.
- Entrance & Exit Fee: No fees needed.
- Proof of Onward Travel: Not required.
- Currency & Exchange Rate (Aug 2018): Uruguayan Peso ($U) £1 = $40.10 $U / $1 = $31.50 $U
- Useful prices to note;
- 1 night in a hostel (Dorm Bed) = $360 - $640 $U / £9 - £16 / $11.45 - $20.35
- (Private Double Room) = $601 - $2005 $U / £15 - £50 / $20.40 - $63.70
*These prices of accommodation can double in high season between December & February!*
- 1 local beer = $60 - $100 $U / £1.50 - £2.50 / $1.90 - $3.15
- A typical meal for one: $200 - $300 $U / £4.99 - £7.45 / $6.35 - $9.50
- Average cost of a 3 hour bus journey = $360 $U / £8.90 / $11.40
- Average cost of a ferry to/from Buenos Aires = $1002 $U / £25 / $31.80
Uruguayan Peso ($U) / British Pound (£) / US Dollar (USD)
Our must visit place..
This has to be the perfectly preserved paradise of COLONIA DEL SACREMENTO! Sit back and enjoy the bliss surroundings of the pristine ocean and the picture perfect cobbled streets. Set yourself up at one of the many bars and watch the world go by with the perfect backdrop.
