Uruguay

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Quick Facts

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Capital

Montevideo

Government

Republic

Population

3,300,000

Nationality

Uruguayan, Oriental

Languages

Spanish

Religions

Christianity (Catholic)

Currency

Uruguayan Peso (UYU)

Calling Code

+598

Time Zone

UTC-3

Daylight Saving Time

UTC-2

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Introduction

cheese making on 3 buttons farm

© All Rights Reserved geranddebs

Though it doesn't have all the dramatic scenery its neighbours have, Uruguay does boast 320 km (200 mi) worth of beaches on the Atlantic. And it is these beaches which Uruguay has tactfully fashioned into attractive destinations for tourists. The picturesque waterside capital, Montevideo, is an obvious destination, with its colonial architecture, modern downtown area and fine beaches. But travellers will find a trip to Uruguay warrants excursions to its many other highlights, from the elegant old Portuguese fortress town Colonia, to Parque Santa Teresa, the popular national park that straddles the border with Brazil.

Brief History

Geography

Uruguay shares international borders with Argentina and Brazil.

Regions

Administratively, Uruguay consists of 19 departments. These can be grouped into 4 regions based on social and geographic factors.^[1]

• The Interior is the largest region.
• The Littoral
• Greater Montevideo
• The Coast

Cities

• Montevideo - The capital.
• Colonia del Sacramento - A small colonial town, perfectly restored and an easy daytrip from Buenos Aires.
• Punta del Este - The place to be for the jetset and beachlovers.
• Salto
• Paysandú
• Treinta Y Tres
• Fray Bentos
• Melo
• Mercedes

Sights and Activities

Colonia del Sacramento

Colonia cars and buildings

© All Rights Reserved Utrecht

Colonia del Sacramento is probably the single most visited place in Uruguay and it is not difficult to tell why. Although many tourists go here, the place hasn't lost anything of its colonial (what's in a name?) charm at all. Especially during early morning and late afternoon when the day visitors are leaving, the town is given back to its locals. The town can easily be visited in a day, even from Buenos Aires which is just a short boat ride away. The historic quarter of the city is placed on the Unesco World Heritage List, the only one in Uruguay.

Beaches

Uruguay doesn't come to mind as a first class beach holiday but, although not as popular and impressive as nearby Brazil, there are very nice and trendy beaches along the southern coastline, where the South Atlantic Ocean meets the Rio de la Plata. The most famous one is Punta del Este about an hour and half east of the capital Montevideo, the Monaco of South America with casinos, yachts and great nightlife and snobbish people (well, not all of course).

Gaucho life

sunflowers

© All Rights Reserved hayden111

Argentina may be famous for its large rache style places, called estancias, Uruguay at least equals its neighbour and the positive side is that is a lot less touristy when you go away from the coastline and into the interior of this small South American country. Of course, the locals say that their beef is the best and in fact, it exports huge amounts of first class beef to almost anywhere in the world. On some estancias people may get a taste of this hard but 'romantic' life style and the quietness and gently rolling hills will give you the feeling you are away from it all. Horseriding and helping on the estancias are just a few activities here.

Other sights and activities

• Small and forgotten towns - Fray Bentos, Mercedes and Salto
• Rocha birdwatching

Events and Festivals

Weather

Uruguay enjoys a pleasantly warm climate but has distinct season regarding temperatures. The summermonths of November to April are warm, sometimes hot, with temperatures around 28 to 30 degrees Celsius during the day on average and around 18 degrees at night. During the wintermonths of June to September temperatures average between 15 and 20 degrees during the day, dropping around or just below 10 degrees at night.
Uruguay's rainfall is spread out throughout the year quite evenly, averaging around 80 mm a month. The autumn months of March and April are just a little wetter.
In general, the north and northwest are somewhat warmer in all months and have slightly more rainfall as well.

Getting There

By Plane

Uruguay's primary airport is Montevideo Carrasco International Airport (website in Spanish) (MVD), which serves flights to and from North and Central America, the rest of South America, and Spain.

PLUNA Airlines (website in Spanish) is the national airline, and operates flights to Asuncion, Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo, Córdoba, Curitiba, Florianópolis, Foz do Iguacu, Porto Alegre, Punta del Este, Bariloche, Rosario and Santiago de Chile.

Several other airlines have destinations throughout South America as well, and to cities like Miami, Panama City and Madrid.

The airport at Punta del Este serves quite a few destinations to neighbouring countries as well.

By Car

Crossings by car from both Argentina and Brazil are fast and straightforward. Just be sure to have the proper documentation and insurance.

By Bus

Uruguay can be reached by bus from both Brazil and Argentina.
Brazil
Most used crossing is between Chuy and Chui, border is at the main street in this twin town. Other crossings are Rio Branco - Jaguarao, Isidoro Noblia - Acegua, Rivera - Santana do Livramento, Artigas - Quarai, and Bella Union - Barra do Quarai. Direct buses travel between Montevideo and Porto Alegre (12 hours), Florianopolis (19 hours) and Curitiba (24 hours).

By Boat

There are boat connections between Uruguay and Argentina from several places. Boats to Uruguay leave from Buenos Aires or Tigre, just to the north and make the journey to Colonia del Sacramento (also good for daytrips!), the capital Montevideo and a few smaller places like Carmelo. One of the operators is Buquebus.

Getting Around

By Plane

There are no scheduled domestic flights except the stop in Montevideo from Punta del Este to Brazil, but Aeromas has charter flights to several destinations.

By Train

There are no passenger services within the country.

By Car

Roads in Uruguay are generally in a good condition and outside Montevideo it is rarely busy on the roads. Major roads connect all cities and towns along the coast and the interior. Renting a car is possible at the international airport in Montevideo, as well as downtown, and in other notable cities and towns, including Punta del Este, Colonia and a few places more to the north and interior. Traffic drives on the right and you need an international driving permit.

By Bus

Uruguay has an extensive bus network. The main companies include Copsa and Cot which serve all major cities and towns on at least a daily basis. On the Tres Cruces website you can find more information about bus companies, schedules and prices.

By Boat

River Uruguay is navigable from Colonia to Salto, and the Río Negro is navigable as far as the port of Mercedes. You need to charter boats though, as there are no scheduled domestic passenger ferries in Uruguay.

Red Tape

Mercosur citizens (Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, Venezuela) can enter with just their national ID. EU and USA citizens don't need visa; those of Russia, China and India do (2008 situation). For a full overview of visa requirements, visit the Dirección Nacional de Migración (DNM).

Money

See also Money Matters

The currency is the Uruguayan Peso (Ur$). Banknote values are five, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200, 500 and 1000. There are coins of 50 centavos, one, two, five and 10 pesos.

Work

Study

Language

Related article: Spanish: Grammar, pronunciation and useful phrases

Spanish is the official language of Uruguay.

Eat

Sleep

Drink

Health

See also Travel Health

Safety

See also Travel Safety

Keep Connected

Internet

Phone

See also International Telephone Calls

Post