Throughout all of our travels in South America, Uruguay was the most surprising, uncharted, beautiful secret hidden by Brazil and Argentina. Ahead of planning our trip, it was very difficult to find a lot of information on popular things to do in Uruguay, and just an overall recommended travel itinerary for first time visitors.
Uruguay is a tiny country of less than 3.5 million people, with architecture reminiscent of Europe. However, when compared to other travel destinations in South America, Uruguay is somewhat overlooked by many. There are not many social media posts about the amazing wine vineyards in Montevideo, the relaxing beach experiences in Punta del Este, or foodie tips on some of the best places to eat in Uruguay.
So in this article, I will share our travel journey, learnings, and favorite experiences while we were in Uruguay. Uruguay is my favorite country thus far from all of my travels in South America. Continue reading as I share a few tips to create a fun and memorable Uruguay travel experience.
Traveling – it leaves you speechless, then turns you into a storyteller.
Ibn Battuta
How to Prepare For a Trip to Uruguay
When planning any trip, I always “VET” my trips – “V” – Vaccine requirements, “E” – Entry and visa requirements and “T” for Temperature and travel times. This rule is the baseline for all travel!
Vaccination Requirements – Prior to entering any foreign country, always check the vaccination requirements for each country of entry. I typically reference the CDC website or any government website.
Entry & Visa Requirements – Prior to traveling to Uruguay, be sure to visit your country’s local embassy site to see what the latest requirements are. At the time of this article, tourist visas are only required for stays longer than 90 days. For anything less, only a valid passport with one blank page is required for US travelers.
Temperature & Weather – The best time to visit Uruguay is in the summer. Since Uruguay is in the southern hemisphere, their summer months are December, January, and February. During this time period, you can expect longer daylight hours, pleasantly warmer temperatures, less rain with plenty of outdoor activities available.
Airport Information – If you’re planning to visit Uruguay, I recommend flying into Montevideo. The main airport in Montevideo is called the Carrasco International Airport (airport code MVD). The address for this airport is: Carrasco International Airport (MVD): Avenida de las Américas S/N Canelones, 14000 Uruguay.
Currency – The Uruguayan Peso is the main national currency of Uruguay. I recommend bringing cash in the local currency to maximize exchange rates / fees. Mastercard and Visa are also widely accepted, while American Express and Discover are only accepted by a few merchants throughout the country.
Tipping – Tipping is modestly customary in Uruguay. After receiving a service, or being served food, some locals may ask you for a “propina”, which means tip in Spanish. Most locals do not expect a large tip, only a modest 5% – 10%.
Learn Some Spanish – In common tourist areas such as hotels, you may find some English speakers, however the majority of residents speak Spanish in Uruguay. Even if your knowledge of Spanish is limited, we found that most locals greatly appreciated any effort to communicate with them in their local language.
Wine Tasting in Montevideo, Uruguay
As you descend on exploring the hidden treasures of Uruguay, I recommend starting in Montevideo. Montevideo, Uruguay and its surrounding smaller towns are full of rich history and charm. One should take time to explore the vibrant streets and vendors and Montevideo and also escape to the country side to explore Uruguay’s rich wine region.
During our time in Uruguay, we traveled away from Montevideo and enjoyed amazing food and wine at Bodegas Castillo Viejo. This is a local family owned winery and vineyard. During our visit, they guided us through their entire wine making process, allowed us to label their bottles, and taught us so much about the bold Tannat red wine grape. 🍇
We also learned that Tannat is the national grape of Uruguay, and the level of care this family goes through to produce and blend this variety given the changing weather conditions.
Castillo Viejo also stood out for us since they carefully educated us on the proper techniques to use to taste and appreciate wine. First was to observe the color and swirl the wine to open it up before smelling. We also found their process of using egg whites to remove wine settlement to be unique as well!
Afterwards, the Castillo Viejo team guided us through a smelling station, to smell and evaluate the intensity of over a dozen different scents that are commonly found in wine. From there the tour led to our favorite part – tasting!
Castillo Viejo offers lunch with their tasting experience. Lunch and tastings are served in a cozy wine cellar within the estate. So if you’re planning to visit Montevideo, definitely book a a wine tour here or at another estate to discover one of the largest producers of the Tannat grape in the world!
Short Video Vlog of Bodegas Castillo:
Experience Beach Vibes in Punta del Este
After visiting Montevideo, take a two hour car ride along the coast of Uruguay and visit the beautiful “Miami of Uruguay” – Punta del Este! Punta del Este is a vibrant beach town with a bohemian twist, full of beautiful beaches, upscale beach clubs, art museums, fresh seafood, and more!
Upon arriving in Punta del Este, be sure to visit and stop by Playa Brava early in the morning, before crowds arrive to take photos of the famous “La Mano”.
Afterwards, take a 15 minute walk over to Muelle 3 for breakfast with a view and unique robot servers.
From there, I recommend making reservations to relax at a nice beach club for the day. Punta del Este is full of nice beach clubs that allow you to rent cabanas, umbrellas, order food and drinks on the beach as you enjoy golden sand with calming waters. We made reservations at the Parador Imarangatu. This is an all-in-one restaurant and Beach Club with beautiful boho decor, and fresh seafood dishes.
As you soak up the sun in Punta del Este, you will also see some of the strongest beach merchants on the planet! I’ve seen multiple merchants around the world sell items on the beach, but I promise you, none of them can surpass the strength or talent of the men we saw in Punta del Este carrying the largest clothing rack to beach goers for the day!
If you love the arts and architecture, try to also carve out time and visit Casapueblo. Casapueblo is a beautiful white whimsical building created by artist Carlos Páez Vilaró, known for its unique architecture and art gallery within.
The Food Scene in Uruguay
No travel guide about Uruguay would be complete without mentioning their amazing culinary food scene! The streets of Uruguay were constantly filled with the aromas of open-flame grilled vegetables and meats. Uruguay is known for “asado”, which is their version of barbecue.
While you’re in Montevideo, I recommend visiting an open air food market called the Mercado del Puerto for the ultimate asado experience. The Mercado del Puerto is in the heart of the colonial district in Montevideo and has existed since 1868. This old train station turned food market is a bustling location to discover the many savory dishes of Montevideo.
The food stalls in Mercado del Puerto specialize in meat and seafood dishes. We enjoyed an amazing afternoon lunch from the El Palenque restaurant at the market.
During your time in Punta del Este, be sure to try any of their seafood dishes. My favorite seafood from our time in Punta del Este was served at the Parador Imarangatu.
I also recommend trying some of their fresh ham dishes, which go beautifully with some of the local wines or Uruguay.
You can enjoy a fulfilling initial visit to Uruguay in 3-4 days. Uruguay is one of my favorite countries in South America, so I recommend staying longer if you can. Below you wil find a summary of my recommended Uruguay travel itinerary:
Uruguay Travel Itinerary:
DAY 1
Arrive in Montevideo, explore the history and old city. Shop and enjoy Uruguayan cuisine at the Mercado del Puerto.
DAY 2
Travel outside of the bustling city of Montevideo, and spend a full day exploring the wine region, learning about Uruguay’s famous Tannat grape variety.
DAY 3
Journey along the coast two hours to Punta del Este to enjoy the beach. Spend the day relaxing, visit the famous art museum Casapueblo.
DAY 4
Start the day with photos at La Mano, make brunch reservations on the beach, and book a cabana at one of the many high-end beach clubs in Punta del Este. Some restaurants / beach clubs also have live DJs for you to relax and enjoy while soaking up the sun on the beach.
More Favorites from Elicit Folio
I never realized how beautiful Uruguay was, and I certainly had no idea there was so much to do there! This was a super cool read!
You’re right, I would have never thought Uruguay had that much to offer! But it looks beautiful! And there is so much more to do there than I thought! Thank you for sharing!
Uruguay sounds like an amazing trip! I have only been to a few places in South America, and it seems like this would be another great destination to check out.
Yes! Uruguay is such a hidden gem! One of my favorite South American destinations so far!