| Home | Argentina | Bolivia | Brazil | Chile | Colombia | Ecuador | Paraguay | Peru | Uruguay | Venezuela |

Uruguay Experiences, Stories & Photos from a Backpacker

Church in the distance. The pedestal of the Artigas statue, picture 2. Montevideo waltzing in the street in the evening. A saxaphone playing busker in the Montevideo markets.

Experiences & Stories:
The easy going nature of the Uruguayan people make Uruguay a fun place to travel. Montevideo is a city where many interesting sights can be seen! On a friday night in Montevideo you may see couples dancing in the street to music, by day the old city is an amazing area to walk and wander down to the sea to see all the fishermen and woman on the wharf. On saturday and sunday visit the huge market or see inside the cathedral.

I spent 4 days in Uruguay in 2008, I enjoyed Montevideo a lot and from there I travelled directly north to Rivera on the border of Brazil. Here are my experiences and story.

Buenos Aires to Montevideo:
I caught the ferry from Buenos Aires across the Rio de la Plata to Colonia del Sacramento in Uruguay and got a bus down to Montevideo. 1 hour on the ferry and 2 hrs on the bus. This part of the Rio de la Plata is very murky and brown due to erosion and other activities, I don't think there would be anything living down there. More

Montevideo:
I was looking forward to visiting Montevideo, I arrived on a friday afternoon, in time for the weekend markets and religious events and to explore the old city Ciudad Vieja and whatever else the city had to offer. After settling into my hostel in the center of town, I went up to the main street and had a look around, plaza's and statues, shops and restaurants. More

Rivera:
I came to Rivera from Montevideo which took 6hrs by bus, the reason I came here is because I drew a straight line from Montevideo to Puerto Iguazu in Argentina during my very first trip to South America and I decided to go for this direct route approach. More


Photos:   All Uruguay Photos
Monument fountain in Montevideo. An old man busker with guitar in Montevideo. Odd things for sale at Montevideo market. Tarantula spider at the markets in Montevideo.
La Casa del Boton in the old city of Montevideo. The left of the line is Uruguay, the right side is Brazil, Rivera/Santana do Livramento. Artigas high on his horse statue, in Montevideo. Out on the pier in Montevideo looking back towards the old and new cities. The pier is several kms long!
Little metal spoons and ornaments at Montevideo market. Cathedral archway shrine in Montevideo. The waterfront in Montevideo. Rivera street.
2 girls pose for a picture in Montevideo old city.
Inside the cathedral in Montevideo during a service, picture 2.
Pais Productivo. Justicia Socail. Menos Dependencia. 1001 PCU. Montevideo.
A dog in the street of Montevideo old city.
A statue of 3 Cherubs in a fountain in Montevideo.
View more photos from Uruguay


Recommended Things To Do:
  • Visit the capital city Montevideo on a weekend and wander through the amazing old city for half a day, see the huge market and religous ceremonies, see people dancing in the street on a friday night. View amazing buildings and statues.
  • See romantic couples by the shore at night with their flasks of tea in Montevideo.
  • Travel up the eastern coast through fishing villages.
  • Visit the dual Uruguayan/Brazilian city of Rivera/Santana do Livramento and jump from Uruguay into Brazil and back.
  • Eat lots of food, especially if you like bbq meat, ensalada and pasta.


  • Videos:
    People Waltzing in the Street of Montevideo Video
    People Waltzing in the Street of Montevideo
    Antiques Market in Montevideo Video
    Antiques Market in Montevideo
    On the Border of Uruguay & Brazil Video
    On the Border of Uruguay & Brazil

    See more videos from Uruguay & South America

    My Hostel & Hotel Reviews:
    Red Hostel Montevideo, Montevideo, Uruguay (Mar 2008 - 2 nights) - I thought it was nice with a great central location. They put on a bbq for all the guests up on the roof area and I enjoyed meeting some cool people, we all went out on the town afterwards. Perfect for me. booking

    Festivals and Holidays in Uruguay during February:
    Month Date When Festival / Holiday Where / Location
    FebruaryFirst week of FebruaryLas Llamadas (Mardi Gras, Carnival and Parade)Montevideo
    February2Virgen de la CandelariaPunta del Este
    February2Iemanja (Festival of the Goddess of the Sea)Montevideo, Punta Del Este
    February/MarchCarnaval and Las LlamadasMontevideo, National

    Yearlong Festivals and Holidays of Uruguay

    Visa Requirements:
    Links:
    Uruguay - Wikipedia
    Lonely Planet
    Weather for Uruguayan Cities
    Art Prints and Posters
    Infoplease
    Travel Blogs
    Montevideo Living Blog
    Newspapers
    Backpacking South America
    Blog: Inside South America
    Find Accommodation:


    Political Map of Uruguay
    Political Map of Uruguay
    Uruguay Flag

    Maps:
    Satellite View

    View Larger Map
    Standard View
    Uruguay Map

    Recommended Reading:

    Weather:
    Weather Stations: Montevideo  Rivera  Capitan Corbeta 
    Current conditions in Montevideo
    Click for Montevideo, Uruguay Forecast

    | Argentina | Bolivia | Brazil | Chile | Colombia | Ecuador | Paraguay | Peru | Uruguay | Venezuela |

    Home