Uruguay for Hungry Travelers – Part 2

Why visit Uruguay?

As we already know, Uruguay is culturally very similar to Argentina and you can’t buy cannabis there as a tourist. So, why even visit the country? What makes it so special?

The reason we find Uruguay so interesting is because it’s often overlooked by tourists. Most people travelling across South America usually opt for “different and more interesting countries”, rather than Uruguay, a very developed country, and a very expensive at that. Tourism in Uruguay is centred around its Atlantic coast where Argentines, and partly also Brazilians, like to spend their holidays. The rest of the country is pretty much desolate. For us, this verdant hinterland was the most beautiful part of the country. There was peace, tranquillity and greenery, all of which we couldn’t find anywhere in Argentina, which we visited prior to that. Occasionally, a lumpy hill jutted out of the mostly flat terrain, and the vista was complete. Below, you’ll find a few of our recommendations as to why it’s worth visiting Uruguay.

• Fray Bentos
  There used to be a very productive meat processing plant in Fray Bentos. A cruel bit of information indicates how productive the processing plant was; 2000 cows were slaughtered daily, which is said to be a world record. The slaughter method, on the other hand, is hardly appropriate for the 21st century. Anyway, the processing plant now holds a UNESCO status of World Heritage Site and has been turned into a museum and is therefore accessible to tourists. At least to those who aren’t’ too squeamish.
• Colonia del Sacramento
  Colonia del Sacramento was the first city in the area that is now Uruguay. It was founded by the Portuguese as a means to gain control over the Rio de la Plata estuary, an important waterway. Interestingly, the Portuguese didn’t design their cities as meticulously and accurately as the Spanish, which is why Colonia doesn’t have a typical rectangular street system. The city has a pattern of randomly intertwined streets. Colonia has been beautifully preserved in its original, colonial style and therefore attracts many visitors, especially Argentines.
• Montevideo
  Montevideo is the capital of Uruguay and was founded by the Spanish in response to the founding of Colonia by the Portuguese. It has a typical architecture and urban design with a rectangular street system and Spanish colonial churches. Today, Montevideo is the heart of Uruguay. That is why this huge and bustling city is home to many administrative and business buildings. Interesting for tourists is the Montevideo Viejo, the old town, with the Artigas Mausoleum.
• Casapueblo
  Casapueblo is a “housing sculpture” constructed by the Uruguayan artist Carlos Páez Vilaró. His initial idea was to create a habitable sculpture on the steep and rocky Atlantic coast. He started out with a smaller house (made of metal and later wood) for himself, by the sea where he could create. He later added rooms and other spaces, gardens and terraces, which resulted in a large building made of white cement. The colour and shape both give an impression of a fairy-tale castle by the sea; there are gorgeous views through the windows and from terraces, lots of birds with their own dwellings on the façade that were created by the artist, and some interesting art in the interior.
• Punta del Este
  Punta del Este is the most popular tourist destination in Uruguay and a tourist hot spot in the summer season.
  The Playa Brava beach is the city’s attraction, which captivates its visitors with marvellous sunrises and an amazingly photogenic finger sculpture protruding from the sand. If you ever need to take a break from all the travelling, then this is the place for you. There are plenty of places to stay, from the most luxurious hotels to very cheap hostels, such as the Punta del Este hostel, a part of the El Viajero hostel chain.
• Salto del Penitente
  Most tourists in Uruguay stay near the beach and visit cities, such as Colonia del Este, Montevideo and Punta del Este, and then continue their journey in Brazil. This route is also known as the “gringo trail”. And what about the inland Uruguay? It consists mostly of flat terrain, countless rivers and streams, and many cultivated areas and pastures. And maybe a small hill or two. A small river flows through one of those hills, creating the Salto del Penitente waterfall when the water gushes over the top. For us, it was one of the most beautiful places we have visited. Nature, peace, tranquillity, a green landscape, swimming in a pool, an abundance of animal life... It’s definitely worth leaving the Uruguayan coast to visit the Salto del Penitente waterfall!

Getting around Uruguay

We travelled around in our car, though that probably wasn’t the most economical option, since petrol is very expensive, and so are the road tolls. Most travellers will probably find the bus to be the best option, as they are relatively cheap and comfortable, even for longer journeys.

Where to stay in Uruguay?

There are many accommodation options in Uruguay, from luxurious hotels to simple rooms. We stayed at El Viajero hostels while travelling across Uruguay. They are located in cities, such as Colonia del Sacramento, Montevideo, Punta del Este and Cabo Polonio.

The hostel in Montevideo is perfect if you want to socialise, as it has a bar and organises many events where young travellers meet, hang out and exchange their travel experience. It just so happened that we stayed at the hostel during Valentine’s Day when the hostel organised a Valentine’s Day event and salsa lessons. Now, imagine a group of “wooden” Europeans trying to mimic the sophisticated movements of the salsa teacher from Colombia. The scene was bizarre at best. He couldn’t grasp the fact that we didn’t know how to move our hips, and we couldn’t figure out what he was doing with his. His dance moves looked fantastic but mimicking him was a whole different story. We mastered a few dance moves by the end of the evening and then managed to do a few dances.

The hostel in Punta del Este was a calm place, perfect if you wanted to get away from crazy partying and loud beach vendors. Even though it’s located in the city centre, it’s quiet and also has a billiard table where you can socialise, as well as a TV, so you can watch football matches (which men will find particularly interesting).

What about the prices?

As already mentioned above, Uruguay isn’t exactly a cheap destination. Petrol in Uruguay is the most expensive in all of the South American countries (during our visit a litre of 95 octane petrol cost 1.60 euros) and we paid a toll of around 3 to 4 euros per 100km (and there weren’t even any motorways, only regional roads). Food prices in shops are pretty normal, while prices in restaurants and bars are quite steep compared to those in the neighbouring countries. Therefore, we recommend using the bus, staying at hostels and, if possible, bringing your own food and cooking it yourself when travelling in Uruguay.