Uruguay travel guide

The climate is temperate, often windy, with summer heat tempered by Atlantic breezes. Winter (June-September) is damp; temperatures average 10-16°C, but can sometimes fall to freezing. Summer (December-March) temperatures average 21-27°C. There is always some wind and the nights are relatively cool. The rainfall, with prolonged wet periods in July/August, averages about 1,200 mm at Montevideo and some 250 more in the north, but the amount varies yearly.

Montevideo, the capital, is the business heart of the country and has an interesting Ciudad Vieja (old city). The highlights are Mercado del Puerto, the former dockside market, which has become an emporium for traditional food and drink, and the magnificently restored Teatro Solís and the pedestrian Calle Sarandí. Within the city’s limits are a number of beaches, which continue along the north shore of the Río de la Plata and on to the Atlantic seaboard. The most famous resort is Punta del Este which, in season (December-February), is packed with Argentines, Brazilians and locals taking their summer break. Beyond Punta del Este, there are quieter beaches with less infrastructure, but with sand dunes and other natural features. Along the coast, impressive villas and condominiums blend with their surroundings, a sort of museum of contemporary South American architecture under the open sky.

West of the capital is Colonia del Sacramento, a unique remnant of colonial building in this part of the continent. It is well preserved, standing on a small peninsula, and has one of the principal ferry ports for passenger traffic from Buenos Aires. Consequently it is a popular, but costly place, but well worth a visit. Continuing west you come to the confluence of the Río Uruguay with the Plata estuary. Up river are the last vestiges of the meat canning industry at Fray Bentos, which has a museum commemorating what used to be one of Uruguay’s main businesses. Further upstream are towns such as Paysandú and the historic Salto, from which you can cross to Argentina, and the hot springs which have been developed into resorts.