Your place in the guide
A direct path for those who have already chosen the next stop of the trip. 6 destinations and 11 cities in Uruguay.
Explore by destinationIllustrative images. The pictures in this guide are illustrations based on the real place, not photographs, and may differ from it.
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José Ignacio is an old fishing village at km 183 of Ruta 10, about 40 km east of Punta del Este. Houses spread around the lighthouse from 1877, which divides the sea in two: a calm side to the west and a wave-exposed side to the east. To the west lies Laguna José Ignacio, good for birdwatching and kitesurfing; to the east is Laguna Garzón, crossed by Rafael Viñoly’s circular bridge.
Salto, the department capital, is on the bank of the rio Uruguai, opposite Concordia in Argentina. Ten kilometres away are the Termas del Daymán and the Acuamanía waterpark; about 90 km away are the Termas del Arapey. To the north, the Represa de Salto Grande offers guided visits. Downtown are the Catedral, Plaza Artigas and Teatro Larrañaga; near the river are the Muelle Negro, Salto Chico and Casa Horacio Quiroga.
Punta del Diablo is a fishing village at km 298 of Ruta 9, about 42 km from Chuí. Shark fishermen began to settle there in the 1940s, and today the village combines huts, dirt roads, a craft fair and about 10 km of beaches, such as Playa de la Viuda, popular for surfing. Nearby are Parque Nacional de Santa Teresa with its fortress, Laguna Negra and, near Chuí, Fuerte de San Miguel.
Capital of the department of Colonia, the city lies on the north bank of the Rio da Prata, opposite Buenos Aires, and was founded by the Portuguese in 1680. The Barrio Histórico, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, includes the Portón de Campo, the Calle de los Suspiros, the Faro, the Basílica del Santísimo Sacramento and the Museo de Colonia sites. About 5 km to the north, the Plaza de Toros Real de San Carlos, from 1910, has become a cultural center.
Canelones, the capital of the department of the same name, is about 45 to 50 km from Montevidéu via Ruta 5. Founded in 1783 as Villa de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe, it was where the first national flag was created, commemorated by the Monumento a la Bandera in Plaza 18 de Julio next to the cathedral. Around it, toward Montevidéu, are wineries such as Juanicó, Pizzorno, Castillo Viejo, Varela Zarranz, Antigua Bodega, Bouza and Carrau.
Carmelo lies near the mouth of the Arroyo de las Vacas on the Río de la Plata, 75 km from Colônia do Sacramento along Ruta 21. Founded by Artigas in 1816, it has the Puente Giratorio, from 1912, operated by human power, and the Plaza Independencia with the church of Nuestra Señora del Carmen. Around it are the Jesuit ruins of the Calera de las Huérfanas and wineries that receive visitors, such as Zubizarreta, Narbona and El Legado.
Piriápolis is a seaside resort founded by Francisco Piria from 1890, older than Punta del Este, about 98 km east of Montevideo. Life revolves around the Rambla de los Argentinos and the Argentino Hotel, dating from 1930. Cerro San Antonio and Cerro del Toro overlook the bay. To the north, at the foot of Cerro Pan de Azúcar, are Castillo de Piria and the Estación de Cría de Fauna Autóctona.
La Paloma is the main seaside resort of the department of Rocha, on cabo Santa María, at the junction of Rutas 10 and 15. It developed around the lighthouse lit in 1874 and has about 20 km of beaches, from the old town by the cape to the neighborhoods of La Aguada and Costa Azul. It is about 240 km from Montevidéu and 90 km from Punta del Este. To the west lies Laguna de Rocha, a protected area for birdwatching.
Capital of Uruguay, Montevidéu stretches along the bank of the Río de la Plata. Ciudad Vieja gathers Plaza Independencia, Palacio Salvo, Teatro Solís, Plaza Matriz, museums and Mercado del Puerto. Along the coast runs the Rambla, with Pocitos beach and the Faro de Punta Carretas. Further out are the Palacio Legislativo, Estadio Centenario, the Jardín Japonés in the Prado, and the Fortaleza del Cerro.
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