Cities visited: Montevideo, Punta del Este, & Colonia

Pro Tips:

• Most commonly, Uruguay is visited in conjunction with traveling to Buenos Aires. It’s very easy to get between one another via flight, bus or usually by ferry (which is what I did).
• No visa needed for US citizens (2024). I went through immigration in Buenos Aires as I boarded the ferry (out of Argentina & stamped into Uruguay) so once I arrived in Colonia there was no immigration to be done 🙂
• You can even do just a day trip to Uruguay (to Colonia) from Buenos Aires, but I would recommend giving the country at least a few days. I was quite happy to spend a week here!
• The best way to get cash is by exchanging dollars or euros (not by using an ATM). This will give you the best exchange rate.
• Uruguay is known for its stunning beaches, but I went in the shoulder season (Spring) so I enjoyed fairly quiet version of the country. It also meant I could book my accommodation as I went (rather than booking ahead). It was nice to be able to get to a place and feel it out before committing to timeframe of how long I’d stay.
• Uruguay is one of the safest & most stable countries in South America – I absolutely loved it and not a single concern of safety. What a treat!
• However, it is definitely not the cheapest country, in fact it’s probably one of the most expensive. The good news is that I still found it fairly reasonable so don’t let the cost put you off it.

CITY: Montevideo

HOW LONG: 3 NIGHTS

ACCOMMODATION:

I stayed at a very cozy hostel a little out of the historic part of the capital called Mediomundo. I loved its location as it was safe, quiet, but there were tons of restaurants. Also it was 5 min away from the water front promenade that goes on for 20km+ so I went for a run each morning!! Such a dream. There were curtains on the beds + a personal light/socket. The breakfast offered was pretty cheap & included eggs. Overall I would highly recommend!

WHERE TO EAT:

I ate breakfast at the hostel of 2 days, but tried Americo Cafe for some delicious French Toast.

With the family I met on the walking tour, we also found a cafe so they could try Mate, a traditional South American caffeine-rich infused herbal drink. It is such an important drink for everyone here. Everyday when I went on my sunset walks, everyone was carrying around a little holder for their thermos of hot water + cup for their mate. It was very cool to see.

Mercado Ferrando was a fun food market spot with lots of great options for dinner! I had a delicious burger and some gelato for dessert. I just love a food hall 🙂

WHAT TO DO:

I loved just walking along the promenade and people watching. As per usual, I also went on a walking tour where I met a lovely family from California. We ended up spending the rest of the day together, including heading a pickleball spot I found as I walked around. The dad was thrilled to get out on the court on his vacation. It’s very difficult to find pickleball outside of the US so it was so much fun to play in Uruguay. In fact these courts (having been built 8 months prior) are the first in the capital city!

While walking around make sure to check out the Mercado del Puerto, Plaza Independencia, & the Montevideo sign (this is a little further away).

OVERALL THOUGHTS:

I totally fell in love with Montevideo. It felt safe, the architecture was charming, people were lovely, and it was so, so relaxed. I almost decided to do my 2 weeks of Spanish classes here instead of Buenos Aires. I hope to return to Montevideo/Uruguay again in my life!

CITY: Punta del Este

HOW LONG: 2 NIGHTS

ACCOMMODATION:

I treated myself to a hotel stay since it was only $40 per night (gotta love shoulder season)! It was in the center of town & included breakfast. There was a pool (but it was too cold to use it while I was there) & nice common area to sit in. Overall simple but nice.

WHERE TO EAT:

Because it was shoulder season, it definitely felt like a lot of restaurants were closed or doing renovations, but I enjoyed dinner at Capi Bar & Rey de La Pizza. I also tried a doughnut from Donut City that was decadent.

WHAT TO DO:

If you were visiting during the summer, the thing to do would be hang at the beach, but it was pretty windy & chilly while I was here. I still really enjoyed it though. Like Montevideo, there was a promenade along the water all around the city so I walked or ran along it each day! I also stopped to check out the cool sculpture of “La Mano.”

OVERALL THOUGHTS:

This beach town is likely best enjoyed during the summer (rather than spring), but it was kinda nice to feel like I had the town all to myself. It was very peaceful, calm, & cozy. Definitely worth a visit!

CITY: Colonia

HOW LONG: 2 NIGHTS

ACCOMMODATION:

I stayed at Viajero Colonia Hostel. This is a chain hostel (which I tend to try to avoid), but this one was actually great! The room was clean & quiet. There were curtains on the bed as well as a personal light, a lockable storage area for small valuables and a plug. Bathroom was attached to the room. Huge common area & the hostel was located in the center of town! I also did a free yoga class on the rooftop terrace. Definitely would stay here again.

WHERE TO EAT:

Breakfast at Charco Bistro was delightful. You sit with views right out on the water and restaurant is gorgeously decorated. Very light & area & green with plants. Food was yummy too!

Colonia Sandwich Shop offered delicious sandwiches and they are also famous for their cinnamon rolls, so I obviously tried one! Lived up to its reputation. I paired it with a hot chocolate as well on a chilly, but sunny afternoon.

Don’t miss Helados Dienzzo for a gelato treat!

WHAT TO DO:

I honestly just enjoyed meandering around the small town center. Sunsets on the ocean were stunning and it was fun to see everyone gather on the waterfront. The architecture is charming & has a European feel. I took wayyyy too many photos haha.

OVERALL THOUGHTS:

Colonia is small so it really only needs a day, but I was happy enough to spend a full, lazy day walking around. I don’t like being rushed and constantly packing up so these days I try to spend a minimum of 2 nights in a place. So like I said, I didn’t find that there was much to do here, but just being here was a treat.

BUDGET FOR 7 DAYS IN URUGUAY:

Accommodation: $180 ($26 per night)

Food: $110

Groceries: $20

Activities: $33

Local Transportation: $50

Miscellaneous: $20

Total: $413 (Daily average: $59)

Transportation to next destination: $56 ferry back to Buenos Aires. I love an easy, cheap travel day to the next country 🙂