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Travel guide in Uruguay: the best places and cities of the country

Uruguay

Uruguay is a great place to relax on beaches and seaside resorts- in the famous Punta del Este, Punta del Diablo, another very popular beach and with a bit of a hippie vibe, and La Paloma with its laid-back ambiance and a good seat for whale-watching, as well as the beautiful family beaches of picturesque Piriapolis, with its promenade and the Piria castle that also attracts tourists, also with its long coastline, restaurants and shops, and to the capital of the beautiful Montevideo with a tour of the best sights: Independence Square, Legislativo Palace, Salvo Palace, Solis Theater, Centenario Monastery, Pittamiglio Castle, and the Rambla coastal avenue, in addition to its incredible beaches.
The most popular resort town of Uruguay is Punta del Este, which attracts travelers with its clean beaches, fine sand, numerous great restaurants, shopping, picturesque streets and the opportunity to rent a yacht for its must-do boat trips.
Another popular town to visit is Colonia del Sacramento, with its historic quarter being a UNESCO World Heritage site displaying 17th-18th century Spanish and Portuguese colonial-era structures, and narrow cobblestone streets, there are also 8 museums here, and from the observation deck the city lighthouse offers an excellent view of the entire city. Colonia is located on a small peninsula along the riverfront, and is a fantastic location for watching dazzling sunsets.
Jose Ignacio is becoming a more upscale and chic beach destination, then you have places like Cabo Polonio which has to be accessed over dunes in buggies to this off-the-grid- town, and many others. There are also beautiful white sand beaches around the capital, Montevideo, such as Ramirez Beach or the quieter Buceo.
Uruguay is the fourth-largest wine producing country in S. America, offering some top-notch wines more recently, and there are some fantastic and beautiful wineries to visit for a tasting and tour. Uruguay has several wine regions, and depending on your itinerary you can choose one accordingly, taking into account the location and your wine of preference.
In addition to a beach or city holiday, tourists are heading to the country for fishing, or going to see the sea lions on Lobos Island or bird watching in Cabo Polonio, or relaxing at the thermal hot springs in northwestern Uruguay, a hot springs paradise. Salto is a popular place to visit in Uruguay, and here you can have not only spa treatments, but also go to a water park, the zoo or take a walk along the charming riverfront of the city. Make sure you check out the hot springs called Dayman, which has three pools of different temperatures, with several fountains to enjoy, and a nice picnic area.
And for more unique outdoor recreation, Laguna Negra lake with peat bogs of black ash on the water is an interesting site, where you can look for rare birds and mammals while kayaking and watching its magical sunset.
Colonia del Sacramento
Colonia del Sacramento
Montevideo
Montevideo
Punta del Este
Punta del Este

Tours to Uruguay -choose a tour according to he parameters

Tours to Uruguay

Choose the country, route duration, budget, type and subject of your future tour. Pay attention to our regular combined programs for several countries

Uruguay has about 40 cities

Cities of Uruguay

The most famous tourist cities and places in Uruguay are the capital of Montevideo, the resort of Punta del Este, Colonia del Sacramento, Piriapolis, Laguna Negra, Salto

Colonia del Sacramento
Colonia del Sacramento
Montevideo
Montevideo
Punta del Este
Punta del Este

Excursions in Uruguay with a licensed English guide

Excursions in Uruguay

We know the best sights of Uruguay: the capital of Montevideo, the cities of Punta del Este, Piriapolis, Colonia del Sacramento, natural locations for recreation, resorts on thermal springs and lakes, as well as the best beaches of Uruguay for family holidays or surfing

Reminder of Uruguay for travellers

It's useful to know


- Punta del Este, the luxurious beach town of Uruguay

- Montevideo, a city full of history and culture

- Colonia del Sacramento, a colonial cradle between Argentina and Uruguay

Uruguay, on the east coast of South America south of Brazil and east of Argentina, is comparable in size to Oklahoma. The country consists of a low, rolling plain in the south and a low plateau in the north. It has a 120-mile (193 km) Atlantic shoreline, a 235-mile (378 km) frontage on the Rio de la Plata, and 270 mi (435 km) on the Uruguay River, its western boundary
Spanish is the official language. Along the border with Brazil, there is a dialect called Portuñol, which is a combination of both Spanish and Portuguese. English is most often selected as a second language in Uruguay, especially in the business sectors.
The Uruguaian Peso is the national currency, 1 USD is about 33.4 Uruguayan Peso (March 2019)
The climate in Uruguay is temperate: warm summers and cold winters. The coolest month is June, while the warmest is January. The rainfall is equally distributed throughout the year, but tends to be a bit more frequent in the autumn months. There can be frequent thunderstorms in the summer.
Uruguayans are known to eat a lot of meat. The parrillada (beef platter), chivito (a substantial steak sandwich), and pasta are the national dishes.
Other Uruguayan dishes include morcilla dulce, a type of blood sausage cooked with ground orange peel and walnuts, and milanesa, a breaded veal cutlet.
Typical drinks include mate, tea, clericó (a mixture of white wine and fruit juice), and medio y medio (part sparkling wine and part white wine).
Before European settlement, Uruguay was long inhabited by indigenous people, the Charrúas. Juan Díaz de Solis, a Spaniard, visited Uruguay in 1516, but the Portuguese were first to settle it when they founded the town of Colonia del Sacramento in 1680. After a long struggle, Spain conquered the country from Portugal in 1778, by which time almost all of the indigenous people had been exterminated. Independence was reasserted with Argentinean help in 1825, and the republic was set up in 1828.
More than 75% of the people are at least nominally Roman Catholic. Jews, mostly in Montevideo, make up a small minority, which is nevertheless one of the larger Jewish communities in South America.
Uruguay has an impressive legacy of artistic and literary traditions, especially for its small size. Uruguay has centuries old remains, fortresses of the colonial era. Its cities have a rich architectural heritage and an impressive number of writers, artists, and musicians.
Inland, we find the culture of the gaucho, the cowboys of South America. To this day, gauchos wear the same traditional dress as generations ago. Complete with it’s own music and dance; gaucho is about pride and dignity, individual integrity, and national identity.
As far as general arts and crafts, Uruguayans are excellent in creating the most beautiful handcrafted leather goods. Homegrown leather is transformed into belts, boots, hats, and purses. The people are also renowned for their handmade woolen items, especially woolen sweaters. There is also a niche of ceramic crafts that reflect local color.
The tango has an entire sub-culture centered on movement, music, and lyrics. Tango is love, hate, and passion. Tango transforms one’s existential problems into pure energy and joy. And in Uruguay, people love to Tango and they Tango well!
Large animals have almost disappeared from the eastern regions, but there is still much to explore. The carpincho (water hog), fox, deer, nutria, otter, and small armadillo live in the northern foothills. On the pampas are the hornero (ovenbird), quail, partridge, and crow interesting animals to see. The avestruz (a small ostrich similar to the Argentine rhea), swan, and royal duck are found at lagoons. If you like Ffishing you can come across the pompano, salmon, and corvina. The principal reptiles are cross vipers and tortoises. Seals are found on Lobos Island, near Punta del Este.

Vacation in Uruguay

Discover Uruguay with Tour operator Ada Tours!

Ada Tours travel agency would be happy to organize your unforgettable vacation in Uruguay, to develop group or individual itineraries around the country or plan for combined tours with Brazil or Argentina, the country's closest neighbors. The city has many hotels for different budgets and comfort, and you can even rent an apartment for more space. We will help you choose the best beach hotels for a vacation on the seafront, we can help you choose where to try the best national Uruguayan cuisine, where to go fishing and where to go for outdoor recreation. We organize spa tours to hot thermal springs, surf tours and city cultural and historical tours, and if a foreign-language guide is needed we can arrange that as well to your specifications. We would be thrilled to plan your dream vacation in lovely Uruguay.