Uruguay

Likes & Dislikes

Likes

1. Public safety is so-so but far better than in neighboring Brazil and Argentina

2. Even in the absence of unforgettable tourist attractions, Uruguay is a pleasant, stress-free, homey destination.

3. Locals are kind to the tourists, plus the Uruguayans are civilized, calm, modest, not xenophobic

4. There are no very long distances, so it is easy to discover the country (longest distances: 555 kilometers (345 miles) from north-northwest to south-southeast).

5. Superb, full-flavored and juicy asados (steaks)

6. Beaches of Punta del Este - a remarkably high percentage of the people there are good-looking, even in swimming suites (most of them indeed come over from Argentina)

7. Old Town (Barrio Historico) of Colonia del Sacramento - some behind the times' streets, small cafes, and restaurants, pus a climbing upstairs in the lighthouse

8. Cleanliness, satisfactory hygienic conditions all over the country

9. Rambla de Montevideo, a promenade on a Saturday afternoon with joggers and bikers

10. In Punta del Este The Hotel Casapueblo, which is a museum as well

11. Learn about the life and history of the idolized gaucho (local cowboys, ranchmen)

Dislikes

Uruguay - Montevideo - Salvo Palace ( Palacio Salvo) - Krista photo

1. After visited Rio de Janeiro and Buenos Aires, we felt that Montevideo is - sorry to say - an unremarkable, provincial city

2. Not even one surely interesting museum in Montevideo - the National Museum of Natural History was mediocre (note pls, we are from France)

3. Uruguay is a very sparsely populated country, that is why somewhat dull - the unsettled landscape is not diverse, mostly vast pastures

4. Outside Montevideo, the restaurants have nerving short daily opening times

5. Walkways of Montevideo are full of dog poos or - as pampering alternatives - all kinds of holes, hazards.

6. The quality of the tourism services is sometimes amateurish either for the reason of motiveless attitude or/and lack of dynamism.

7. Driving in the central part of the country is somewhat dull with the sparse traffic on the roads

8. Our most crucial negative observation: In Uruguay, the horrific price-quality ratio is shocking, atrocious, revolting!

Opinions

Uruguay - Montevideo - street art in the making - Krista photo

“We found Uruguay to be a very pleasant place. I liked that next to their two giant neighbors, they like being small. It has no outstanding tourist attractions, so obviously, a European traveler should come here only after visiting Rio, Buenos Aires, Peru, Colombia, and the other star attractions of South America. Some people swoon over the beaches, but the truth is there are much better ones in Southeast Asia and the Caribbean. The worst thing about Uruguay is the poor value for money. They offer poor quality for a hell of a lot of money. Still, I liked the country and it was good to get to know it. I liked the people the most, because they are natural, and don’t show off. They created a nice, normal country, and democracy has been working there for a long time.” (aji, 2018)
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“Uruguay, according to ill-intentioned Argentines, is a suburb of Buenos Aires. In fact, the country owes its independence to the fact that the Brazilians and the Argentines could not agree on which of them should annex the territory. The Portuguese once colonized present-day Uruguay, and Colonia del Sacramento, the former Portuguese garrison town, is now a world heritage site. So there is still something in Uruguay that is worth seeing, I thought. And of course, Montevideo must be interesting too, since it is a capital city, after all. Unfortunately, several destinations did not fit into our limited time, and the famous beach at Punta del Este would have been too cold when we were there in spring (October) anyway.
Well, Colonia del Sacramento, where the super-modern ferries from Buenos Aires arrive, is a really cool place, but I wasn't really impressed with Montevideo. The capital is quite run down, but the former Portuguese garrison town is very friendly. Yes, perhaps this is the right epithet for the whole of Uruguay: a friendly country, or ‘paisito’ (little country), as its inhabitants call it. Because one of the basic experiences of Uruguayans is that their country is small. At least compared to its two giant neighbors, Argentina and Brazil, though even so it is more than twice the size of my own home country, Hungary. And Uruguay does have some very pleasant surprises.”

Practicals

Transport

Uruguay - traffic jam

Food

Uruguay - restaurant in a car - Elter photo

Shopping

Uruguay - cow leather - Krista photo

Fun

Uruguay - Montevideo - street dance - Krista photo

Public safety

,, You should not walk on the street with your latest iPhone model on display.
You should be aware of the people surrounding you all the time, especially in the crowded areas of Montevideo
Keep cash to a minimum.
Avoid moving around the city with expensive items, say, laptop, jewelry, etc
When visiting a pub at night, don't walk home alone, especially if you are a girl. Take a cab or a Uber.

Its highly unlikely that you get robbed, but you should be aware at all times." (D. O., 2018)

Others

Uruguay - street troll: i am happier wearing expensive glasses - Krista photo

Uruguay - street art - y.m. photo

Background

Uruguay - national flags

Destination in brief

Uruguay is in the southeastern part of South America. Neighbors: Brazil (north), Argentina (east)

Size: 176,215 km² (68,037 mi²)

Population (in 2020): 3.4 million - 88% of European descent

Capital city: Montevideo

Language: Spanish

Religions: 57% Christians, 42% unafliated - Uruguay is the most secularized nation in all of the Americas with the highest percentage of atheists

Uruguay has the longest national anthem in the world: about 5 minutes (The Japanese anthem is less than one minute long)

Currency: Uruguayan peso (UYU)

Average monthly salary after tax (in 2020): 600 USD

Most common surname: Rodriguez

Geography

Uruguay - geography instructor T-shirt: our north is the south - Krista photo

Climate

Uruguay is the only country in Latin America that is entirely outside the tropics.

History

Uruguay - Montevideo - Artigas, national hero of Uruguay (the first half of the 19th century) - Krista photo

Nowadays

,, Uruguay has one foot in the 21st century. The other in the 19th century."

Uruguay - Montevideo - Peatonal Sarandi, a walking street - Krista photo

People

,, Uruguayans are comfortable when standing under a tree with a thermos of hot water under one arm and a gourd of mate in hand, watching the grass grow."