South America - Uruguay- where to go, what to see

Hi All,

I'm going to Argentina and Uruguay for 10 days in December. I'm flying into EZE and out of MVD, and am planning to spend 3 nights in Uruguay. I'm just not sure where- Colonia, Montevideo, and Punta Del Este all look great. Do you have any suggestions on what I should see or how I should allocate my time?


I posted a similar question on the Argentina forum so hopefully you all won't flame me here :eek:

Thank you!

Colonia is great, Punta del Este a waste of time IMHO - if you go on a tour, it's like driving around a housing estate then being dumped in a characterless modern city for a couple of hours. Try to find a bodega tour instead. MVD is very laid back and lovely, but not much to see apart from the building containing the first elevator in South America! Lunch at the Mercado del Puerto is also a must. Have a great trip :).

For something different you could consider a day or two in San Pedro del Timote

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g612487-d506982-Reviews-Estancia_San_Pedro_de_Timote-Cerro_Colorado.html

Many years ago I took a small passenger boat from outside of BA (Tigre?) to Uruguay (Carmelo?).

The boat took us thru many pretty canals on the Argentinan side, I definitely want to explore this canal area if I ever go back to BA. ^

If you are a beach person then by all means do not miss Punta del Este. December will not be super high season.... but the sights in Punta are well worth a visit for those that like the ocean & the beach.

2 days Montevideo is enough to get a good feel - for a great vibe head for Jose Igancio (you can also stay in La Barra one over from Punta for a bit more action). You'll need a car. Late December (rights before xmas) is actually a good time to go as you can still get a table fairly easily and hotels are easier to come by.

I love Montevideo. Its like this old fashioned, low tech city that is so endearing. There are not gobs of sites like you might find in Europe, but it is a wonderful place to explore. Almost all tourists to Uruguay go to Punta del Este. You either love it or hate it. Its a lot of high rise hotels and apartments. Its for Argentinians mainly. Its much warmer than any of their beaches that are further south. But if you want beaches, go to Hawaii or the Caribbean or Brazil. Uruguay is a great place to spend a couple of days on an Estancia (ranch) and eat lots of barbeque, ride horses and just relax.

You can take a hydrofoil service called "Buquebus" across La Plata to Colonia.

Colonia is a very cool little town to explore. Very, VERY safe feeling and the people are just terrific. Still great steak at an equally great price also.

Customs didn't seem to be a big hassle when we went.

Can't comment on Montevideo, but Colonia is a terrific day trip even for folks who are keeping their base in Buenos.

What a great trip you've got planned...enjoy.

When I had 24 hours in Montevideo, I bought and downloaded from the "shop" section of the Lonely Planet guidebook Web site (www.lonelyplanet.com) the chapter on Montevideo. Found it useful. You could see the palce on your own, but a tour would give you more info. Lots of colonial buildings, museums and the Graf Spree memorial (read up on the battleship battle beforehand). It's a pretty quiet, low-key city. Might be a cheaper place than Buenos Aires for tango shows. Maybe a tour to a winery? Uruguay has some excellent wine.

try reading these free guides to

Argentina (http://www.qtripper.com/countries/11_argentina/)

and

Uruguay (http://www.qtripper.com/countries/224_uruguay/)

Be at Mercado del Puerto on Dec 31 in Cuidad Vieja in Montevideo for one of the most amazing parties you will ever be at in your life!

The first 15 days of Jan, Montevideo & Buenos Aires are empty as everyone goes to the beach towns.

Don't expect to rent a room anywhere for less than 5 days as they are pretty demanding (they make their money for the entire year during the summer)

Punta del Este is nice, but VERY expensive. Unless you drop real cash, the food sucks and there isn't really much to do aside from a couple of clubs at the harbor. Maldonado is like 10 min away and has some of the most incredible food in Uruguay for cheap (and great exchange houses too)

I would go to Punta del Diablo for a day or two but camping... the houses there are expensive, they only rent the cheap ones to locals, and require 5 day min. But take a tent and enjoy the rustic experience ...

All this info plus more is available on the TIPS & TRICKS section of the travel guides

I second the Graf Spee museum.
Easy t get there on a bus along the "malecon"
(if they use that word there...)