Top Uruguay hotels
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If returning from Colonia or Montevideo to Buenos Aires in the late evening or night you must go out on the boat deck to look at the marvellous skyline of the huge city approacing. The dark silent water beneath, the alive city with its neon and noice in front of you....
See Carnaval. (In the month of February) There are two major parades: Desfile de Carnaval and Desfile de las llamadas, about a week apart. The first goes along 18 de Julio, with alot of drums, dancers, and murgas (a murga is a type of musical comedy group that wears costumes and face paint). The second parade goes through the Barrio Sur (southern neighborhood). I like Llamadas better – it’s a more intimate experience. Apart from the parades, the murgas perform shows around town every night during the season (a murga group is pictured below). Around the same time as carnaval there is a night when people of a certain religion, worshippers of Iemanya (the virgin of the sea), go down to the beach and make offerings, sending boats with gifts out to the surf. Go see it, but be careful not to step on the candles in the sand! The season of Carnaval is the best time to visit.
Take a road trip. Outside of Montevideo, Drive to Punta del Este, but don't spend the night! Too expensive. But go there and look at all the rich Argentinians. Also, Drive to Colonia del Sacramento -- a pretty historical town. Go to the Beach. The beaches of Montevideo were dirty when I went there, but sometime's they're better. You can divide the beaches of Uruguay into two types: freshwater and saltwater. The beaches west of Montevideo are freshwater and those to the east are salty (it changes depending on the current). Most people go to the beaches in Maldonado (to the east, around punta del este). Instead of Punta del Este, I suggest the beachtowns of Atlantida or Piriapolis, where the locals go. The beaches of Colonia are good - they're warmer than the ones in Maldonado.
Drink Mate. Mate is a type of tea. Actually, Mate means gourd; the tea is drunken in small gourds. One fills up the mate with the yerba, the ground tea leaves, then pours hot water over it. You suck out the tea with a bombilla, a metal straw, then you pour more hot water over it, and so on. All you need to buy is the mate, the bombilla, the yerba, and a cheap thermos. Any hotel will fill up your thermos with hot water. Your first try or two at making mate will be disastrous, but you'll get it! While you're drinking mate, eat biscochos or mazini and walk in the park, on the beach, or drive around town like a madman!
See Montevideo. The Old Town (Ciudad Vieja) of Montevideo isn't very interesting, and it’s a been neglected. But do walk around it, it’s not very big. The centerpoint is the Plaza Matriz, with the beautiful Iglesia Matriz. From there wander around, heading generally North. You’ll pass some nice architecture and some scary-looking streets, but with some luck you’ll find yourself at the Mercado del Puerto, an old railroad station turned into a high-class food court. If you’re not hungry, instead of walking North from Matriz walk East on Calle Sarandí towards Plaza Independencia. Here you’ll find many expensive shops. The Heart of the city is along Avenida 18 de Julio. Walk East down the street from Plaza Independencia (a large and fairly ugly square near the Ciudad vieja). The first square after Independencia is Plaza del Entrevero, with a beautiful fountain. The Museo del Gaucho is at the...
See a soccer game. Go to the Estadio Centenario, and just walk up to one of the entrances and buy a ticket. On the side of the stadium are the more expensive tickets. At the end, near the goals, are the cheaper tickets, with rowdy people throwing fireworks and fighting with police.
Best Hotel: Hotel Beltran year 1873Best restaurant: Meson de la plaza. The most impressive sight in Colonia is the reflection of sunlight through multitudes of leaves, various shadows on the colourful buildings and the immense river Plata.
DON'T MISS TO VISIT PUNTA DEL ESTE WITH ITS SPECIAL CASA PUEBLA OF THE PAINTER CARLOS PAEZ VILAROAND THE FAMOUS FINGERS OF THE TOWN..ALSO MONTEVIDEO AND ALL THE NORTHEAST COAST HAVE ITS CHARME AS WELL AS THE SILENT PROVINCE TOWN OF PAYSANDU AND THE HOT SPRINGS OF DAYMAN A GREAT 3 HOURS EXCURSION THROUGH PUNTA DEL ESTE VISITING CASA PUEBLA, A HUGE HAZIENDA, BEACHES AND SOME VILLAS OF FAMOUS PEOPLE
You must see 'La Ciudad Vieja' (Old Montevideo), where many refugees (coming from rural areas or Uruguay) live in 'conventillos'. Those are old houses, some built in the Spanish colonial style, converted into multifamily flats. The government has an urban redeveloppment plan consisting in displacing people from this area to new ones, that's why you will see many are abandonned now. It is very picturesque and you feel rather in a town than in a 1 500 000 habitants city ! Then go to Plaza Independencia (Main square) and have a 'Pancho' (hot dog) ... the Uruguayan way ! I met an Uruguayan guy on the plane who invited me to visit his country to thank me for being helpful with his grand-mother on the plane (I was actually on my way to Argentina). I discovered a land in which people are so nice and relax ... helpful and smily ... coming from Germany it does make a difference (no intention to...
Visit Punta del Este and the other beachs: Piriapolis,La Paloma, etc.Punta del Este is fine in summer, but I always like togo to it, also in winter. It is more expensive than Montevideo, but is a pretty place. There are two popular beaches: La Brava and La Mansa. They' re full of people in summer, and there are other large beaches going to way to Brazil I like ride on bike across Punta del Este, and swimming in it beautiful beaches.
Ibis Montevideo Montevideo
6 Reviews and 239 Opinions The hotel is very well-located, not far away from the downtown, the airport and the "Ciudad Vieja"...
Radisson Hotel Colonia del Sacramento Colonia del Sacramento
1 Review and 160 Opinions It is situated at the waterfront, not far from the historical part of town and very close to the...
Hotel L'Auberge Punta del Este
2 Reviews and 95 Opinions There are so many words to describe this hotel. Romantic. Peaceful. Serene. Pristine. Quaint. ...
Reviews and photos of Uruguay attractions posted by real travelers and locals. The best tips for Uruguay sightseeing.
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Q: Hi fellows, I'm going to plan a trip in uruguay for november and I need some advise. Is it to much or to less 2 weeks in...
A: Try to go north from Punta del Este to Cabo Polonio, very wild [and lovely] place. November is maybe the best month, long days and not hot, anyway still low season for...
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