Top Uruguay hotels
Mate: A strong herbal tea Montevideo
9 Reviews Le mate est un incontournable en Uruguay, il fait partie de la vie de tous les jours. Il peut se boire seul, mais c'est surtout une boisson de partage. Drinking mate is normaly with friend, in a...
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Street artists/art Montevideo
2 Reviews This man draws with smuts; he works at Mercado del Puerto, and his pieces are really good. Este hombre hace dibujos a la carbonilla; trabaja en el Mercado del Puerto, y sus obras son realmente...
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Parillas Montevideo
1 Review One of the great things that Uruguay shares with its northern and southern neighbours Brazil and Argentina is the love of meat. The number of excellent steakhouses or parillas is infinite, and the...
See All 53 Local Customs in Montevideo
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Do not expect to have dinner before 9pm, at the very earliest, if you are eating in a restaurant. Most places close at 3pm and do not open again until 9pm.I think that is why lunch is the main meal of the day. I know we would have a late lunch and then just a snack at the apartment later on in the evening. The Super Mercados are open for snack attachs.
Candombe is the name of the important Afro-uruguayan heritage: It's a rhythm created when tambores (drums) are played together.I noticed that Candombe is extremely important to the little black population of Uruguay. It's the rhythm of their life. Someone told me that all Uruguayans are proud of their Afro-Uruguayan heritage. During Carnaval all Uruguayans, black and white, make music and dance the Candombe!It's like a Samba batucada, from Brazil's popular carnaval, but Candombe is more "underground", the carnaval is much more cultural then comercial!
I've heard there's a saying in South America: "Other countries have their history, Uruguay has it's futbol!" They won the 1st world cup in 1930, and it's the only country in the world who won a World Cup with a population of under 4 million inhabitants.I noticed all Uruguayans are soccer fans: every conversation I had, I was questioned: "de que cuadro estas?" (Wich team do you support?).The choice is between the two mayor popular and succesfull teams; Penarol and Nacional.
Uruguayans are no.1 mate drinkers in the world! Maté is an infusion of a weed named "yerba", like tea, and it's drinked in a special recipients made out of a dried, hollow "fruit" called mate. You sip it with a metal straw called the "bombilla".Uruguayans go everywhere with there maté and the Uruguayans I have met, drink it all day long! It's to be considered as a social drink: After refilling the maté with hot water, it's passed over to the next drinker. It's good for diets (as long if you don't eat to much of that Uruguayan meat and sweet deserts!) ;)
I was staying in Buenos Aires when I visited Uruguay and didn't know much about either countries yet. My trip to Uruguay was a short one, didn't know what to expect at all.In retrospect, Montevideo was like a quieter Buenos Aires (but then, I was there during Carnival, when the city was practically deserted by locals, who had all apparently gone to the seashore.) Colonia felt a bit the same, except that I saw more tourists. But to me, they didn't look like tourists since they were all from Uruguay or Argentina...I was already taking tango lessons then, in Buenos Aires. I thought Argentina was THE tango and maté country. To my surprise, I found more tango spirit and more maté drinkers everywhere in Uruguay. And the gaucho culture is more evident in Uruguay, at least in the capital and in Colonia. The little bit I saw of Uruguay left me with a good feeliing. The kind of place where it...
Private social dance clubs seem to be popular in Uruguay. I saw them in several cities but can only tell about the one that I was priveledged to visit in Trenta y Tres. It was called Social Club Bien Raices. This was not some sort of snobby place; a worker at the hotel I stayed in indicated that he had been a member but had to quit because the events too often conflicted with his work schedule. Members all paid a monthly subscription to pay for the music, hall maintenance etc. This was not your college aged or swinging singles type place, but I have never seen in one place so many young people in really old bodies dancing. I literally saw one overweight mature lady walk to her table with a cane, but leave the cane to dance the night away. This club required a shirt and tie, and if you can produce one I believe you could get in as a guest. It would certainly be worth a try, because an...
When travelling in Uruguay, you will notice that many people drink 'mate', the national drink of Uruguay. Basically, it is like a strong tea. In traditional mate use, the cup (the mate) is often shared among close friends and family - using the same metal straw, or bombilla. Drinking mate is a sign of total acceptance and friendship. It also has excellent health benefits.Don't be offended if you (assuming you're a foreigner) are not initially invited, if someone you know or met is driking and passing around the mate. Many just assume that either you don't like it or wouldn't like it. If you've never had it and are dying to try it, just ask what it is that they are drinking and surely they will invite you to try.
Another great thing that Uruguay shares with its northern and southern neighbours Brazil and Argentina is the love of meat. The number of excellent steakhouses or parillas is infinite, and the meat that is served is second to none. Try the mercado del puerto in Montevideo for a large selection of places that serve grilled meat.
in their national dress, proud and skillful people. their tradition counts back since the nations independence. the 'father' of Uruguay was himself a Gaucho..Jose Artigas, he fought for Uruguays Independence, after years of hart battles between the Portugues and Spanish. Uruguay gained freedom in 1828Gauchos know their value, have their own music and culture, mostly working as free man on big Facendas..Farms
Uruguayan love politics... The country has a long democratic tradition, and on February 15th, 2005, a historical fact happened: the new Parliament (voted on October 31st, 2004) assumed (it is the fifth consecutive Parliament since the end of the last dictatorship (1973-1984), and the President of the Senate, and the President of the Chamber of Deputies, are both former members of Movimiento de Liberación Nacional Tupamaros, the guerrilla force of 60' and early 70', and were elect by popular vote. One of the most touching moments was when the Army paid respects to the Parliament: the soldiers belong to Batallón Florida, the battalion that captured the present President of the Senate more than 30 years ago. Los Uruguayos amamos la política... El país tiene una larga tradición democrática, y el 15 de febrero de 2005, un hecho histórico ocurrió: el nuevo Parlamento (votado el 31 de octubre...
Ibis Montevideo Montevideo
6 Reviews and 237 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 156 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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