Uruguay Travel Guide

Laid-back and off the beaten track, tiny Uruguay welcomes visitors with miles of pristine beaches, vast open skies and one of Latin America's most cosmopolitan capital cities. Thanks to its high standard of living and the relaxed hospitality of its people, it's a delightful place to travel, yet still draws fewer tourists than neighbouring Brazil and Argentina.


Three destinations jump to the top of most traveller's itineraries: culturally vibrant Montevideo, with its lively arts scene, breezy beachfront promenade and the world's longest carnival celebration; picturesque Colonia, sporting cobblestoned streets, leafy plazas and 18th-century Portuguese colonial architecture; and trendy Punta del Este, luring jetsetters with its beaches, fine restaurants and frenetic nightlife. Visitors with more time should explore the dunes, lagoons and surf breaks of Uruguay's long Atlantic coastline, soak in the hot springs near Salto, or spend the night at a tourist estancia amidst the wide-open grandeur of gaucho country.