Uruguay attractions: Montevideo

Uruguay has a large amount of different attractions, many of which can be found in the capital, Montevideo, while many others are in the rest of the country. The rambla, where the coastline of the Rio de la Plata offers a variety of beaches with a walkway is without any doubt one of the major attractions offered by Montevideo. Besides this, other of the main attractions visitors should not miss in Montevideo is the "ciudad vieja" or old city.

The Old City

The old city starts at the Plaza Independencia, and ends towards the port of Montevideo. This part of the city is characterized by having colonial Spanish and Italian buildings, and is a very popular place during day time as well as during night. During day time, Montevideo's old city shows an interesting combination of suit workers (who go to that part of the city to work due to the fact that this place concentrates a large amount of banks), as well as many artists and craft people selling different products. During night time, and especially in weekends, a great amount of cafes, pubs and discos open their doors and this part of Montevideo becomes the main gathering spot for people of all ages, where they usually meet with friends, and party and dance with the possibility of having fun until the first hours of the morning.

Buildings and museums

The ciudad vieja also counts with several interesting old buildings, such as the Cabildo and the Iglesia Matriz, a construction built in 1799 and which is considered the oldest in the entire city. Besides this, this part of Montevideo also has the Museo Histórico Nacional, or National Historic Museum, as well as the Museo del Gaucho y la Moneda, exhibiting a variety of unique objects and artifacts from Uruguayan gauchos. Also, within the ciudad vieja, tourists should not miss the Mercado del Puerto, a lively spot full of artists and restaurants, ideal for tasting any of the most traditional Uruguayan dishes.

 

Picture of the buidling Palacio Salvo, taken from Plaza Independencia, Montevideo, Uruguay

 

Colonia

The department of Colonia, located to the west of Montevideo, also has an important amount of attractions tourists should not miss while visiting the country. This department has the city of Colonia del Sacramento, a beautiful colonial town with narrow streets and antique buildings which is preserved and maintained with the same appearance as it had in its origins.

Picture of the rambla of Colonia del Sacramento, Colonia, Uruguay

 

Maldonado

The department of Maldonado is a very attractive resort area and is where the famous Punta del Este is located. Punta del Este is among the most glamorous and famous beach resort areas in South America, and during summer time it becomes crowded of tourists from around the world as well its coast is visited by cruises, yachts, and ships of all sizes. Besides Punta del Este, Maldonado also has several other attractions, such as, for example, Piriápolis, another summer resort area that despite of the fact that counts with several beautiful beaches, is usually less crowded than Punta del Este.

Picture of sunset at the Rambla of Piriapolis, Maldonado, Uruguay

 

Rocha

The department of Rocha has some of the most beautiful beaches and seaside landscapes of Uruguay. It is a must for those who enjoy seaside landscapes and the beach. Some of the main attractions visitors should not miss in this region of the country there is Punta del Diablo, La Paloma, La Pedrera. Valizas, and Cabo Polonio.

Picture of beach market in Punta del Diablo, Rocha, Uruguay

 

Picture of a side of Santa Teresa Fortress, Rocha, Uruguay

 

Picture of Santa Teresa Fortress, Rocha, Uruguay

 

Those who enjoy historic places will also find interesting to visit the Fortaleza de Santa Teresa: one of the fortresses that played a key role in the history of this region of South America during the 18th and 19th centuries.