Self-organised trips
Montevideo is the vibrant capital of Uruguay, the second smallest country in South America. Montevideo offers a great cultural life, wonderful beaches and an enchanting old town with museums, plazas and palaces. There are plenty of things to do in Montevideo and the city is small enough to have everything close at hand for discovering its delights.
THINGS TO DO AND SEE IN MONTEVIDEO
- La Rambla which runs along Montevideo’s waterfront is over 20 kilometres long and offers an ideal opportunity to join the many joggers, walkers, sunbathers, bike riders and fishermen all happily enjoying the great views of the city. Most travellers to the city visit Ciudad Vieja (the Old Town) as this is where most of the oldest buildings reside including museums, palaces and art galleries. One of the best places to enter is through the Puerta de la Ciudadela, the gateway to Plaza Independencia. The stone gateway is all that remains from the destruction of the colonial fort in 1833.
- Next to the Plaza is what was once South Americas tallest building - Palacio Salvo. The building has Italian gothic influences and designed by an Italian architect being completed in 1925 at a height of 100 metres. Taking the elevator to the top provides fantastic views of the city. In the centre of the plaza stands the Mausoleo de Artigas, a tribute to José Gervasio Artigas a Uruguayan Independence hero.
- Montevideo also offers many beautiful parks of which the largest is Parque Prado located in the northern part of the city. The Rosedal is a popular destination within the park being a public rose garden with over 10 thousand roses with pergolas, domes, fountain and a botanical garden.
For more travel information on what to do in see in Montevideo, we invite you to visit our partner GetYourGuide.
EATING OUT & NIGHTLIFE IN MONTEVIDEO
Meat and fish are specialities in Montevideo and great places to try out local dishes are in the popular eating places Parrillas. Chivito is a local sandwich made of meat and vegetables and Milanesa is a common dish made of thinly sliced meat which is dipped into beaten egg, seasoned, covered in breadcrumbs and shallow fried. A very popular desert is Churros, typically covered in sugar and dipped in hot chocolate, a tasty late-night treat.
GETTING AROUND IN MONTEVIDEO
Walking is a great way to see the city and if you’re willing to try out a little Spanish, most people will happily point you in the direction you want to go. Taxis are typically cheap and in plenty of supply, and they are also metred to you know you’re getting a fair price.
