Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Also worth a look, a few blocks east
of Plaza Zabala at Rincón 437, is the
Casa de Rivera (Mon-Fri 11am-5pm;
free; T 29151051, W mhn.gub.uy),
which traces Uruguay's history from
prehistoric to modern times through
art and artefacts, with a focus on the
life of Artigas.
Museo de Historia del Arte
Underneath the Palacio Municipal
the underrated Museo de Historia del
Arte (Ejido 1326; Tues-Sun 1.30-
5.30/7.30pm; free; W museomuhar
.blogspot.co.uk) is a treasure-trove of
international items, beautifully laid out,
but you'll soon notice that much of what
is displayed are copies, designed to
demonstrate the evolution of art; look
out for the items with red dots telling you
they're authentic. It has a particularly
strong collection of original pre-Hispanic
pieces, including Peruvian and
Mesoamerican ceramics, some huge urns
from Argentina's Santa María culture,
and Guatemalan textiles.
10
Mercado del Puerto
A foodie's dream and an architectural
gem, the Mercado del Puerto (at the end
of pedestrian street Pérez Castellano by
the port; open daily for lunch, some
restaurants also open for dinner;
W mercadodelpuerto.com.uy) is one of
Montevideo's highlights. It's so popular,
in fact, that the restaurants cash in by
charging extortionately; however, it's well
worth soaking up the atmosphere, even
if you don't stay to eat (see box, p.841).
he port ( puerto ) and ferry terminal is
on the northern edge, along with both
the municipal and national tourist
information o ces (see p.839).
Set into the Mercado del Puerto,
with its entrance on the Rambla is the
Museo del Carnaval (daily 11am-5pm,
closed Wed; UR$65, free on Tues;
T 29165493, W museodelcarnaval.org),
filled with colourful exhibits from
the city's Carnaval celebrations (see
box, p.835).
Tristan Narvaja
A street synonymous with Montevideo's
largest street market (Sun 10am-3pm),
Tristan Narvaja is a few blocks east
from the Palacio Municipal. Spanning
several streets, this is a real flea market
selling everything from antiques to
pets. On other days, it's a pleasant
neighbourhood to wander around as the
streets are lined with eclectic independent
shops and cafés.
Espacio de Arte Contemporráneo
A few blocks northeast from the top of
Tristan Narvaja, in a partly refurbished
prison dating to 1888, you'll find
the Espacio de Arte Contemporráneo
(Arenal Grande 1930; Mon-Sat 3-8pm,
Sun 11am-5pm; free; W eac.gub.uy),
exhibiting beautifully curated, world-class
contemporary art. You can see resident
artists at work in the old cells.
ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE
By plane The Aeropuerto de Carrasco ( W aeropuertode
carrasco.com.uy) is 25km east of the city centre. Eschew
the extortionately priced taxis (30min; UR$1000) and take a
bus (1-3 every hour; 24hr with reduced service overnight
and at weekends; 25min; UR$120) run by COT ( W cot.com.uy)
or COPSA ( W copsa.com.uy) to Tres Cruces bus station (see
below). There is a US$36 tax on international flights (with the
exception of US$17 to Buenos Aires), and US$2 on internal
flights, usually included in your ticket price, but if not, payable
at the airport.
Destinations There are long-distance direct flights to
Asunción (daily; 3hr); Lima (daily; 5hr); Miami (daily; 9hr);
Avenida 18 de Julio and around
Extending from the eastern end of Plaza
Independencia, Avenida 18 de Julio is
central Montevideo's main shopping
thoroughfare and the most important
stopping point for the majority of the
city's buses.
Try to pass Plaza Fabini , a verdant
square along the avenida, on a Saturday
when you'll come across people of all
ages dancing tango (from 4pm). The
Plaza Cagancha (also known as Plaza
Libertad) is the next grand square on
18 de Julio; pass through it on your way
to the huge Palacio Municipal building
a little further east. Ask at the tourist
information office at its feet for a ticket
to enter, as the mirador on the 22nd floor
offers far-reaching views over the city
(Mon-Fri at 11am, 2pm & 3pm; free).
 
Search WWH ::




Custom Search