Uruguay - The Rough Guide to South America on a Budget - page 842

Hospital 18 de Julio between Rivera and Mendez.
Internet Free wi-fi in the Plaza 25 de Mayo, computers
either at the main Antel o ce (see below), or there's an
internet café at Flores 172, open until 9pm every night.
Laundry Arco Iris on Suárez between Flores and 28 de
Julio.
Left luggage Facilities at the bus terminal, and at BIT
(see p.843).
Post o ce and telephone Correo Uruguayo and Antel
have main o ces next to each other on Lavalleja on Plaza
25 de Agosto, and share an o ce in the ferry terminal.
Taxi A 24hr service is run from the corner of Flores with
Mendez ( T 45222920).
Tourist Police At the main comisaría on Flores opposite
Plaza 25 de Mayo ( T 45223348).
Supermarket El Económico mini-market, Flores 290, at
Barboto; Micro Macro, Flores, at Rivera.

Penitente , in craggy moor-like
countryside, offers outdoor adventures
aplenty, while Villa Serrana is a copse of
isolated houses offering complete rest and
relaxation in pretty surrounds.

Central Minas
Most of the region's draw lies in the
rolling hills surrounding the town,
but there are some cultural surprises here
that warrant a pause before heading out
into the countryside. The city is easily
navigated; the main shopping street, 18
de Julio, is parallel with Avenida Treinta y
Tres which runs along the north side of
the main square, the Plaza Libertad , and
onwards to the bus terminal. Full of palm
trees and with a horseback statue of the
national hero Juan Lavalleja who lends
his name to the department, the Plaza
Libertad is a pleasant place to sit and
enjoy a pastry from one of the country's
most renowned patisseries (see opposite).

10

The Interior
Some of South America's most
undiscovered natural beauty awaits you
in Uruguay's INTERIOR . This is real
gaucho country and it's easily accessible,
if little known about. While most of the
interior is unknown to tourists, largely
due to the fact it's mostly covered in vast
ranches, some of Uruguay's finest and
least explored pastoral landscapes are
within reach of Minas , a small town with
a big history.

Casa de Cultura
One block south of the main Plaza is
the excellent series of museums housed in
the Casa de Cultura (Lavalleja, at Rodó;
daily noon-6pm; free), including rooms
displaying gaucho artefacts from the
nineteenth century and a room dedicated
to Uruguayan composer Eduardo Fabini.
Independence leader Lavalleja's childhood
house sits in the central courtyard; one of
the forty original houses from the town's
foundation, it has been restored, but its
original ceiling beams made from palm
trees are intact.

MINAS
Just 120km from Montevideo, but far
from the usual backpacker trail, MINAS ,
the capital of the Lavalleja department,
is an excellent base for exploring the
rolling hills and romantic traditions of
Uruguay's interior - you won't have to go
far before you see a genuine mounted
gaucho wearing a poncho and clutching
his mate . Delving into this region's
history can give you a deeper
understanding of the Uruguayan
mentality and the nation's history.

Teatro Lavalleja
The city's most surprising building is
the grand old Teatro Lavalleja (Batlle y
Ordoñez between Florencio Sánchez y
Sarandí), a magnificent brick
construction finished in 1909, with
regular productions and also housing
the odd Museo del Humor y la Historieta
(Mon-Fri noon-5.30pm; free), the only
museum in the world dedicated to
caricatures.

WHAT TO SEE AND DO
In Minas, there are some interesting
museums worth visiting, as well as
pleasant parks, but around Minas is
where the real fun lies. Parque del Salto

Cerro Artigas
The city is surrounded by some very
pleasant parks. Cerro Artigas is worth