Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Get way off the beaten track in the rural nature preserves of Quebrada de los
Cuervos and Valle del Lunarejo ( Click here )
Sunbathe on the 18th-century town wall, or wander the leafy plazas and cobbled
streets of picturesque Colonia del Sacramento ( Click here )
Lose yourself in the sand dunes and survey the sea lions from atop the lighthouse
at Cabo Polonio ( Click here )
Tour the ghostly remains of Uruguay's most historic meat-processing factory, a
2014 Unesco World Heritage site candidate, in Fray Bentos ( Click here )
Hit the beaches by day and the clubs by night in glitzy Punta del Este ( Click
here )
MONTEVIDEO
POP 1.3 MILLION
The nation's capital and home to nearly half of Uruguay's population, Montevideo is a
vibrant, eclectic place with a rich cultural life. Stretching 20km from east to west, the
city wears many faces, from its industrial port to the exclusive beachside suburb of Car-
rasco near the airport. In the historic downtown business district, art deco and neoclassic-
al buildings jostle for space alongside grimy, worn-out skyscrapers that appear airlifted
from Havana or Ceauşescu's Romania, while to the southeast the shopping malls and
modern high-rises of beach communities such as Punta Carretas and Pocitos bear more
resemblance to Miami or Copacabana. Music, theater and the arts are alive and well here
- from elegant older theaters and cozy little tango bars to modern beachfront discos -
and there's a strong international flavor, thanks to the many foreign cultural centers and
Montevideo's status as administrative headquarters for Mercosur, South America's lead-
ing trading bloc.
Montevideo lies almost directly across the Río de la Plata from Buenos Aires. For
many visitors, the most intriguing area is the Ciudad Vieja, the formerly walled colonial
grid straddling the western tip of a peninsula between the sheltered port and the wide-
open river. Just east of the old town gate, the Centro (downtown) begins at Plaza
Independencia, surrounded by historic buildings of the republican era. Av 18 de Julio,
downtown Montevideo's commercial thoroughfare, runs east past Plaza del Entrevero,
Plaza Cagancha and the Intendencia (town hall) towards Tres Cruces bus terminal. There
it changes name to Av Italia and continues east towards Carrasco International Airport
and the Interbalnearia highway to Punta del Este.
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