Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Festivals & Events
Much livelier than its Buenos Aires counterpart, Montevideo's
Carnaval
, held in late-
summer is the city's cultural highlight of the year.
At Parque Prado, north of downtown, Semana Criolla festivities during
Semana
Santa
(Holy Week) include displays of gaucho skills,
asados
(barbecues) and other such
events.
In the last weekend of September or first weekend of October, Montevideo's mu-
seums, churches, and historic homes all open their doors free to the public during the
DÃas del Patrimonio
(National Heritage Days).
For 10 days in October, tango fills Montevideo's streets and performance halls during
Sleeping
Montevideo offers a smattering of boutique and luxury hotels, as well as a thriving
hosteling scene, and a host of dependable, if somewhat faded, midrange hotels in the
Centro area.
HOTEL PRICING: DOLLARS VS PESOS
Accommodations in Uruguay often quote prices in US dollars rather than Uruguay-
an pesos, especially in tourist destinations such as Montevideo, Colonia and the
Atlantic coast. Throughout this chapter we have chosen to list prices in the cur-
rency quoted to us by each business during research. This means that some hotel
and hostel prices will be listed in US dollars (US$), while others will be listed in
Uruguayan pesos (UR$). So keep an attentive eye as you look through the listings!
Ciudad Vieja
Hotel Palacio
HOTEL $
( 2916-3612;
www.hotelpalacio.com.uy
; Bartolomé Mitre 1364; r without/with balcony US$47/54;
)
If you can snag one of the two 6th-floor rooms at this ancient family-run hotel
one block off Plaza Matriz, do it! Both feature air-conditioning and balconies with su-
perb views of Ciudad Vieja's rooftops. The rest of the hotel also offers great value, with
