Uruguay

'Travel far enough and meet yourself'

Uruguay - the smallest country in South America with just under 3 million inhabitants, which is often underestimated. Unjustly so, as it has quite a lot to offer!

My journey to Uruguay began with entering the country by ship from Buenos Aires. This went completely smoothly and the trip didn't take long. You have the option to cross to Colonia del Sacramento (approx. 1 hour 15 minutes) or directly to the capital, Montevideo (approx. 2 hours 30 minutes).

I chose the stop in Colonia del Sacramento, which was definitely the right decision, as this place is truly worth seeing! A stay of one to two days is sufficient to explore the area. The historic old town is beautiful and everything is within walking distance.

After that, I took the bus to Ciudad de la Costa. I had booked an AirBnB there for four days to simply relax and not constantly pack and travel further. From there, I took day trips (by bus) to the capital Montevideo and to Atlántida. However, I would not do it this way again, but rather choose accommodations directly on-site, as I found Ciudad de la Costa to be a bit boring in my opinion.

In Montevideo, there are some attractions: The Rambla is a long street that runs along the waterfront. The Plaza Independencia is located in the center of Montevideo. In the old town (Ciudad Vieja), you can find nice cafés and restaurants as well as historical sights. If you want to relax, the Parque Rodó is recommended.

Atlántida really surprised me positively, as I really liked the beach and it was not overcrowded. There are nice restaurants and cafés within walking distance where you can enjoy the truly delicious national dish Chivito. Afterwards, you can walk to the viewpoint 'El Águila'.

After that, I traveled to Punta del Este, as it was recommended by many locals. It was said that it has the most beautiful beaches. Unfortunately, this also showed in the prices. Uruguay is generally a very expensive country, but Punta del Este was even more costly. Therefore, I chose my accommodation (AirBnB) in Maldonado and then took the bus down during the day. In my opinion, the beaches were really beautiful. However, they were quite crowded. Whether it’s worth it is something everyone has to assess for themselves. I think there are equally beautiful beaches in other places where it’s not as full and cheaper. But if you are there, you should definitely check out 'El Mano'.

This was my last stop in Uruguay. I actually wanted to continue to Punta del Diablo. However, I couldn't find a decent transport connection, especially since I traveled back to Brazil afterwards. There are reportedly more beautiful places in the interior. Based on my experience, it would be more advisable to travel through Uruguay by car, as it makes you more flexible and helps you reach certain places better. With the backpack and bus, it was somewhat tedious. You also have to consider that the buses run irregularly and there is no timetable at the stops. Finding the right connections was not so simple. But the locals are there to help you :)

Furthermore, you should know that locals are dog lovers. I found it a bit unsettling and felt somewhat uncomfortable when I walked along a street and was barked at by dogs from every yard, some of them jumping quite aggressively against the fence. And I say this as a dog lover. However, it seems to be normal there.