Uruguay Holidays & Accommodation
South America
Uruguay is a picturesque country, and one of the nicest ways to experience it is by renting a car and driving around it. You will see a lot of pasture, as the beef industry is very big here and the country is famous for its steak. In Punta del Este, you can experience upscale boutique shopping, and snorkelling. There are miles of pristine beaches, luxurious resorts, and the high season runs from December to March. There is also a bustling nightlife, in both rural towns and the capital Montevideo where casinos also come into play.
Uruguay Holidays Planner
Uruguay is not a tropical destination but has four distinct seasons. Spring lasts from September to December, summer from December to March, fall from March to June, and winter lasts from June to September. The temperature range is comparable to other temperate regions around the world.
If the resort and upscale approach to beach life of Punta del Este is not for you, you can rent a car and cruise the coast of Uruguay. You can visit less-frequented beaches like Jose Ignacio with its designer and brightly coloured homes, or you can visit Punta del Diablo in the north, which is an up and coming backpacker beach attraction. Cabo Polonio is an interesting place to visit on the coast. It is made up of only a few households without access to electrical power, so it's just a few seasoned residents out there on the sand dunes with the sea lions.
There are great festivals in Uruguay, and if you can, you might want to coordinate your visit with a regional or national celebration and take in the festivities. Including Carnival, there is the early February festival of the goddess of the sea, and la Fiesta Patria Gaucha, the festival of the gaucho culture, and a tango festival in June. Their Carnival festival is the longest of all these celebrations in South America.
You can trek in Uruguay at La Sierra de las Animas in Maldonado with some pretty little waterfalls, there is even a small hill that you can hike up (Uruguay is quite flat.) There is also Santa Teresa National Park to hike where you can visit an eighteenth century fort and enjoy access to 60km of trails. In north-western Uruguay you can also enjoy access to hot springs.
The towns and cities of Uruguay have a lot to offer visitors. You can visit the historic and quaint town of Colonia del Sacramento with its old lighthouse, or you can visit Piriapolis with its theme park or ride a cable car to the top of Cerro San Antonio to see the terracotta San Antonio at the top. Montevideo is a city that is not as colourful as some cities, yet has a thriving art scene plus you can visit old town. There is also a lovely beachfront promenade in Montevideo that is very pleasant. Colonia Suiza is a Swiss settlement near the capital that is also worth a visit.