Travel in Uruguay

What can I say about this country? As a Uruguayan myself I can most definitely say that upon arrival, this country instantly sets itself apart to any avid observer, take in the sights, the colonial architecture or our vast and rich countryside which is the lifeblood of our society. One thing’s for sure, there won’t be any doubts this place has a unique identity and is on a level all of its own.

GETTING STARTED
All who set but an inch of a foot in this country will taste the coastal winds of our beautiful beaches, the view of the harbor and the sprawling Rio de la Plata which leads into the South Atlantic Ocean. Now, if it’s the first time you’re coming here you might be wandering what’s there to do here, where should I go? Well thanks for asking, I’m glad to answer those questions. If I came here I would definitely visit the Mercado del Puerto (Harbor Market) to get acquainted with the local cuisine as well as swapping a few glances with other travelling folk and realizing hey, you’re not alone here. After that, there’s a variety of things to do in the city itself, too many to list in fact but I’ll give you a couple of my favorites to get you started. As an acting enthusiast I always enjoy going to a play in Teatro Solís, the oldest theatre in South America by the way, and also visiting the Old Town, which is a district where the remains of the colonial period of Montevideo are located, a vestige of a bygone era that you can explore at your own pace with it’s cultural museums and monuments that date back a couple hundred years.

WHAT TO DO
For more sports-oriented people, there’s everything from trekking and rappelling to kayaking and mountain biking, Uruguay offers a variety of such activities in places like Maldonado, Canelones, Lavalleja, Colonia and again, Montevideo. But what connects all these different departments of the country? Miles and miles of unadulterated, green and plain countryside with an ever-modernizing road from which you can see natural vistas, animals roaming about and farmers doing their business.

GETTING ON THE ROAD
Now, to get on the road one needs wheels, and what better place to get a set of wheels than at the center of the country itself and thus far unmentioned department where our independence as a nation was ratified and declared? I present to you the department of Florida. After flying to Uruguay, buses from Gabar, Nuñez, Cita, Tupil or Nossar can take you from Terminal Tres Cruces (the capital city’s bus station, shopping center and all-around hub of the country) straight to Florida City, where bikes are both easily and cheaply rented to embark on a road adventure of your own making. You rent the well-equipped bikes, you take them where you want and forget about the hassles of gear acquisition, safety concerns and just limit yourself to preoccupying about how good the wind feels on two trusty sets of wheels that take you wherever you need, whenever you decide.

Outstanding roads
Route to Las Cañas from Fray Bentos
Colonia east dirt tracks
Route from Britopolis
Route to La Guitarra Dirt
Route 12
Route 60
Route 81 Dirt
Route 8
Solis de mataojo to 81 Dirt
Route 109 Dirt
Old rural shops
Almacen del Poli
Calera de las Huérfanas
Sand trails
Route to Cabo Polonio by truck
Waterfalls
Cañadon de la palma
Piedra Alta del arroyo san Luis
Villa Serrana
Salto del penintente
Forests
Darwin research on Estancia Cañadon de la Palma
Palms from Rocha
La guitarra forest
National Parks
Parque Nacional Cabo Polonio
Parque Nacional Santa Teresa
Area protegida Laguna Garzon
Architecture
Plaza de toros
Palacio Legislativo
Palacio Salvo
Montevideo Rambla
Punta del este
Punta Ballena