Uruguay
Montevideo
South America's most relaxed capital, lived along its Rambla, fed by the port market grills and kept time by candombe drums.
Uruguay's capital strings out along the wide brown estuary of the Rio de la Plata, from the old port quarter of Ciudad Vieja through art deco Centro to a seafront Rambla that runs for more than twenty kilometres past city beaches. It is an unhurried capital of mate flasks, grill smoke and candombe drums, where the iron-roofed Mercado del Puerto feeds the lunchtime crowd. Summer brings beach evenings and a Carnaval that runs for weeks; the rest of the year it is a calm, walkable city with good museums and a deep football culture.
Suggested stay
2–4 days
Language
Spanish
Currency
UYU
Timezone
UTC-3
Why you'll love Montevideo
The Rambla a promenade that follows the shore for more than twenty kilometres, where the whole city walks, runs and sips mate at sunset.
Asado the parrilla is close to a national religion, and the iron halls of the Mercado del Puerto are its busiest shrine at lunchtime.
Candombe Afro-Uruguayan drum troupes still parade through Barrio Sur and Palermo, and Carnaval stretches across most of the summer.
Ciudad Vieja the old port quarter packs colonial squares, art deco facades, Teatro Solis and Palacio Salvo into a few walkable blocks.
Best time to visit
May-Sep, Nov-Feb
15-28° days
34.906° S, 56.191° W
UTC-3 · America/Montevideo
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Weather & when to go to Montevideo
Month by month: typical highs and lows, rainfall and rain days.
✓ Best May-Sep, Nov-Feb
Cards tinted by calculated verdict · big number = typical daily high, small = low · hover for conditions
When to avoid Montevideo
No bad season. Summer is beach and Carnaval time, though many locals decamp to the east coast and some places close or shorten hours. Winter is cool and quieter, and a stiff wind off the river is a year-round feature, so pack a layer. Easter week, known locally as Semana de Turismo, empties the city as Uruguayans head away.
Top things to do in Montevideo
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Plaza Independencia and Palacio Salvo - the city's front door
history culture arts 👍 PopularThe main square joins Ciudad Vieja to Centro, with the stone Puerta de la Ciudadela, the last fragment of the colonial walls, on one side. An equestrian statue of Artigas stands over his underground mausoleum, and the eccentric 1920s tower of Palacio Salvo looms above it all.
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Mercado del Puerto - grills under an iron roof
food 👍 PopularA nineteenth-century iron market hall by the port, filled with parrillas cooking beef, chorizo, morcilla and provoleta over wood embers. Sit at a counter around the grill, and order a medio y medio, the local half-sparkling, half-still white wine.
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The Rambla - walk or cycle the seafront
scenic ⭐ Highly recommendedThe waterfront road and promenade curves round bay after bay, from Ciudad Vieja past Parque Rodo, Punta Carretas and the long beach at Pocitos towards Carrasco. Join the evening crowd of runners, cyclists, fishermen and mate drinkers, and stay for the sunset over the water.
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Candombe and Carnaval - drums in Barrio Sur and Palermo
nightlife music culture arts ⭐ Highly recommendedCandombe, the Afro-Uruguayan drumming on UNESCO's intangible heritage list, is born in the streets of Barrio Sur and Palermo, where drum troupes often walk on weekend evenings. In summer, Carnaval brings the Llamadas parades and murga choirs on neighbourhood stages. The Museo del Carnaval near the port explains it out of season.
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Teatro Solis - the grand nineteenth-century opera house
culture arts history 👍 PopularOpened in 1856 just off Plaza Independencia, the country's main theatre has a horseshoe auditorium and a neoclassical portico. Guided tours run most days, and a night at the opera, ballet or a concert is the best way to see it.
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Ciudad Vieja museums - Torres Garcia and Andes 1972
culture arts historyOn the pedestrian Sarandi, the Museo Torres Garcia shows the constructivist painter behind the famous upside-down map of South America. A few blocks away, the Museo Andes 1972 tells the story of the Montevideo rugby team whose plane crashed in the Andes and the survivors who walked out.
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Estadio Centenario - the first World Cup final
history culture artsBuilt for the 1930 World Cup, where Uruguay beat Argentina in the first final, the stadium still hosts the national team. The Museo del Futbol inside holds the trophies and history of a small country that has won the tournament twice.
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Feria de Tristan Narvaja - the Sunday street market
shopping culture artsEvery Sunday morning, blocks of Cordon fill with stalls selling antiques, books, vinyl, mate gourds, pets, fruit and pure junk. Arrive early, browse slowly and end with lunch nearby.
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Palacio Legislativo - the marble parliament
history culture artsUruguay's parliament building, finished in the 1920s, is lavish in polished marble, mosaics and stained glass. Guided tours take you through the chambers and the great hall at the end of Avenida del Libertador.
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Chivito and the classic cafes - eating like a montevideano
foodThe chivito is the national sandwich: thin steak piled with ham, cheese, egg, lettuce and tomato, often served with fries. Pair it with an afternoon in one of the old cafes of Centro and Ciudad Vieja, and look for dulce de leche in everything.
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Fortaleza del Cerro - the fort across the bay
history scenicThe hill that gave the city its name rises across the bay, topped by a nineteenth-century fortress with a small military museum. The real reward is the view back over the harbour to the skyline of Ciudad Vieja and Centro.
Best areas to stay in Montevideo
$ Budget $$ Mid-range $$$ Premium
Pocitos
First-time visitors $$Beachfront apartments and cafe-lined streets
Explore hotels in Pocitos →
Ciudad Vieja
Sightseeing $$Old port quarter of squares and museums
Explore hotels in Ciudad Vieja →
Centro
Budget travellers $Art deco avenues and old cafes
Explore hotels in Centro →
Parque Rodo
Nightlife $Bohemian bars around a lakeside park
Explore hotels in Parque Rodo →
Punta Carretas
Couples and families $$$Leafy, upmarket streets by the lighthouse
Explore hotels in Punta Carretas →
Live nightly prices from Booking.com, Agoda and others, centred on Montevideo
Getting to & around Montevideo
Getting there
Fly into MVD at Carrasco, east of the city, or cross the Rio de la Plata by fast ferry from Buenos Aires.
Flight
Carrasco International Airport (MVD)
Carrasco sits about 20 km east of the centre. A taxi or app ride follows the coast to Pocitos in roughly 30 min and to Ciudad Vieja in about 40; intercity buses run to the Tres Cruces terminal in about an hour.
Ferry
Port of Montevideo, Ciudad Vieja
Fast ferries from Buenos Aires cross direct in about 2-3 hr; the other common route is a ferry to Colonia and a coach on to Montevideo
Coach
Terminal Tres Cruces
Buses arrive from Colonia, Punta del Este and the rest of Uruguay, plus long-distance routes from Brazil and Argentina
Cruise
Port of Montevideo, Ciudad Vieja
Cruise ships call mostly in the southern summer and dock a short walk from the old town
Getting around
Walking
Ciudad Vieja and Centro are compact and flat, and the Rambla links the beach districts on foot
Free
City buses
A dense network covers the whole city, with frequent lines along 18 de Julio and the coast to Pocitos
TBC
Taxi and ride apps
Metered taxis are plentiful, and ride-hailing apps also operate; the easy choice after dark
TBC
Day trips from Montevideo
Colonia del Sacramento
Full dayColonial river town
A UNESCO-listed old quarter of cobbled lanes, Portuguese-era houses and a lighthouse on a point in the Rio de la Plata. Walk the Calle de los Suspiros, climb the lighthouse and stay for the sunset over the water.
Getting there
bus | car | tour
About 2.5 hr west by coach from Tres Cruces, or by car or tour
Punta del Este
Full dayGlamorous beach resort
Uruguay's showpiece resort sits on a peninsula between a calm bay beach and the open Atlantic, where the giant fingers of La Mano rise from the sand of Playa Brava. Stop at Casapueblo, Carlos Paez Vilaro's white sculpted house on the cliffs at Punta Ballena, on the way.
Getting there
bus | car | tour
About 2 hr east along the coast by coach, car or tour
Canelones wineries
Half dayTannat wine country
Most of Uruguay's wine comes from the farmland just north of the capital, and its signature grape is the dark, tannic Tannat. Family wineries in the area open for tastings and long lunches among the vines.
Getting there
car | tour
About 30-45 min north by car or tour
A little history of Montevideo
The Spanish fortified the bay under Bruno Mauricio de Zabala in the 1720s to check Portuguese expansion from Colonia, settling it with families from Buenos Aires and the Canary Islands. Walled Montevideo became Spain's naval base on the Rio de la Plata, was briefly taken by the British in 1807, and after years of struggle between Spain, Buenos Aires, Portugal and Brazil, became capital of an independent Uruguay in 1830.
Through the nineteenth century the port boomed and waves of Spanish and Italian immigrants built the grand city of Centro. In the early twentieth century Uruguay became one of the region's most progressive welfare states, and in 1930 Montevideo hosted and won the first World Cup. Military rule from 1973 ended with a return to elected government in 1985.
San Felipe y Santiago de Montevideo is formally founded by the Spanish
British forces capture the city and hold it for several months
The constitution is sworn on 18 July, with Montevideo capital of independent Uruguay
The Great Siege of Montevideo during the Guerra Grande civil war
Teatro Solis opens
The Mercado del Puerto opens by the harbour
Uruguay wins the first World Cup final at the new Estadio Centenario
A period of military rule, ending with a return to elected government
Candombe is added to UNESCO's intangible cultural heritage list
Know before you go
Payment
Cards everywhere
English
Limited
Wifi
Reliable
Power
Type C / F / L
230 V, 50 Hz
Dialing
+598
FAQs about Montevideo
▸ When is the best time to visit Montevideo?
There is no bad time. Summer is the season for beaches, the Rambla at night and Carnaval, which runs across January and February, though some locals leave for the coast. Winter months also work well: cool and quieter, with the museums, cafes and grills at their best. Bring a layer at any time of year for the wind off the river.
▸ How many days do you need in Montevideo?
Two days covers Ciudad Vieja, the Mercado del Puerto, Teatro Solis and a long walk on the Rambla. Three or four lets you add the Sunday market, the football museum, a winery afternoon and a day trip to Colonia or Punta del Este.
▸ Can you swim at Montevideo's beaches?
Yes. City beaches such as Pocitos, Ramirez and Malvin are busy all summer. The water is the brown, brackish estuary of the Rio de la Plata rather than clear ocean, and that is natural, not pollution; look for the posted flags on water conditions. For blue Atlantic water, head east towards Punta del Este.
▸ What is Montevideo's Carnaval like?
It is famously long, running for around forty days across the summer. The highlights are the Llamadas, when candombe drum troupes parade through Barrio Sur and Palermo, and the murga, satirical choirs who perform on neighbourhood stages late into the night.
▸ What should I eat in Montevideo?
Asado from a parrilla, ideally at the Mercado del Puerto, and a chivito, the loaded steak sandwich. Try provoleta, grilled cheese with oregano, a glass of Tannat, and dulce de leche in pastries and desserts. Mate is everywhere, though it is drunk at home and on the street more than ordered in cafes.
▸ Is Montevideo safe?
It is one of the calmer capitals in South America, and the Rambla and beach districts are busy and relaxed. Petty theft happens, so watch bags in crowds and on buses. Ciudad Vieja empties after dark, so take a taxi at night there. Check your own government's current advice before travelling.
▸ Can I get to Buenos Aires from Montevideo?
Easily. Fast ferries cross the Rio de la Plata direct, or you can take a coach to Colonia and a shorter ferry from there. Many travellers combine the two capitals in one trip.