Uruguay

Montevideo's Ciudad Vieja

The old quarter has the Mercado del Puerto, small museums, and enough street life to give you a feel for the city on foot.

Punta del Este

It is the best-known beach town, with long Atlantic beaches and the hand sculpture La Mano on Brava beach.

Colonia del Sacramento

Its historic centre has cobbled streets and low colonial houses from the Portuguese and Spanish period.

Cabo Polonio

You reach it by truck over the dunes, and the lack of roads and lights gives it a very different pace.

Chivito

A steak sandwich usually piled with ham, cheese, egg, lettuce, tomato, and mayonnaise.

Asado

A mixed grill of beef and other meats cooked slowly over wood or charcoal.

Empanadas

Baked or fried pastry turnovers filled with meat, cheese, or vegetables.

Milanesa a la napolitana

A breaded meat cutlet topped with tomato sauce, ham, and melted cheese.

Life here often centres on coffee, mate, football, and long meals with family or friends. Montevideo keeps a strong tango and candombe tradition, while the country’s history still shows in the colonial streets of Colonia and in the mix of Spanish, Portuguese, and later European influences.

• Hola, ¿cómo andás?

  OH-lah, KOH-moh an-DAHS

  Hi, how are you?

• Gracias

  GRAH-see-as

  Thank you

• Por favor

  por fah-VOR

  Please

• ¿Cuánto cuesta?

  KWAHN-toh KWES-tah

  How much does it cost?

The country is one of the world’s top consumers of mate per person, and people often carry a thermos and mate gourd around in everyday life.

Montevideo sits on the north shore of the Río de la Plata.

The flag has nine horizontal stripes of white and blue with a white canton bearing a golden Sun of May.

See who has been there and what you need to travel.