Uruguay is the safest country in South America, therefore if you find yourself here you can rest assured while wandering the cities. Of course, being the capital, Montevideo is slightly riskier than other cities but it still doesn’t compare to the streets of Rio or Buenos Aires.
We consider Montevideo to be our city of relaxation as we didn’t have to take extra safety measures and we really enjoyed walking around the city. We stayed in a great hostel which was very helpful for us as we both had plenty of work to catch up on. The place was very welcoming, quiet, and cozy and the people were great.
We spent 4 nights in Montevideo and stayed at Ukelele Hostel which was at walking distance from Plaza Independencia. Here we had our own room with a shared bathroom. Among the other amenities were free Wi-Fi access, a swimming pool and access to use the kitchen. The price for our four-night stay was 118.80 USD (~108 EUR), approximately 30 USD / night (~27 EUR) for two. You can see here a list of other places to stay in Montevideo.
So what is there to do in Montevideo?
Walk down La Rambla
This was from afar our favorite activity while in Montevideo, especially at sunset. La Rambla is a 22-kilometer long walkaway and highway along the coast of the city. Some people jog or walk on La Rambla, while others sit along the coast to see the waves breaking into the shore.
We truly recommend having a walk at dawn in order to enjoy the best and most relaxing views.
Have a caloric bomb – Chivito
This is a typical Uruguayan dish that translates to small goat. However, this gigantic sandwich consists of anything but goat meat. It usually contains beef, bacon, eggs, cheese, vegetables, tomato sauce, jalapenos, mayonnaise. However, you can add anything to it, there are no limits.
We had our best chivito at El Tinkal along with the most delicious cheesy fries.
Enjoy the street art the street art
What we really enjoyed in Montevideo was that we couldn’t find a street without creative colorful designs on the buildings. No matter the part of the city you’re exploring, it never gets boring.
Plaza Independencia and Palacio Salvo
Right between downtown and the old city you’ll find the Independence Square, the most popular square in Montevideo. The center of the square is dominated by the Artigas Mausoleum. The monument was built in honor of the great national hero José Gervasio Artigas Arnal, whose remains are buried inside.
The Salvo Palace is another landmark of Montevideo that was once the highest building in South America. The building was intended to serve as a hotel. However, it never fulfilled its objective, as it was occupied by offices and apartments.
Montevideo beaches
No relaxation is complete without some quality beach time – and Montevideo is the place for that. There are more than 10 wonderful beaches you can explore if you want to enjoy a day by the sea. Most popular beaches are the Pocitos, Carrasco and Playa Verde as they offer white sands and spectacular views of the city.
You can check out more relaxing activities in Montevideo from our friends at GetYourGuide.
Have you been to Montevideo? We’d love to know more about your experience!
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