Uruguay

Understand

Uruguay is formally known as the Oriental Republic of Uruguay (República Oriental del Uruguay). The name Uruguay means river of the colorful birds. It is related to the name Guyana: Arawak Guayana, land of many waters. Often called the Switzerland of South America not for geographical features, but for a stable democracy and social benefits such as free education. In 2002, Uruguay faced one of its biggest economic crises which had very negative effects on safety due to the rise in crime, and although the activity levels in 2008 were at pre-crisis levels, crime is still relatively high, but still low for the region. Long a desired country for immigration, Uruguay has been suffering from high levels of emigration for almost four decades, mainly of highly trained workers and people with high level studies (brain drain) seeking better opportunities abroad. Uruguay has a rich agricultural and civic history. It has more than three times as many cattle as people (the highest ratio of any country in the world by far). The dominant pre-20th century live stock driving techniques are still utilized in some areas, and are less visited tourist attractions than the pleasant beaches and city centers. The country has a mostly low-lying landscape. Cerro Catedral, the country's highest point, is 514 m (1,686 ft) high.

Climate

Uruguay is the only South American country located entirely in the temperate zone. The country is flat grassland and all locations are particularly vulnerable to rapid changes from weather fronts and forceful winds as there are no high mountains that could act as shields. As Uruguay is located south of the Equator (approximately at the same latitude as Johannesburg and Sydney), summer and winter are reversed compared to the Northern Hemisphere. In the winter tem

See

While there are interesting things to see all over Uruguay, the main sights of interest are concentrated on the coastline. Perhaps unsurprisingly the largest concentration of things to see is the capi

Getting there

Visa requirements Citizens of Mercosur member states ― Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, and Peru ― enjoy freedom of movement in Uruguay. They can just enter with their National ID card. Citizens of the following countries can enter without a visa:

Up to 90 days: Andorra, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Bahamas, Barbados, Belgium, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Grenada, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macau, Malta, Mexico, Monaco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Norway, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, San Marino, Serbia, Seychelles, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Trinidad and Tobago, Turkey, United Kingdom, United States and Venezuela. Up to 30 days: Malaysia and Mongolia. If you're not a citizen of any of the countries listed above, you must apply for a visa at a Uruguayan embassy. If you want to stay longer than 90 days as a tourist, you'll need to either leave the country and re-enter with a fresh stamp for another 90 days (Buenos Aires and Chuí are popular and convenient options for these "visa runs"; see #By car below for others), or bring your passport to the appropriate government office to get an extension. Travellers from other countries should contact the local consular section of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. But usually Uruguay has its borders open to tourists and visitors from all countries and it is

Getting around

By train There are limited commuter train services around Montevideo, provided by the Administración de Ferrocarriles del Estado. As of Jan 2025, the commuter train is inactive due modernization of the tracks. There are some tourist trains which do not have a fixed schedule. You need to find announcements for them at the Montevideo train station, located at the corner of Nicaragua and Paraguay. There is, except a slow train connection between Taucarembó and Rivera in the far north, no regular long distance train service. The most usual means of public transport is the bus (local buses inside Montevideo and from Montevideo to other main cities of the country).

By bus Uruguay has an extensive internal bus system, in practice the only way of getting around between cities if you aren't driving. From Montevideo interdepartmental buses leave from the Tres Cruces station which also serves the international buses. There are often several companies serving the routes and the buses are frequent, safe, comfortable and affordable. Buses generally depart right on time. Depending on the company, tickets can usually be bought online, at bus stations and on board the buses themselves. If you buy tickets before departure you will get a reserved seat, otherwise you can sit at seats that don't happen to be occupied (otherwise there's place to stand in the aisle). Usually, there is a separate inspector on board selling and checking tickets. The inspector may ask you where you're getting off; if you're planning to get off at your destination's bus terminal, you can just say "terminal". Companies offering long-distance bus transport include COT (Compañía de Ómnibus Turismo), COPSA (Compañía Oriental de Transportes S.A.), Rutas del Plata, Turil, Turismar, Rutas del Sol, Buquebus, Agencia