Visiting Uruguay? What to see & where to go in South America’s most underrated country

Much smaller than neighbouring Argentina and Brazil, Uruguay sits humbly on the east coast of South America, quietly doing its thing. But it’s this under-the-radar status that means only travelers in the know seek out its charms. Since I last visited Uruguay, the country's popularity has been increasing dramatically, and while there are still plenty of cute and colorful fishing villages, luxury beach destinations are becoming a mainstay now, too. 

Punta del Diablo on Uruguay's east coast

Where to go when visiting Uruguay

Montevideo

During my four months in South America, I spent nearly two weeks travelling through Uruguay, starting in the country's capital, Montevideo, and it was here that I first noticed people walking the streets, drinking from small round cups with metal straws. I soon discovered that it was Maté that everyone was drinking, a traditional South American drink brewed from leaves of the yerba mate plant. Uruguayans drink more Maté than any other South American country, and it’s high in caffeine and said to have energising properties. To find out more about the history of Maté, there’s a section all about it at the Museo del Gaucho y la Moneda in Montevideo. As well as fascinating museums, the capital is full of elaborate and ornate buildings, too, so I’d recommend doing a self-guided walking tour that takes in the pretty Palacio Salvo and many of the city's plazas. It’s easy to walk the city and see the main sights within a couple of hours. If you walk past street-side stalls selling food, look out for Choripán (one of my favorite South American foods). This snack, made up of grilled chorizo in a baguette with homemade chimichurri, is just too good. And don't miss Uruguay's empanadas either, filled with meat or cheese, these small pastry parcels are delicious and very cheap, perfect if you’re on a budget.

Uruguayan flag in Montevideo

Punta del Este

When beach life calls, a journey along the coast leads to the ‘St Tropez of Latin America’; Punta del Este. This is the place where many Uruguayans come to holiday, since it heaves with upscale restaurants and swish hotels drawing in the crowds. I didn’t love Punta del Este, preferring Uruguay's more relaxed beachside towns, but it was good to see the place for myself and spend a few days relaxing by the ocean. There’s also a great hand sculpture here, designed by Chilean artist Mario Irarrázabal. Seemingly bursting out of the sand on the Brava side of the beach, it's fun and curious and close to some of the area's best and seafood down by the harbour.

Mario Irarrázabal's giant hand sculpture

Punta del Diablo

My favourite place in Uruguay is the sleepy yet colourful fishing town of Punta del Diablo, just two and a half hours along the wild coast from Punta del Este. This quiet town is easily explored on foot, and it’s here that I spent the majority of my time in Uruguay, staying in a very cool tree-house type hostel with an ex-sports journalist and his wife who'd escaped city life. In this area, there are lots of hidden and secluded bays where it's possible to swim in cool sea each day, plus there are some epic waves, making it a great spot for surfers, too. I felt like I had the town pretty much to myself and spent lazy days on the beach, strolling around and taking photos of the bright houses that line the narrow roads of the village. 

One of the many bright houses in Punta del Diablo

From Punta del Diablo, it’s easy enough to continue up the coast to Brazil, where you can find the world's longest beach—Praia do Cassino—but if you don’t have time for long bus journeys, a flight from Montevideo would make more sense.