Understated Uruguay

The last country on my trip was Uruguay and I was quite looking forward to going as most people I met, who had been really loved it.

I flew direct from Rio to Montevideo and I ended up making the mistake of getting one of the most expensive taxis from the airport to my hostel.

I was staying at Dolce Vita Hostel, which is fairly central and close to Avenida 18 de Julio.

My first impression of the city was that it felt a little Eastern European to me in terms of the mix of architecture and possibly the fact I had gone from summer to winter in the blink of an eye.

Montevideo is a decent sized city for wandering and I walked to the end of Avenida 18 de Julio and Plaza Independencia. Across the other side of the plaza is the old city where there are lots of colonial style buildings and just after you pass through the gate to the city there is a very well preserved bookshop with many period features and sweeping staircases.

The main bus terminal is called Tres Cruces, which is actually underneath a mall. From there I took a bus to the small beach town of Punta del Diablo.

Despite it being out of season the town still had a charm about it. I stayed at the El Diablo Tranquilo hostel and I'm fairly certain that the staff outnumbered guests. Three nights cost me 1,170 pesos. There aren't any cashpoints in the town so it is important to make sure you have enough money for your stay.

The streets are sandy and there is a mix of modern looking beach apartments and more traditional wooden structures.

I was blessed with good weather during my stay so made the most of it. I walked along the beach to a lookout point set on the rocks and from there followed a road, which led to Parque Nacional Santa Teresa. Within the park are beaches, a nature reserve, camping area, a greenhouse with a wide variety of plants and the Fort of Santa Teresa. 

The walk there took around two hours. While I was in the park I decided to walk a different way back, which was in hindsight a mistake. I followed the road and ended up having to walk along the side of a main road. My heart also sank when I saw a sign saying Punta del Diablo was still 9km away.

Not having intended on such a long walk when I set off I hadn't packed any water and by this point I was very much in need of a drink. Thankfully there was a small shop open just as I got to the turning for Punta del Diablo. My advice would be to anyone who decides to do this journey is to walk back along the beach!

From Punta del Diablo I went on to Colonia and caught the 9.20am bus to Montevideo where I then changed for a bus to Colonia. The journey took around 8 hours.

In Colonia I stayed one night at Che Lagarto Hostel and another at El Viajero Colonia Hostel.

During my stay I went to a great pizza restaurant called Don Joaquin on Avenida 18 de Julio with a Brazilian I met in the hostel. It is reasonably priced and the pizzas were delicious.

The next day I did yet more wandering, I must admit by now colonial buildings have somewhat lost their charm on me having seen so many, but Colonia is a really lovely city with winding cobbled streets. Unfortunately, when I was there it was very overcast so the views across the river weren't so great.

For beer lovers Barbot next door to El Viajero Hostel is a good call. It has a range of own brewed ales and reasonably priced food.    

One of my other reasons for wanting to go to Uruguay was to visit the town of Fray Bentos if for nothing else but the name. Most people in the UK will probably be familiar with the name as it is a brand of pie.

Working out how to get Fray Bentos, however was my first issue as there are only one or two buses a day leaving from Colonia one at 5.45am and the other at 6pm. Not wanting to arrive in a new place at gone 10pm I opted to get the 5.45am bus.

As I walked from the bus station to the hotel I started to wonder if I had made a mistake as the town seemed very industrial and bleak. However, as I got closer to the centre there were huge leafy plazas and wide avenues.

Unsurprisingly there aren't any hostels in Fray Bentos. I stayed at the Hotel Colonial just opposite the Teatro Miguel Young. A single room with shared bathroom cost 600 pesos.

It was a beautiful day so I decided to walk to the Museo de la Revolución Industrial, which is in the Barrio Anglo district of Fray Bentos.

The museum cost 40 pesos to enter and was actually more interesting than I thought it would be. It is set in the old meat extraction factory, it was in this factory that many products we are familiar with today came from OXO and Fray Bentos pies being just a couple of examples.

The factory opened in 1865 and closed in 1980. It is possible to walk around the production rooms, which was a bit eerie as everything is left as it was.

That evening I also got to partake in the first ever Cumbia Festival in Fray Bentos. Cumbia is similar to salsa music and originated in Colombia. The festival cost 60 pesos and took place in an amphitheatre on the banks of the Rio Uruguay.

Unlike festivals in England mate (a herbal high caffeine drink similar to tea) rather than beer seemed to be the drink of choice for most of the crowd. I felt a bit like the odd one out swigging red wine from a coke bottle!

It is possible to get from Fray Bentos to Gualeguaychu in Argentina. However, buses are limited. I opted to get the one at 7.15am.

Immigration formalities take place on the Uruguayan side of the international bridge and are fairly relaxed. From Gualeguaychu it is possible to get connections to other destinations in Argentina.

Overall I would say that Uruguay is definitely worth going to, I found it to be very laid back and the people were friendly. However, I would like to return in the summer next time just to see the contrast.