Академический Документы
Профессиональный Документы
Культура Документы
Restaurants
Bars
Cafs
Sightseeing
Travel
Shopping
Awards
Uruguay Now.com
First guide to Uruguay in English.
Features on:
Teatro Sols
Tristn Narvaja Market
Punta del Este
Uruguays Food Renaissance
Candombe drumming
Football
Uruguayan Literature
Nostalgia Night
Starting a home in Uruguay
Joaqun Torres Garca
Uruguays Interior
and...
the UruguayNow interview
www.uruguaynow.com
Contents
Fast Facts
Getting to Uruguay
Getting Around
11
Montevideo: Restaurants
13
14 Welcome to UruguayNow!
Montevideo: Hotels
15
UruguayNow Awards
16
Features
Words on the street
Football, football, football
Theatre of dreams
Portrait of the artist
Blast from the past
What a difference a blueberry makes
A resort for all seasons
Uruguays Interior: Six of the best
Uruguay gets a female beat
A happy country
Market forces
The UruguayNow Interview: Karen Ann
Inner beauty
Its a word of mouth thing
3
4
5
6
7
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
In this first edition our intention is to give you a low-down of the sights and attractions
of Montevideo, Uruguays capital city. Need some ideas for accommodation or a night
out? Take a look at our reviews of hotels, restaurants, bars and cafs in the city. Want
to know whats unmissable in the Old Town? Read through our section on what to see
not just in the fascinating Ciudad Vieja, but also in Montevideos seaside suburbs,
and in its nearby wine country.
Sometimes described as a capital with a ranch attached, we nonetheless havent
forgotten Uruguays provinces (called departamentos in this country), nor have we left
aside its feel-good beach resorts. But with autumn approaching and Punta del Este
winding down for the season, our main focus is on urban life and seeking out what
makes Uruguay tick: Its passion for football, music and art. Its vibrant street markets.
The historical relevance of the gaucho. And, last but not least, we do our best to explain the national obsession with Cyndi Lauper, REO Speedwagon and the rest of the
kitsch pantheon of 1980s rock and pop performers. Nostalgia, you see, is a serious
business in these parts
UruguayNow is also dedicated to searching out excellence and reporting back to our
readers. Thats why, starting with Montevideo, our researchers have visited scores of
accommodation and dining options in the city to bring you our choices of Best Hotel,
Best-Value Hotel, Best Restaurant and Most Innovative Dining Experience for 2010.
Please turn to page 17 for the full results. And when hotels and restaurants get things
wrong, well also tell you.
Although the guide is subject to copyright, we are always delighted for brief passages
to be quoted in other publications with a clear indication of the source.
Happy reading!
Credits
Contact
If you would like to contact the editorial or advertising sales team at UruguayNow
please send a mail to contact@uruguaynow.com. If you would like to subscribe
to our newsletter, please mail the same address with the word Newsletter in the
subject field.
Fast Facts
Entry Requirements
Citizens of EU member states, the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand (among
others) travelling as tourists do not need a visa to enter Uruguay. Visitors receive a
tourist card that allows for a stay of up to 90 days. You get an automatic extension
by leaving the country and re-entering. You can also obtain an extension from the
National Immigration Office at Misiones 1513, at the corner of 25 de Mayo (in Montevideos Old Town). The cost is under US$20. Be prepared to wait in line.
Immigration at Montevideos Carrasco international airport is a breeze compared
to entering Argentina at Buenos Aires and the chaos that is passport control at Sao
Paulo and Rio de Janeiro airports when two or three aircraft land in quick succession.
Customs agents rarely trouble foreign visitors.
Remember that immigration officials have every right to ask you for evidence of funds
to cover your stay in the country, and may also ask to see the return portion of your
ticket. A departure tax of US$31 is levied on departure if you leave by air (US$17 if
you are flying to Buenos Aires). You can pay the tax in pesos.
Climate
Reports of Montevideos classic Mediterranean climate have been much exaggerated.
Locals complain that weather is becoming less and less predictable, with occasional
hot periods in early spring and late autumn and less pleasantly destructive winter
storms. In any case, the closest European climatic equivalent is Lisbon; if you are in
North America think the shore of South Carolina.
Average highs in the summer (December February) are 27C - 29C with lows in
the 17C - 19C bracket. On the rare summer nights when there is no breeze, the city
can be as breathless as Buenos Aires. Dramatic thunderstorms build up from time to
time in the summer.
You should take precautions against the sun in Uruguay. The rays, both in spring
and in summer, are very strong. Many Uruguayans dont go to the beach before 4 pm
in the summer after news broke about a hole in the ozone layer directly above the
country. Others have stopped sun-bathing altogether. One Uruguayan dies of skin
cancer every four days.
The coldest month is July with an average low of 8C. But watch out for the pampero, a weather system than originates in the northern part of Patagonia and brings
temperatures to the Uruguayan capital that can, on occasions, drop to nearly zero.
Most rain falls in the spring and summer (October to March). Montevideo is a windy
city and winter days which are invariably sunny often feel colder than they really
are. Similarly, winter nights feel colder than they really are not just because of the
biting wind but because of the inadequacy of heating systems in many private homes
and in cheaper hotels. It has never snowed in Montevideo.
Conclusion: expect the unexpected. On 13 February 1914 a drop of 18C was
recorded in the river port of Mercedes in the space of an hour and a quarter. Newspaper reports from that month tell of masses of bob-haired young things scrambling
desperately for their cardigans.
Health
There are no particular health risks in Uruguay. We recommend that your tetanus
protection is up to date. There is no yellow fever, malaria or dengue fever risk; the
authorities constantly monitor the dengue situation in neighbouring Brazil, where there
are outbreaks. Be aware of the strong sun and take precautions.
If you fall ill or have an accident in Montevideo you can go to the emergency room
of either the public Hospital de Clnicas (on Avenida Italia across from the Centenario
stadium) or the private Hospital Britnico (on Avenida Italia corner Morales). At
the latter you will need to provide proof of funds or a valid insurance policy before
treatment.
For emergencies in Uruguay call 911.
Factfile:
Librera Linardi y Risso, calle Gmez corner Rincn, tel. 915 7129,
www.linardiyrisso.com
Librera Oriente Occidente, calle Rincn corner Gmez, tel. 915 4065,
www.mosesbks.com
No sales tax is imposed on books and other reading material in Uruguay.
Fast Facts
Football, football, football!
Twice winners of the soccer World Cup, in 1930 (as hosts of the competition) and in
1950 (when the national team overcame Brazil in the final), football has for generations been at the heart of how Uruguayans see themselves. It is a matter of intense
national pride that they are by a long way the smallest nation in the world to have
won footballs biggest prize.
At the end of the nineteenth and start of the twentieth centuries, the population
of Uruguay grew exponentially, says Juan Carlos Luzuriaga, historian and author
of a book (see below) on the origins of football in Uruguay. Football gave many
new immigrants their own identity, bringing them together and serving as a kind of
common denominator. In the 1920s and 1930s football, together with tango and the
traditions of Carnival, was the glue that held society together.
British railway workers, importers and ranch owners integrated into a society of
criollos (native Uruguayans) and Italian and Spanish immigrants in good measure
thanks to soccer. When Uruguay played Argentina in a match in 1909, both teams
fielded players of British origin. A Uruguayan newspaper report of the game (published in Spanish) was nonetheless full of English football terminology: half-time,
shot and goal.
During this period the rivalry between Pearol, the team of the British, their friends
and local workers (who tended to feel at odds with wealthy criollos), and Nacional,
the club of Italians and monied native Uruguayans, set in.
What to Bring
Uruguays supermarkets are well stocked and presented; many international-brand
toiletries, for instance, are available in Montevideo and the larger centres. Shopping
malls in Montevideo have chain stores such as Zara (from Spain) and Hering (from
Brazil). Meanwhile, Uruguayan brands which prospered a generation ago when high
import tariffs made non-Uruguayan colognes, soaps and perfumes exorbitantly expensive, still prosper and appear to have a firm following. The most common example is
the Dr. Selby range of cosmetics, which youll see everywhere.
You should bring all the electronic goods you need from abroad, including memory
cards and pen drives, which are typically at least 50% more expensive in Uruguay
than in the US or in the cheaper outlets in Europe. And what if you forget to bring your
camera? Fear not. Travellers arriving at Montevideo airport are greeted by sales girls
from the duty-free shop, which is available for passengers entering the country. Join
the queues of Uruguayans stocking up on whisky and Swiss chocolate. The duty-free
shop is also a good place to buy sun lotion in factors high enough for babies and
children. At the time of writing, it is open to receive customers arriving on all scheduled
international flights, no matter the hour.
If you are visiting in the winter you will need a warm jacket, plus sweaters. These are
also available locally, of course, particularly in womens styles. Bear in mind that even
good-standard restaurants are often under-heated in the winter.
The Uruguayan league was set up in 1932 following the successes of the national
team. From its formation until 1986 Pearol and Nacional won all but two of the
league titles. When the Copa Libertadores (South Americas Champions League)
started in 1960, Pearol won the first two trophies. They and Nacional were regulars in the early years of the tournament, with one or the other featuring in all but
two of the first 12 finals. But the last time they featured was in 1988 when Nacional
lifted the trophy. Since then, globalisation has had a massive impact in such a small
country and has made it nearly impossible for Uruguay to keep their best players.
If you are using budget accommodation in the warmer months, bring a mosquito net.
The most concentrated mosquito repellents (jungle formula and so on) are not easy
to find in Uruguay, so consider bringing them from home.
The rivalry in the early days was intense but it was purely sporting. It was only from
the 1980s onwards that things seemed to change decisively. Supporters certainly
became more ostentatious, says Mr. Luzuriaga.
Books, newspapers and magazines in English are not commonly for sale in
Uruguay. If you enjoy reading Spanish, however, you will be spoilt for choice in Montevideos second-hand bookshops.
Indeed: when Nacional and Pearol play each other in the local derby (called the
clsico) one side of the stadium is a sea of yellow and black replica shirts, the
other side is a sea of blue, white and red. In British terms, it is an acute, even bitter
rivalry that is more like that which exists between Rangers and Celtic (in Glasgow,
Scotland) than the relatively good-humoured stand-off between Liverpool and
Everton (in England). Violence outside soccer grounds has also become a serious
problem in Montevideo. Experts from England have visited Uruguay to advise on
how to combat football hooliganism.
Etiquette
The Uruguayan national side qualified for the forthcoming World Cup finals in South
Africa thanks to a narrow victory against Costa Rica in the play-offs. When we
finally made it, everyone was happy, says Mr Luzuriaga.
No-one in Uruguay is under any illusions that their team can seriously challenge for
the trophy, but there is renewed hope of making an impact. In the 1980s and 1990s
Uruguayan football struggled to produce skillful players and became extremely
defensive (perhaps in some way they were trying to protect their legacy?). This
has now changed and there has been a switch back to a more attacking style of
football.
Watch out for rising star Nicols Lodeiro in the tournament; he has been labelled
the new Messi in the Uruguayan press for his attacking skills. He joined the ranks
of Uruguays expatriate footballers when he signed for Ajax of Amsterdam in January for a reported US$5.6 million fee from Nacional.
Hoping to get on the end of his attacks will be Diego Forln, who some may
remember for a not-so-successful spell at Manchester United (he has scored a
mountain of goals at every other club he has played for) and Sebastin Abreu.
Dubbed the Crazy Man, Abreu is a hero in Uruguay, in part for scoring the vital
goal in the play-off against Costa Rica. He is perhaps their most potent threat and
is only three goals away from being their biggest goalscorer of all-time.
Uruguays biggest challenge will be to get through the group stages, where they
face France and the hosts South Africa. With only two teams going through and no
hosts ever falling to make it to the next round, this could prove a stern test.
Horse-riders should make sure they have their own appropriate footwear. Campers
may find that equipment available locally (e.g. rucksacks) is not as modern or light as
at home. If you intend to practice any sport other than football and running, youll be
well advised to bring clothing and equipment from home.
Uruguay is a Latin American country and shares a number of characteristics with its
neighbours. The tendency to judge visitors on their appearance is hard-wired into
the Latin psyche. Overseas travellers who are poorly dressed or groomed have long
been the object of curiosity since it is (still) a common assumption that people visiting
from overseas are comfortably off a view that is slowly being challenged by the
influx of foreign retirees of all income types.
Polite forms of address (seor, seora) in shops and restaurants are always
welcome, even though locals are hardly as decorous or deferential in their speech as
Colombians or Chileans, for example. But make the effort and you will make a good
impression.
Business travellers may find a casual and even willful lateness for appointments a
source of frustration. Its noticeable that when Uruguayans want someone to arrive
on time they will often add the expression hora inglesa for punctuality. Even though
bumper-to-bumper traffic can rarely be used as an excuse in Montevideo, delays of
15 minutes or so are to be expected at more or less all business meetings. Make sure
you have a ready stock of business cards as their exchange and mutual admiration
are the prelude to even the shortest encounter.
Uruguayans dress conservatively. Men should wear dark suits for formal business
meetings and for weddings and Christenings too for that matter. Shorts are uncommon outside seaside resorts, even at weekends. Speedo-type swimwear for men
will elicit stares on most beaches go for baggy surfer shorts instead. Meanwhile,
womens fashions tend to be a little dowdy and ladies of a certain age who prefer
a younger look will be the object of a certain amount of eyeballing, even (perhaps
especially) in Montevideos chic residential neighbourhoods. Punta del Este in January is undiluted bling.
If you are lucky enough to be invited to a Uruguayan home, be prepared to meet the
whole family. Meals are often barbecue-based and thus quite informal, with the man of
the house fiddling with the charcoal and slabs of meat to the accompaniment of coos
So local supporters can hardly be blamed for dwelling on past glories: On 16
of appreciation from everyone present. Children tend to stay up late in Montevideo
July 1950 some 175,000 spectators, the great majority Brazilian, filed into Rio de
and are both seen and heard; if you have children who are not present, you will
Janeiros Maracana stadium. Brazil took the lead but, in possibly the biggest upset
invariably be asked to produce a photo. A gift from your home country will go down
in the history of the World Cup, Uruguay equalised and then scored the winner.
well, otherwise flowers are sold at kiosks on main roads and are a sure-fire token of
The French newspaper Le Monde reported a near complete
appreciation for your
silence in the stadium at the final whistle. Hundreds of Brazilhostess. If a man
ian supporters had to be treated for shock.
celebrates his birthday
at home and invites
El football del novecientos by Juan Carlos Luzuriaga is published by Ediciones
In Uruguay, meanwhile, the government declared a days
five guests, he may
Santillana. The book is available at all major bookshops in Uruguay. Price: $450.
public holiday and the party began. But here, too, there was
well end up with five
The best place to see a match is the graceful Estadio Centenario, the national
disbelief. Three people died of heart attacks listening to the
bottles of whisky (and
stadium,
which
is
used
regularly
for
domestic
games.
Nacionals
Parque
Central
radio broadcast; five more lost their lives accidentally during
no-one will consider
stadium in Montevideos Cordn neighbourhood is also a good option. Expect to
the festivities that followed the game. Uruguays World Cup
this unusual).
pay
between
US$5
and
US$18
for
a
ticket.
There
is
a
small
football
museum
at
winners were feted as national heroes. The rivalry between
Montevideos Estadio Centenario. Opening hours: Wednesday to Friday, 10 am to
Pearol and Nacional was temporarily put on hold.
6 pm; Saturdays and Sundays, 10 am to 2.30 pm.
Factfile:
Getting to Uruguay
By air
Only two airlines based outside Latin America serve Montevideos brand-new,
state-of-the-art Carrasco international airport (www.aic.com.uy). American Airlines
flies direct from Miami and Iberia provides a non-stop connection between Madrid and
Montevideo in codeshare with PLUNA, the national airline. Another useful connection
for North Americans is from Panama to Montevideo on Copa Airlines. Demand is
particularly heavy on all routes at Christmas/New Year, Easter and July.
Theatre of dreams
Montevideos Teatro Sols is a great place to hear live music,
opera, or watch modern dance
Legend has it that when the celebrated Italian tenor Enrico Caruso was performing
at Montevideos Teatro Sols towards the end of his career he had trouble with a
high note and the audience started to boo him
The story if true suggests that Uruguays opera-goers a century ago were a
demanding, difficult crowd. But given that, again as legend has it, Uruguays ubiquitous Caruso pasta sauce was a creation of the maestro, there is every reason
to believe that there was a good deal of affection for him in Montevideo. (Caruso
is said once to have ordered a local chef to make up a meal with the ingredients
which he had at hand, which were mushrooms, ham and fresh cream and so a
new sauce came into being.)
Pristine after a massive six-year makeover that finished in 2004, the ghosts of
Caruso, the tango singer Carlos Gardel and others still seem to inhabit this famous
space. And since it is now the turn of the Teatro Coln across the River Plate in
Buenos Aires to be closed for extensive refurbishment, there has never been a
better time to catch a performance at the Sols.
That the neo-classical opera house was built at all was a triumph for its backers,
since the country was at war with itself between 1839 and 1852 and conflict
between the Blanco and Colorado parties would continue beyond 1870: When
it was completed in 1856, Uruguay was going through a period of crisis, and the
country was mired in poverty, explains communications director Elena Firpi.
When construction of the opera house began in earnest in 1852 Montevideo had
only 34,000 inhabitants, and the city was at permanent risk of cholera outbreaks,
among other threats.
On top of all that, there were political squabbles over its design, says Ms Firpi.
But over time the identity of the city of Montevideo, the aspirations of its people,
and the development of the theatre, have become closely linked.
The opera house stands at the edge of Plaza Independencia, on the fringe of the
Old Town, a little set back from the square and in the next block to the shiny, new
Uruguayan Presidency building architecturally, a huge contrast. It was named for
Juan Daz de Sols, the Spanish navigator who sailed up the River Plate in 1516
and in so doing was the first European to set foot in what is now Uruguay (he was
probably killed by the local Charra people).
Lamps and candles illuminated the theatres inaugural performance Guiseppe
Verdis Ernani, which had been premiered in European capitals a few years previously. The first opera season contained ten works in all, almost all by Verdi, who
had overtaken Rossini as the composer of the moment. The European tradition
of the Teatro Sols was underscored in its choice of English chandeliers and the
prominent inscriptions of names of European composers in its interior, as in the
legendary opera house in Manaus, Brazil.
Milton Schinca notes in Boulevard Sarand, his anecdotal history of Montevideo,
that a few days after the Teatro Sols opened, and in the middle of a performance,
members of the public seated in the stalls began to pelt those in the galleries with
oranges. We can suppose from Mr Schincas account that bad feeling between
supporters of the Blanco and Colorado political parties was the cause.
Teatro Sols ceased to function as a private concern in 1947 and was bought by
Montevideo city council. After its US$20 million facelift, the theatre has 1256 seats
and capacity for 60 musicians. And if you are in Montevideo in season and you are
lucky enough to get a ticket, you can still see opera there.
Factfile:
Depending on the performance plays are generally less expensive than opera or
dance you can get tickets for between 150 and 1500 Uruguayan pesos (US$7.50
to US$75). Tickets are not available online. Guided tours of the building are
generally held at 11 am, 12 noon and 5 pm every day except Monday. Tours cost
20 pesos in Spanish and 40 pesos in English, but they are free on Wednesdays.
We recommend you consult the theatres website for the latest information: www.
teatrosolis.org.uy; tel. 1950 3323
Getting Around
Getting around Uruguay
There are presently no scheduled domestic air services. The train network only carries
cargo, except for a limited number of services connecting Montevideo with some dormitory towns in the nearby department of Canelones one of these is worthwhile and
we list it below. Leaving aside walking and riding a bike, you have two main options:
Buses: Long-distance bus (coach) services connect Montevideo with all of the
departmental capitals. There are departures to the northern cities of Paysand, Salto,
Rivera and Tacuaremb at around midnight and also early in the morning. Expect to
pay about 1 Uruguayan peso per kilometre travelled. There are departures for Punta
del Este at about 15 minute intervals in season ($142, 2 hours). There are also regular
connections to Colonia ($176, 2 hours). All long distance buses depart from the
huge Tres Cruces terminal at the edge of the Centre. From there, the CA1 bus takes
you downtown for $9 or take a taxi from the rank at the terminal (count on US$4-5 to
Pocitos or Punta Carretas). You can find out which bus company goes where, and
more information on schedules at: www.trescruces.com.uy. Tickets are available at the
terminal. Book a few days ahead if you are travelling out of Montevideo on a Friday, or
back from the provinces on a Sunday.
Car hire: All the international brands are represented, both at the airport and at locations downtown. Expect to pay more than in the US or in many places in Europe at
peak times (Christmas, New Year and Easter Week) when prices are hiked principally
due to massive local demand. At such times you may have to pay US$750/week for
an intermediate model (Fiat Siena or similar); the same car will cost US$450 outside
peak times, including tax and unlimited mileage. You can find details of local car
hire companies in the yellow pages. These usually rent larger vehicles; in provincial
centres they are often the only option.
Train to Santa Luca: You can reach the time-warp town of Santa Luca in about
90 minutes from Montevideos Central Station, located 8 blocks north of Plaza del
Entrevero (next to the port). The line goes as far as the provincial town of Florida, with
a branch line to San Jos. Note that, as this is essentially a commuter service, there
is only one train to Santa Luca in the morning, and one train returning to Montevideo
the end of the afternoon (more services operate in the opposite direction). A separate,
shorter line that terminates north-east of the capital in Sudriers is unlikely to be of any
interest to visitors. Fare to Santa Luca $30; to Florida and San Jos $40. Timetables
at www.afe.com.uy.
Driving in Uruguay
Speed limits: 110 km/hr on highways; 90 km/hr on other roads outside urban areas.
Main roads are good and (inexpensive) toll roads are excellent. Local roads in rural
areas are often dirt tracks, but may be reasonably well maintained nonetheless. Many
streets in urban parts of Canelones (Solymar, Pinamar, etc.) are unpaved and deeply
rutted. At unmarked crossings the priority to the right rule applies. You need to keep
your lights on (dipped) at all times, day or night, and may be fined by the police if you
forget. Avoid the Rambla in Montevideo on weekend nights; it is used by local youths
as a race track. One curiosity: if not marked otherwise, the car approaching a narrow
bridge that is driving away from Montevideo has priority. N.B. Make sure you use a
credit or debit card to pay for your petrol/gasoline. If the card was issued outside
Uruguay, youll be refunded the tax on your statement.
Upside-down maps, strange symbols in primary colours, fish out of water? If you
have seen paintings containing any of the above recently, chances are that you
have been in Montevideo.
The man responsible was Joaqun Torres Garca, and he set in motion an artistic
revolution. Torres Garca was born in the Uruguayan capital in 1874 and still in
his teens emigrated to Barcelona with his family with the plan to learn to paint.
His trademark style came to be constructivism, founded in part on the inclusion of
indigenous elements in artworks. Despite the profusion of his work on posters, in
coffee table books and even on mugs (if not on canvas: many of his paintings were
destroyed in a fire in a Brazilian museum in 1979) its a difficult style to pin down.
According to Alejandro Daz, director of Montevideos Torres Garca Museum, its
easier to give examples of what it is and isnt:
First of all, it is the opposite of the kind of art that aims to reproduce a given reality
in a painting. What constructivism does is create its own truth, which only exists in
that particular work of art. References to the world as we know and see it appear
as signs and symbols, which dont intend to imitate anything at all. Add to this the
intensity of the colours the artist uses and you get a harmony which is rather like
that you experience when you hear a good piece of music.
Although he mixed with such artists as Joan Mir and Pablo Picasso, Torres Garca
knew spells of hardship in Europe. He took on teaching jobs and for a while, and
quite successfully, made toys. From Spain he moved to New York and later Paris.
Piet Mondrian and Paul Klee were key influences. The Uruguayan art world was
fundamentally unprepared for what was coming.
Torres Garca returned to his homeland in 1934 to find artists mired in excessively
conservative habits: much painting tended to ape traditional European styles; the
stapes were portraits and pastoral scenes. His outlook was bound to be controversial, and constructivism did not take root in the country until the 1940s when
encouraged a diverse group of young artists (including Jos Gurvich, Manuel Pails
and Julio Alpuy) by holding classes at his studio, later dubbed the Southern School.
Constructivist works by Pails in particular are a mainstay of the auctions of
Southern School artists that are now a regular feature of the Montevideo art scene,
particularly in the run-up to Christmas. A medium-sized canvas by Pails currently
fetches around US$1500. Minor works and sketches by other School members can
go for as little as a couple of hundred dollars.
Auction rooms are invariably crowded: its not about a cosmopolitan few fighting
over works worth millions, but rather about how a coherent national style is collected en masse by ordinary people who if they didnt live in Uruguay might not
collect anything at all. In this country, constructivist works dont just hang in the plus
lobbies of city centre banks, they brighten up the offices of suburban estate agents
and even the walls of at least one beauty salon.
Mr Daz takes the view that it was Torres Garca who essentially introduced modern
art to Uruguay. But there are questions left unanswered.
Theres no way of knowing if it was Torres Garcas intention, but his use of primary
colours and repeated symbols fish, anchors, the sun and so on have become a
key part of Uruguays visual identity, says Mr Daz.
What we do know is what Torres Garca himself said and wrote. Famously, in his
pamphlet on Constructive Universalism, Torres Garca explained that I have said
School of the South, because in reality our North is the South. Therefore we now
turn the map upside down, and then we have a true idea of our position Would
he have been pleased that populists like Venezuelan president Hugo Chvez latch
on to his upside-down map to push an argument about the rich north oppressing a
poor south? We cannot know.
But Torres Garca certainly believed that there was something special about his
home town. Soon after returning to Montevideo after his years of self-imposed exile
he wrote: We are here, buffeted by winds that shake up minds and bodies in this
special place on the River Plate shore, almost a peninsula, as if it wanted to lead a
march into the continent. It is our geographical position that gives us our destiny.
Factfile:
The Torres Garca Museum is on pedestrianised calle Sarand between Plaza Independencia and the Plaza Matriz. Opening hours: Mon-Fri, 9.30am to 7.30pm; Saturday, 10am to 6pm; closed on Sundays. Consult the museums website for details
of guided tours and temporary exhibitions: www.torresgarcia.org.uy. Art auctions:
The friendly and knowledgeable father and son team at A & A Subastas in Pocitos
(www.subastasarteya.com) hold regular auctions of Southern School works, as does
Castells (www.castells.com.uy) at its atmospheric auction room in the Centre.
Cost of living
Never a bargain-basement destination, Uruguay has nonetheless given tourists and
expat residents good value for their euros or dollars over the past seven or eight
years. But with the Uruguayan peso hardening against the dollar in particular, the
country is getting more expensive.
Books
There are two unmissable antiquarian booksellers in the Old Town :
Librera Linardi y Risso, calle Gmez corner Rincn
Librera Oriente Occidente, calle Rincn corner Gmez
On calle Bacacay (also Old Town) there is a nice selection of travel and childrens
books, plus the odd title in English at La Lupa. They also have a small exhibition
space upstairs. For art, design, photography and advertising titles plus some books
in French try Graffiti on calle Ro Negro, corner San Jos (Centre). On calle Tristn
Narvaja, corner Paraguay (in the Cordn neighbourhood) Montevideanos and
Babilonia are two good options.
Grooming
In the market for a haircut? Montevideos hairdressers and barbers offer walk-in
service. Prices are reasonable. We can recommend the multi-lingual service at Garbo
in Pocitos (calle Scosera a few yards from the Rambla). Caters to men and women;
also offers manicures. Open Monday to Friday from 9 am to 9 pm. Tel. 712 2581.
A dollar buys just under 20 pesos at the time of writing, meaning that for food and
eating out the country is more expensive than Argentina but not as pricey as Brazil.
At the beginning of 2010 local newspaper El Pas asked a panel of economists
how many pesos they thought a dollar would buy at the end of the year. Almost all
estimated a value between 19 and 21. Where we give a price in dollars in the guide,
we assume an exchange rate of US$1 = 20 pesos.
A couple staying at a 4-star hotel in Montevideo and eating out in good restaurants will
spend between US$200 and US$300 a day in Montevideo, and perhaps half as much
again in Punta del Este in season. Budget travellers staying in hostel accommodation
(or the cheaper hotels downtown) and using public transport might budget for US$50
per person per day. Where hotels and restaurants in the capital offer particularly good
deals. Imported foods and other goods can be very expensive in Uruguay, e.g. a
standard tin of Illy coffee sells for US$28 in supermarkets.
Uruguay offers a tax refund for goods made in the country which are exported unused. Look out for the Tax Free for Tourists sign in the windows of participating shops.
Important! You should always try to use a credit card to pay for restaurant bills as you
will receive a rebate of 9% of the value of the meal in your credit (or debit) card statement. Buying petrol (gasoline) with a credit or debit card also triggers a refund. Hotel
accommodation is zero-rated for foreigners who are not resident in Uruguay.
Shopping in Montevideo
Shopping Centres/Malls
These are hugely popular. The easiest to get to are Montevideo Shopping Centre
in Pocitos (the first and still the largest, at the intersection of Rivera and L. A. de Herrera). Punta Carretas Shopping is also very good. Both have restaurants, cinemas,
supermarkets and exchange facilities. Open 7 days a week.
Clothes and shoes
Manos del Uruguay (Manos for short, hands in Spanish) is a national institution,
selling wool, alpaca, cotton and silk clothing made using tradition techniques such
as knitting, manual looms, crocheting. Uruguayan wool sweaters, cardigans, shawls,
scarves and ponchos are mainstays. Apart from scarves, Manos caters almost
exclusively for women. Manos also sells some upmarket handicrafts and jams, and
yarns too. The company has shops in Montevideo Shopping Centre (Pocitos), Punta
Carretas Shopping and Portones Shopping Centre (Carrasco). There is a small shop
on calle Sarand corner Bacacay (Old Town) and another, larger one, recommended,
on calle San Jos corner Ro Negro which also has discontinued lines and special
offers. Also has shops in Punta del Este and Colonia; www.manos.com.uy.
For a more cutting-edge look, there are several trendy boutiques in the pedestrianised stretch of calle Sarand. La Pasionaria has some beautiful clothes and shoes.
Women will also be able to indulge a passion for shoes, belts and bags at a clutch of
outlets on Plaza Matriz and calle Gmez in the Old Town. The designs of Victoria M.
Ortiz are popular: branches in shopping centres and at Avenida Brasil, corner Libertad
(Pocitos).
For leather jackets (mens and womens styles), wallets and impressive cow and
sheepskin rugs, you should not miss Las Magnolias on Plaza Zabala, a few steps
from the Palacio Taranco (Old Town). Everything on display is of the highest quality.
Gifts
Most supermarkets have a small selection of bottles of Uruguayan wine in wooden
presentation cases that should survive the trip home in your luggage (starting at about
$US15). For locally made chocolates and sweets, including candied orange peel, try
Esencia Uruguay (calle Sarand corner Zabala, Old Town). Uruguayans often encourage visitors to take home a jar of their ubiquitous caramel spread, dulce de leche.
Crafts
Crafts: Best option for its sheer variety is the Mercado de los Artesanos on Plaza
Libertad, a cooperative with many stalls. We also recommend La Pasionaria on calle
Reconquista corner Gmez in the Old Town, which has a hand-picked selection of
excellent handicrafts, particularly ceramics.
Keen on Kim Wilde? Ready for some REO Speedwagon? Or would you rather
stretch your limbs to a high-volume rendition of YMCA?
If your answer is all of the above then think about grabbing a piece of Uruguays
unique Nostalgia Night celebrations.
The roots of Nostalgia Night go back to the late 1970s. A disco in town looking for
an original wheeze to attract custom on the night before Uruguays Independence
Day holiday decided to play nothing but oldies (in this context, music from the fifties
and sixties). At the time, Uruguay was living through the dark days of dictatorship.
Legend has it that the disco was packed out.
Since then Nostalgia Night has become a massive popular and commercial success. Every 24 August local radio stations whose output year-round is dominated
by hits from the 1980s as it is ensure that every tune they play is at least twenty
years old. Function rooms throughout the country prepare elaborate parties. Fancy
dress is de rigueur: think John Travoltas white dancing suit, think big hair, think
leg warmers.
This is the biggest night out in the year by some distance and a godsend for
stressed parents and older folks. Middle-aged Uruguayans dont have so many
possibilities to hit the dance floor and let their hair down, says Montevideo
translator Jorge Meyerheim. Its basically just weddings and fiestas de quince (the
Latin tradition of offering a party to girls when they turn fifteen). So its not difficult
to understand why they grab the chance to have fun on the night before a public
holiday when everyone is off work.
Local websites list the entertainment on offer this year. Neighbourhood parties in
working-class boliches (dance halls) charge as little as US$5 a head for a ticket.
One or two make good security a prominent feature of their offer a sign of
the times perhaps. But others are more elaborate affairs (full barbecue! imported
whisky!) with unlimited food and drink and, of course, live music often a Beatles
tribute band. For these, expect to pay US$180 and more per couple.
At the beginning of this new decade, the Cantegril Country Club in Punta del Este
is daring to promise the best tracks from the 1990s. But they are in a minority for
now.
Are Uruguayans more prone to nostalgia than other Latin Americans? After all,
Brazil has no equivalent celebration, nor has Argentina. Perhaps the experience of
young people growing up in the 1970s and 1980s has something to do with it. Unusually, this was a generation with less optimism than that of their parents. For the
latter the relative prosperity and wellbeing of the 1950s (the tail-end of the mythical
Switzerland of South America period) amounted to a golden age. Meanwhile,
shanty towns were mushrooming on the fringes of Montevideo. The middle classes
had to ditch their trips abroad. Were those youngsters encouraged by their parents
nurtured, even to look back? Economically, of course, todays Uruguay is on a
roll. But is nostalgia an old habit thats hard to kick?
Its something to ponder as you walk home from your party in the chilly dawn of 25
August with Smoke On The Water ringing in your ears.
Factfile: You can find a list (in Spanish) of Nostalgia Night events at
www.clubdeturistas.com.uy/fiestas_24deagosto.html.
Outside Montevideo: For good deals on hotel accommodation at the beach out of
season (particularly November and early December, and April) check out the Sunday
edition of the El Pas newspaper, which carries regular advertisements of special
offers. Inexpensive coach trips to inland attractions, notably the thermal springs
around Salto and Paysand, are advertised at travel agents (there are a cluster on
Calle Colonia around the Plaza del Entrevero, Centre) and even on flyers pinned to
trees downtown.
Arts and culture
There are plenty of cultural activities taking place in Montevideo, many of which
wont cost you a penny. The Subte exhibition space (Plaza del Entrevero) offers a
constantly-changing programme of visual arts treats. Meanwhile, public museums
are generally free or have a very low admission price. National Museum of Visual
Arts at Parque Rod offers a mix of photography and video as well as fine art, and
the offer generally changes every month. The dynamic Centro Cultural de Espaa
(www.cce.org.uy; Rincn corner Bartolom Mitre, Old Town) has exhibitions, talks
and workshops. You may see exhibitions at various embassies advertised in the local
press. Admission to these will almost always be free.
There are also possibilities for free or cheap cinema. The marvellous Efecto Cine
group (www.efectocine.com) has been travelling around Uruguay for the past couple
years showing a variety of films projected on a huge inflatable screen. For cinema
buffs the Cinemateca Uruguaya (www.cinemateca.org.uy) offers seasons of films by
European and Latin and North American directors, plus different genres anyone up
for a week of vampire flicks? They have screens all over the city with some showings
for US$2, around a third of the price of a ticket to watch the new blockbuster at a
multiplex.
Montevideo has a huge tradition of theatre with shows taking place in large
auditoriums but also in social clubs and on bandstands on the streets. Street theatre
is most common in the month before, and during, Carnival. The excellent culture
page (cultura.montevideo.gub.uy) of the city governments website has details of
many events. Look out for murgas (a mixture of comedy and music), parodistas and
humoristas. Some of these events are free but most will cost US$2-5. Its all authentic
Uruguayan entertainment.
Candombe is a hugely popular style of drumming in Montevideo. There are hundreds
of different groups that, often accompanied by dancers, pound out an incessant
rhythm as they move through their neighbourhood. Its something special and unlike
any drumming style you will have heard elsewhere. The most famous group is Isla
de Flores in Palermo, which performs every Sunday at 7 pm (Isla de Flores corner
Gaboto). Tambor Brujo is a new group meeting every Friday in Pocitos (Charra
corner Ponce, beginning at 8 pm) Pure Uruguay, and theres no need to dig into your
pockets.
Football
Football is the national sport of Uruguay. For a country of its size, the national team
has been hugely successful, and there is a massive rivalry between its two biggest
clubs, Nacional and Pearol. Additionally, it can be incredibly cheap to watch. The
Estadio Centenario is the home of the national team and the venue for the PearolNacional derby. Tickets for international games are the most expensive and start at
$200 (US$10). Prices for local matches, including many of Pearols home games,
start at $100 (US$5). Tickets can normally be bought directly from the stadium or from
Accommodation/Hostels
Hostels in Montevideo are bunched in
three main areas, Ciudad Vieja, Palermo/
Barrio Sur and Pocitos. In Ciudad Vieja, the deceptively-titled Posada al Sur (dorms
from $15, Prez Castellanos corner Washington, www.posadaalsur.com.uy, tel. 916
5287) is despite its name a cheerful hostel with dorm prices from US$15 per
night, which includes a good breakfast, access to the rooftop terrace and super-clean
rooms. The brand-new Green Hostel (US$15 for a dorm bed, 25 de Mayo corner
Coln, www.thegreenhostel.com, tel. 916 9789) and Boulevard Sarand Hostel (beds
from US$14, Sarand corner Zabala, www.boulevardsarandihostel.com, tel. 915 37
65) are also decent hostels in this area.
The Art Hostel in Palermo (from US$14, Gaboto corner San Salvador, www.palermoarthostel.com, tel. 410 6519/411 8366) is a huge building with large dorms and plenty
of common spaces. Their newly-decked-out rooftop terrace is especially nice and has
its own bar, open from Thursday to Saturday. El Viajero (US$17, Soriano corner Rio
Negro, www.elviajerodowntown.com, tel. 908 2913) and Planet Montevideo (US$14,
Canelones corner Paraguay, www.planetmontevideohostel.com tel. 900 0733) are
recommended. El Viajero also runs hostels in Colonia, Punta del Este and La Pedrera.
Unplugged Hostel and Pocitos Hostel are both cheery places in the upmarket residential neighbourhood of Pocitos. Unplugged (US$14, Luis de la Torre corner Bulevar
Espaa, unpluggedhostel.com, tel. 712 1381) opened recently but has been getting
good feedback, especially for its location; only 5 minutes walk to the beach. Pocitos
Hostel (US$14, Sarmiento corner Aguilar, www.pocitos-hostel.com, tel. 711 8780) has
energetic staff and regular barbecues.
the many Abitab shops that can be found around Montevideo. Bear in mind that the
cheapest tickets are also the ones for the most popular areas. This shouldnt be a
problem unless you are attending the clsico (Pearol-Nacional derby) when for the
sake of your ears it may be best to pay a little bit more. But we advise caution outside
the stadium: the clsico has a history of violence between rival supporters.
Other options are the Estadio Luis Franzini, home of Defensor Sporting, and Nacionals Parque Central. These are cheaper still with tickets starting from $30 and $80
respectively. Tickets do not need to be bought in advance for Luis Franzini, just arrive
a little before the game starts and pay on the gate.
There are very few accurate fixture lists for the Uruguayan league in English. The
best one by far is at ESPNs Soccernet site (http://soccernet.espn.go.com/fixtures?lea
gue=uru.1&cc=3888). When buying tickets make sure you state which team you want
to support. Some ticket sellers are can be a little careless when selling tickets to
foreigners. If you want to sit with the main bulk of supporters ask for populares. These
will also be the cheapest. Tickets are referred to as either boletos or entradas.
Old Town
The only significant remaining piece of the 6-metre thick wall that in colonial times
surrounded the Old Town, and protected the city against its many invaders, is the
ornamental gate at the entrance of the Old Town (Ciudad Vieja in Spanish). The
district a finger of land jutting out into the River Plate is a curious and fascinating
mixture of financial centre, working port, restaurant hub and low-rent housing laid out
on a precise grid plan.
The pedestrianised calle Sarand leads from the ornamental gate to the Plaza Matriz,
the heart of the Old Town. Dont miss the wonderful art deco Ferrando building,
constructed in 1917, as you walk down the first block of Sarand. The ground floor is
given over to a bookshop; take a look at the beautiful stained glass above the stairway
at the back of the store (there is a caf upstairs). In the same block is the Torres
Garca art museum ; to the left is pretty calle Bacacay with its cafs and restaurants.
There are plans afoot to put a glass roof over this street, which has the width of a
passageway. Nearby calle Bartolom Mitre contains several well established antiques
shops. The Teatro Solis, the citys beautiful opera house, can be reached by walking
down calle Bacacay and crossing calle Buenos Aires. .
Plaza Matriz (also known as Plaza Constitucin), a block distant, is the true heart
of the Old Town. There are often tables of old books, postcards and bric--brac to
browse in the shade of the trees in the garden at the middle of the square. On one
side is the old Spanish Cabildo, or government building (1804), which now contains
a small museum of furniture, clocks, maps and documents from the earliest period of
the colony. The large rooms on the ground floor are given over to rotating exhibitions.
The first formal reading of the constitution of the new republic took place here on 18
July 1830.
The Old Towns eclectic architecture is evident as you walk west from the square.
The modernist Stock Exchange (built in 1936, at the corner of calles Misiones and
Rincn) contrasts with the handsome, neo-classical former headquarters of the
Montevideo Water Company (corner of Rincn and Zabala).
If you take Sarand as far as Alzaibar and turn right, youll find the attractive Plaza Zabala, with a pretty garden in the middle full of screaming pigeons. This area of the Old
Town is currently the focus of good deal of gentrification. We dont recommend that
you go any further west of this square, as the area is unsafe, despite the presence
of special tourist police. But make sure you visit the Palacio Taranco, a remarkable
mansion that occupies the whole of an (uneven) city block on Plaza Zabala.
The Palacio Taranco is the former home of a wealthy merchant who imported all
his fixtures and fittings from Europe. Built in 1908, but furnished to evoke an earlier
era (there is very little evidence of art deco in the building, for instance) the building
intrigues from the first sight of a life-sized marble flamenco dancer in the hallway. The
most impressive room is probably the dining room, with its exuberant panelling and
moldings, and tapestries depicting idealised rural scenes. The mansion is sometimes
referred to as the Museum for Decorative Arts and is open from 2.30 pm to 6 pm every
day except Monday.
A few steps away from Plaza Zabala on calle 25 de Mayo, youll find the Romantic
Museum, which contains a beautiful, quiet patio and as well as furniture and
household objects dating from the Uruguays independence (1830) until approximately
the turn of the twentieth century (opening hours: Tuesday to Friday, 12.30 pm to 6
pm; Sunday, 2 pm to 6 pm; closed Saturday, Monday). Close by on calle Zabala, the
Andalusian-syle home of General Juan Antonio Lavalleja, who led the liberating
crusade of the Thirty-Three Uruguayans, is one of the oldest buildings in the city. The
house contains documents and artifacts relating to the countrys rather convoluted
struggle for independence, plus some nice moldings and furniture. It is currently
closed for renovations.
Meat lovers will want to make a pilgrimage to Montevideos famous Port Market
(Mercado del Puerto), across a busy dual carriageway from the waterfront and about
ten minutes walk from Plaza Zabala. The cast-iron Victorian structure was forged in
Liverpool and was, so the story goes, originally destined for a buyer in Chile. The
restaurants inside the Port Market are open at lunchtime; only a small number with access from the street outside open in the evening. The Mercado del Puerto is thronged
at Sunday lunchtime and on any day a large cruise ship is in port. There many
souvenir shops in the vicinity, but avoid changing money here, as the rates are poor.
While a visit is a must, it has to be said that the service in some of the restaurants has
become a little charmless as the number of overseas visitors has risen. You should
take caution in this area at night.
as now, the calorie-rich pizza slice.
The renovated neo classical Cathedral faces the Cabildo and is the venue for many
of the citys society weddings. On the same side of the square youll find the Gurvich
Museum, which contains a small collection of paintings, ceramics and wood carvings
by Jos Gurvich, one of Uruguays leading constructivist artists. Gurvich, who could
turn his hand to most anything, would no doubt have become better known internationally had he not died at the age of 47 (opening hours: Monday to Friday, 10 am to 6
pm; Saturday, 11 am to 3 pm; closed on Sundays). Another building to look out for is
the Club Uruguay, on the south side of the square, with its gorgeous, partly baroque,
faade. Meanwhile, Plaza Matriz has two fine antiquarian bookshops in its environs.
Factfile:
You can check out the menu at Francis at www.francis.com.uy. Colinas
de Garzn olive oil is available in the duty free shop at Carrasco international airport (US$7 for a small bottle) among other locations.
10
Bus: You can get to Punta del Este by bus from Montevideos Tres Cruces bus terminal. There are departures every
15 minutes during the day in season. The bus terminal in Punta is next to the ocean and across the road from the
Monument to the Drowned, a sculpture of five fingers partly submerged in the sand by Chilean artist Mario Irarrzabal.
Plane: There are direct flights from the Aeroparque airport in Buenos Aires. There are no regular flights from Montevideo.
Car: Allow 90 minutes from Montevideo by car outside peak times. There are two stretches of toll motorway; cars are
charge $90 in all for the journey. For a scenic alternative to the motorway you can take Route 12 through the hills to
Minas and from there connect to Route 8 to Montevideo. Access to Route 12 is well signposted at a large roundabout
just beyond Punta Ballena as you exit Punta del Este.
Outlying districts
Carrasco, at the eastern end of the city,
has little to see as such but is perfect for a
stroll along the beach, which is usually quite
empty. The dilapidated hulk of the Casino
de Carrasco is slated to become a Sofitel.
There are some good dining options but if
you are based in Punta Carretas or Pocitos
there is no reason to make the trek out this
far for dinner. The Rambla hugs the coast
from the Centre all the way to Carrasco,
passing the marina at Buceo and the
crowded beaches at Malvin (take care of
your belongings if you visit on a busy day).
Between Buceo and Malvin, the building next to the water with what appears to be a
minaret on its roof is a small naval museum. Meanwhile, the grassy bank below the
west-facing row of houses at the Playa de los Ingleses in the Punta Gorda district,
close to Carrasco, is a wonderful place to watch the fiery Uruguayan sunset.
The Rambla continues past the departmental line in Canelones, although most traffic
takes the faster Ruta Interbalnearia. Solymar and El Pinar have pleasant beaches
and are good for walking, kite flying and swimming.
The Prado neighbourhood north of the downtown is a curious mix of grand old homes
and poorer sections, plus the occasional shantytown. Take Avenida Milln north to the
Juan Manuel Blanes museum, a gorgeous residence partly given over to the work of
(and named for) a nineteenth-century artist whose paintings show a marked dramatic
realism. The museum is pleasant, but the surrounding Japanese garden is simply
delightful. The Prado, attractive oasis of greenery that it is, is only unmissable during
the gaucho fair at Easter, when a thoroughly enjoyable rodeo competition in the local
showground attracts riders from all over the country. A pleasant agricultural show is
held in the same location every September.
The Cerro faces the Old Town across Montevideo harbour. The hill (cerro) is
the highest point in the city and there is a fine view from the fort on the summit.
Completed in 1811 and ringed by old cannons, it was the last military structure built by
colonial Spain in the country. It is also the only one that has survived intact. There is
a small military museum inside the fort but most people come for the view. Note that
you will need a taxi to take you to the summit of the Cerro as there is no convenient
public transport.
Wine country: On the border of Montevideo and Canelones departments there
is a flourishing wine industry. Many of the boutique vineyards offer tours and wine
tastings to visitors. Food (cheese, ham, empanadas, sometimes barbecued meat and
sausages) is often part of the package. Particularly recommended are:
Bodegas Carrau: Very friendly and informative; they have a small vineyard at their
winery just within the city limits. They also grow grapes in Canelones and in the
sandy soils of Rivera, in the far north of the country. A traditional winery with a long
and distinguished history of producing Tannat, Uruguays signature varietal. www.
bodegascarrau.com; tel. 320 0238
Crowd pleaser: Colonia del Sacramento is an easy day trip from Montevideo or
Buenos Aires; as a result it can be packed during the day at weekends. It comes
into its own, though, on a summer night when its antique street lamps illuminate
cobbled alleyways and quiet squares. Not a lot has happened here since the Portuguese founded the town in 1680 as a rival to Buenos Aires. Streets like the quaint
Calle de los Suspiros, with its row of colonial cottages, are a total contrast with
the Argentine capital just an hour away. Find time to visit the Portuguese Museum
which has an excellent collection of colonial furniture. But the biggest pleasure is
just to stroll through the narrow streets; shopping for crafts is also good here. The
town has generally high levels of accommodation and dining options. One of the
longest established hotels is the pleasant El Mirador, some six blocks from the
port; www.hotelelmirador.com. The best hotel in western Uruguay is undoubtedly
the Four Seasons resort at Carmelo, some 45 minutes drive from Colonia (www.
fourseasons.com/carmelo).
Off the beaten track: Near to the point where the Ro Negro meets the Ro
Uruguay, Villa Soriano is the countrys oldest European settlement, dating back to
1624. Little more than a village, some 1200 people call Villa Soriano home; many of
these earn a living from fishing. There is little to do here other than to stroll around
the quiet streets, visit the old colonial church, one of the first built in Uruguay, and
walk along the pleasant wooden jetty. In summer, the loudest sound may be the
chirping of crickets. Villa Soriano is connected by local bus to the regional centre of
Mercedes, 45 km away.
Something wild: Quebrada de los Cuervos. Near the town of Treinta y Tres, this
is a canyon surrounded by dense forest, 12 km long and over 100 metres deep
in places. Subtropical plants prosper in microclimate at the bottom of the gorge.
Check out Expedicin Uruguays 2-day camping trip (www.expedicionuruguay.com).
For arts sake: San Gregorio de Polanco in the department of Tacuaremb is
a resort with a difference. On the northern bank of the Rincn del Bonete (manmade) lake and surrounded by copses of pine trees, you have the choice between
swimming from its pleasant beaches or admiring the murals painted in 1993 on
many of the towns buildings by artists from the countrys Fine Arts Academy,
among others. Some have deteriorated but the effect is still bold and unusual.
Perhaps fortunately, tourism in the town has subsided somewhat from its rather
frenetic peak in the mid 1990s.
Back at the ranch: short breaks on Uruguays estancias (cattle ranches) give
a glimpse of the traditions of rural life. It is usually possible to borrow a horse to
explore the property with one of the ranch hands. Expect to eat a lot of barbecued
meat. Generally, these are good options for families. Note that many estancias
(such as the partly colonial San Pedro de Timote in the department of Florida, 160
km from Montevideo, www.sanpedrodetimote.com) are run essentially as country
house hotels. You can obtain a leaflet with a full list of options from the tourist
information office in Montevideo or check out www.uruguaynatural.com.
Water world: Uruguay lies on massive reserves of water. The same water table
that produces Salus, Nativa and other local brands of mineral water is also responsible for the thermal springs (termas) in the departments of Paysand and Salto.
Water temperatures typically range from 34C to 46C. There are six main commercial thermal springs and the offer is similar at each one: hotel and often camping
facilities, outdoor and indoor pools, all set in green parkland. At the Termas de Salto
Grande, the Hotel Horacio Quiroga has 80 pleasant guest rooms and 3 thermal
swimming pools for the exclusive use of residents (www.hotelhoracioquiroga.com).
A note about this feature: Background for the story of Jos Surez and the Marquis
de Malherbe is drawn from El Norte profundo, an account of a drive across northern
Uruguay by Argentine writer Carlos Mara Domnguez, published by Ediciones de la
Banda Oriental (2004). Its highly recommended if you read Spanish.
Montevideo: Restaurants
Introduction
Although not as varied as the offer in Buenos Aires, Montevideos dining scene has
diversified and improved greatly in recent years. Best deals are at lunchtime (usually 1 pm onwards). Almost all restaurants offer a set lunch, often including a glass of
wine and cover charge. Uruguayans dine late, almost never before 9 pm and often
not before 10 pm, and still later in the summer months.
Service is generally not included. It is usual to leave 10%, although some Uruguayans leave as little as 5% in simpler eating places. Note that if you pay for food and
drink in a restaurant using a credit or debit card issued outside Uruguay, you will be
refunded 9% of the bill. This will be visible on your statement as a credit.
Uruguay has excellent sparkling mineral water. Salus is a recommended brand. It is
unheard of to order tap water in a restaurant.
Restaurant Reviews
Rara Avis, in the Teatro Sols building, Old Town
Feel like being serenaded by an opera singer moving from table to table while you
eat your main course? (Nessum dorma since you ask.) Or eating desert to the
accompaniment of cool jazz numbers played by a pianist on an elevated stage?
Then Rara Avis is for you. The restaurant opened in March 2009 and has already
hosted Mercosur presidents for 2010 it is the winner of our Most Innovative Dining
Experience award. The wine list is excellent and varied and the menu caters both to
traditional tastes (king prawns, Patagonian lamb) and also the vaguely outlandish
(sweetbread and marrow bone risotto). Expect to pay around US$70 80 per head
when eating la carte in the main dining area a cavernous space that is cleverly
illuminated to make it appear intimate more if you choose a stand-out wine. Midday
fixed-price menus in the downstairs bar area are a steal at US$15 20, including a
drink. Closed Sundays and Saturday lunchtime. Reservations recommended. www.
raraavis.com.uy; tel. 915 0330
La Cavia, calle 26 de Marzo corner Cavia, Pocitos
One of a slew of neighbourhood parrilladas (steakhouses) in well-heeled Pocitos a
district of apartment dwellers who have limited possibilities of firing up a barbecue at
home. Well executed and a notch above some of the others in the district (such as
the nearby La Otra). Excellent tournedos with pumpkin mash; great fries; many barbecued meat and chicken options at US$10 12 for a main course. A pretty curved
bar and art deco lighting are easy on the eye. La Cavia offers a set-price lunch weekdays. A million miles away from the tourist frenzy of the Port Market, this is a place
hardly frequented by foreigners, except the staff of a couple of nearby embassies.
Family-friendly and ideal for a long Sunday lunch. A couple of blocks from Cakes
caf on calle Ellauri if you have room for a sugary dessert. Tel. 706 8253
Surprisingly, at the end of the nineteenth century there are records of female
Uruguayan drummers. According to historian Oscar Padrn Favre, 14 out of 34 comCandombe drums are struck with either both hands or one hand and a stick, and
parsas (groups of drummers and dancers)
performances can last up to two or
in 1870 were women-only. At the time, they
three hours. The women knew that
generally appeared at family gatherings and
it was never going to be possible to
masked balls. Newspaper reports from the
You can find out more about La Melaza and their plans for International Womens
match the unrelenting power of some
inland city of Durazno in 1889 tell of a female
Day on 8 March plus details of appearances around the country via the
of the mens groups. Instead, La
group, the Negras Orientales, which would
groups website: www.lamelaza.com. You can see the group in the Parque Rod
Melaza alternate explosive sections
perform in white and sky-blue dress. So why
neighbourhood every Sunday starting on calle Blanes street at around 7 pm (the
with calmer periods allowing them to
did women in Uruguay stop drumming? The
route takes them to calle San Salvador). Just follow the sound of drums. On the
rest a little.
history books give us no convincing answers.
last Sunday of each month La Melaza encourages male drummers to join them.
Factfile:
12
Montevideo: Restaurants
Fellini Ristobaretto, calle Mart corner Benito Blanco, Pocitos
While the best traditional Italian pizza in Montevideo is probably at Don Ciccio (calle
Bonpland corner Williman, Punta Carretas. Tel. 710 5151), Fellini serves good pizzas
and pasta and has the advantage of being a block from the Rambla in Pocitos. Busy
and very popular meeting spot for groups of friends of all ages, including Englishspeaking expats. When its full, Fellini can feel rather cramped. Easy to eat well for
US$20. Short dessert menu but there is a pleasant ice cream shop diagonally opposite. One of a number of places in Montevideo that keeps up the tradition of serving
gnocchi on the 29th of each month. Often has live music at Sunday lunchtime, plus
regular cooking demonstrations and literary evenings. Closed on Sunday evening,
otherwise open for lunch and dinner every day. Tel. 706 9252.
La Corte, Plaza Matriz, Old Town
Excellent option in the heart of the Ciudad Vieja and the perfect antidote to the pushy
service found at several of the Mercado del Puerto eateries. This side of the Plaza
Matriz is slowly giving itself over to fast food outlets and tourist tat, so we can be
thankful that under the stewardship of Marcelo Angres, La Corte is offering quality at
a fair price at lunchtime (try the filling steak with fried onions and mozzarella cheese
topping) and a more refined menu at night. President Bush dined here during his 2007
state visit. Well-prepared sauces accompany many fish and meat dishes. Excellent
and sometimes extravagantly presented desserts. Unusually for Uruguay, La Cortes
menu flags a number of low-calorie dishes. Recommended. www.lacorte.com.uy; tel.
916 0435
A Happy Country
We think Uruguay is getting plenty of things right
in an 8-hour working day and other labour rights, women were now able to initiate
divorce proceedings, the influence of the Roman Catholic Church was reduced, and
the death penalty was abolished.
UruguayNow is optimistic about todays Uruguay because at the risk of gross
generalization the country displays an inherent sense of reasonableness and
a respect for the rule of law. The new tax code is far from perfect and the state
payroll is still bloated, but this is a good country to do business in so good that the
economy grew by 2.5% in 2009 while the world was mired in recession. The previous
year Uruguay managed to export more meat than mighty Argentina (thanks, it must
be said, to its neighbours idiosyncratic economic policy). The country would do even
better if more Uruguayans could be encouraged to set up their own businesses.
Meanwhile violent crime, though less rare than in the past, is still relatively uncommon. No metal detectors stand at the entrance of secondary schools. Private cars
are not kitted out with bullet-proof windows.
On bad mornings, Nobel-laureate and newspaper columnist Paul Krugman remarked recently, I wake up and think we are turning into a Latin American country.
Dr Kruger was talking about inequality and social mobility, but its our guess that
Uruguay wasnt at the top of his mind when he appeared on an American talkshow
and made that now much reported comment.
Uruguay certainly shares a history of unequal income distribution with other Latin
American countries. According to the World Bank, the richest one-tenth of the population in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) earn 48 percent of total income,
while the poorest one-tenth earn only 1.6 percent. Inequality in the least unequal
LAC country Uruguay is higher than that of the most unequal country in Eastern
Europe and the industrialized countries, the Bank found.
But can the case be made that structural problems are being met with practical
solutions? According to research from the University of Montevideo, the Uruguayan
government increased the minimum wage by 56% in real terms over the period 1998
2007. Since the presidential elections that brought the left-leaning Frente Amplio
party to power in 2004 (for the first time in Uruguays history) the tax code has been
reformed, a comprehensive system of cash payments to poor families has been
rolled out, and every child in state education has the right to a laptop.
Uruguay was the first country in the world to implement a one laptop per child
scheme, which according to the BBC cost US$260 per pupil. Thanks to the initiative,
many children particularly those in rural areas gained access to computers and
the internet for the first time.
None of this has prevented the appearance of high fences and electric gates in
middle-class districts of Montevideo. Rubbish collectors riding horses and carts still
rummage through the citys dustbins while BMWs and SUVs speed by. Montevideos
northern suburbs contain shanty towns with inadequate facilities. Uruguay has
received a hugely favourable international press in recent years (your correspondent
was responsible for some of it) but anyone flying south with the intention of putting
down roots should be aware that though the country may offer heavenly beaches,
life remains a struggle for many folk.
Perhaps a little surprisingly, Uruguay introduced a very early version of a progressive, modern state at the start of the twentieth century. Surprisingly, because this followed hard on the heels of a period of bloody civil war between the supporters (and
their foreign allies) of Uruguays two traditional political parties: the Colorados and
the Blancos. Known as the Guerra Grande, this was essentially a long and hugely
destructive squabble between the countrys leading families (think the English Wars
of the Roses rather that the American Civil War). It left the country looking for a new
direction. This was provided by Colorado president Jos Batlle y Ordez, who took
advantage of the countrys growing prosperity to institute major reforms: he ushered
In Uruguay, almost all bars serve food, so the distinction between restaurant and bar
is less clear than in some other countries.
Many locals in Montevideo eat their breakfast in a caf, often a croissant (medialuna)
which is generally served filled with ham and cheese. A coffee with frothed milk on
top is a cortado.
When pizzas are served in cafes, they are usually thick-crust pizza slices freshly
baked in a charcoal oven. Pizza has a tomato topping but no cheese; muzarella is a
cheese pizza with the only fainest smear of tomato. Fain, meanwhile, is a cornmeal/
chickpea crust baked in the pizza oven and served with pepper. Its something of an
acquired taste. Oddly enough, round pizzas are called pizzetas in Uruguay.
Cafes usually serve a large selection of desserts generally displayed in brightly-lit
cabinets. These are usually not prepared on the premises.
Try a chivito, the Uruguayan take on the humble steak sandwich and a caf classic.
Order it canadiense (Canadian) and it will arrive piled high with a topping of bacon,
fried egg, grilled peppers, lettuce and tomato.
While we dont particularly recommend any of the pubs just below the World Trade
Centre in Pocitos, we do include one here for the sake of comparison (Barba Roja).
What we left out: The beautiful Caf Brasilero in the Old Town which is closed at the
time of writing; the Baar Fun Fun in a quiet section at the edge of the Old Town (and
a great latenight option if you want to hear tango music, but the area is sadly unsafe
at night); and the famous and venerable El Hacha a few blocks from the Mercado del
Puerto (we prefer Rolds).
Market forces
Dont miss Montevideos wonderful Tristn Narvaja street
market
14
Only partly regulated, the market sprawls for five or six blocks along calle Paysand
and neighbouring streets, away from the booksellers. Here there are no stalls, just
sheets laid out on the pavement, their corners pinned down with stones. One man is
selling a 1970s cream-coloured dial-up phone and a box of old keys of different sizes.
Nothing else. Another is rather despondently hawking a box of porn and some aprons
and tea towels.
At the fringes, sounds drift in and out. Teams of traditional candombe drummers beat
out a ferocious rhythm, collecting coins in a plastic cup as they drift down calle Tristrn
Narvaja, the spine of the market (this is traditional carnival music but they are here
in all seasons). A knot of street singers pumps out ballads, holed up in a busy spot
next to a van selling hot dogs and hamburgers. The market has always attracted
musicians, says Mr de Sosa. Youngsters come here to try out. It helps them beat
their stage fright.
The section of the market given over to antiques is the part most visited by tourists:
silverware from a time when Uruguayans had the resources to import massively;
faux-Oriental vases; coins from all over the globe. And what is the human version of
a traffic jam? Well, there is one of those when a family with a stroller tries to navigate
through the roots of a sycamore tree that have broken free of the paving. The wheels
get stuck next to a stall selling T-shirts with MVD across the front. Others say: La feria
de Tristn Narvaja. It is late spring and the T-shirt seller is doing a brisk trade.
Not a huge change, maybe, but a sign of the times nonetheless.
Factfile:
Tristn Narvaja street market operates every Sunday from early in the morning to
about 2 pm. Calle Tristn Narvaja is perpendicular to Avenida 18 de Julio and very
close to the main University building.
Montevideo: Hotels
Introduction
Our selection of Montevideos best accommodation options includes a number of
recommendations in the Centre, and also in the beachside districts of Punta Carretas
and Pocitos where properties are often more modern.
Note that some budget options in the Centre are noisy and may not be well maintained. Heating can be insufficient in budget hotels in the winter in Uruguay as a
whole.
For chain hotels, in Uruguay as elsewhere, the internet booking systems of each
brand are likely to give you competitive rates, particularly if you book well in advance.
Foreigners are not charged VAT (sales tax) on hotel stays in Uruguay.
Please note that the prices given here are approximate rates for two people staying
midweek. They are based on information provided either directly by the hotel or via
their websites. Note that internet brokers may also offer discounted rates and that
cheaper weekend and other special deals may be available.
Hotel Reviews
Radisson, Plaza Independencia, Old Town
European-style hotel that makes a distinction between concierge and front desk. Its
restaurant has panoramic views of the port and is doubtless the best hotel restaurant
in town. Good meeting facilities that are only bettered by the Sheraton; nice pool.
Guest rooms a little dark. The building is an eyesore but this is hardly a worry if youre
inside it. A very professional operation to be sure, but many business travellers will
prefer to be based in Punta Carretas a more salubrious district altogether. Room
rates start at US$170. www.radisson.com; tel. 902 0111
Sheraton, calle Solino (next to Punta Carretas Shopping), Punta Carretas
Our award for Best Hotel in Montevideo for 2010 goes to the Sheraton. Has the
advantage of location over the Radisson, and while its restaurant isnt in the same
league as that of its main rival, its guest rooms are brighter. The views from the gym
over the River Plate are amazing. No concierge youll have to wait in line at front
desk if you want a table booked in a local restaurant (most of the fine dining options in
Punta Carretas are but a short walk away). Offers a good brunch on Sundays (US$27
per head) A popular place to hold meetings and seminars. Rooms: US$185 US$285.
www.starwoodhotels.com; tel. 710 2121
Holiday Inn, calle Colonia corner Andes, Centre
Our pick of the city centre options if youre looking for four star lodgings. Nice pool
with a view (but creaking gym equipment), friendly, popular with Brazilian tourists,
good breakfast, well managed. Nice feel to the place all round. Good deals available
via the HI brands main internet booking system. Published room rates start at US$98.
Whats not to like? www.holidayinn.com.br; tel. 902 0001
Regency Golf, calle Solano Garca corner Ellauri, Punta Carretas
Our choice for Best-Value Hotel in Montevideo for 2010. This boutique hotel opened
its doors in March of last year and has already secured a loyal following. 65 rooms, all
beautifully designed and all with kitchenette, plasma TVs, parquet floors throughout.
Small gym and sauna, but the Rambla is on your doorstep if you feel like getting some
exercise. Nice, bright breakfast room. Full access for wheelchair users. Free parking.
Rooms US$110 and up. www.regencygolf.com.uy; tel. 710 4444
Sol Meli (former Tryp Hotel), calle Miranda corner Bulevar Artigas, Punta
Carretas
Sometimes referred to as the Sol Meli, sometimes the Tryp (even in the hotels own
literature). But not to worry, because the service is spot on, as is the food. Light, airy
Mediterranean feel to the lobby; guest rooms kitted out in a similar style to Meli properties the world over. Overlooks the city golf gourse. Free parking. Recommended.
Room rates start at US$120. www.solmelia.com; tel. 710 3800
Regency Suites, calle Otero corner Arocena, Carrasco
In the heart of Carrasco and convenient for the airport. Like an English country house
hotel. This 4-star property has 30 very comfortable suites all with kitchenettes. Common areas are beautifully maintained and have comfy chesterfield sofas if you feel like
taking the weight off your feet. The hotel makes good use of its space in a relatively
small plot; nice deck with a pool in an urban garden at the rear. Great choice for business people in town with their families; good choice for anyone seeking peace and
quiet. Rates: US$145. www.regencysuites.com.br; tel. 600 1383
Bremen Aparthotel, calle Aquiles Lanza corner Maldonado, Centre
One of a kind. German-owned operation offers small to medium sized self-contained
apartments that cost from US$45 (for one person) to US$110 (for five people) per
night. Wealth of early twentieth-century detailing inside and out. Cable TV; internet access. Some units may be a little noisy. A bit distant from the citys better dining options
but quite the thing if you are homesick for a beer in a German Kneipe (pub) theres
one on the premises. www.bremenmontevideo.com; tel. 900 9641
Hotel Ermitage, calle Benito Blanco at Plaza Gomensoro, Pocitos
Montevideo meets Eastbourne at the Ermitage, a cozy hotel near the Rambla that
evokes a time when Pocitos was a popular seaside resort. Rooms at the front catch
the sun and have a view of the water across pretty Plaza Gomensoro. Bedrooms are
nothing special but bathrooms are very nice and have been updated. Hallways a little
faded, though. Breakfast a bit patchy. Friendly service. A double with sea view for
US$95 (rack rate) is good value. www.ermitagemontevideo.com; tel. 710 4021
16
Inner beauty
Uruguays interior is full of history, as well as a varied and
low-key charm
UruguayNow Awards
Uruguay Now.com
Awards
Factfile:
Uruguay Now.com
First guide to Uruguay in English.
www.uruguaynow.com