Uruguay

At A glance

Capital City: Montevideo

Land size: 175,015 sq km

Population: 3,407,213 (2022 est.)

Official language: Spanish

Currency: Uruguayan Peso ($ / UYU)

UNESCO properties and sites:

• Fray Bentos Industrial Landscape
• Historic Quarter of the City of Colonia del Sacramento
• The work of engineer Eladio Dieste: Church of Atlántida

Source: https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/uruguay/


Uruguay's small size and relaxed atmosphere make it a perfect destination for those seeking tranquility and natural beauty. Whether you're strolling along the beach, exploring charming towns, or connecting with the warm-hearted people, Uruguay offers a unique and memorable experience.
Explore the historic streets of Montevideo, the capital city, with its colonial architecture, lively markets, and welcoming locals. Immerse yourself in the warm hospitality of the Uruguayan people, savoring traditional asados (barbecues) and sharing stories around a campfire.

Uruguay is also the perfect destination for horse riding enthusiasts, with its rolling green plains, pristine beaches, and authentic gaucho culture. Ride along the picturesque coastlines of Punta del Este and Rocha, feeling the refreshing sea breeze as you explore stretches of golden sands and crystalline waters. Canter through the rural heartland of Uruguay, traversing verdant landscapes and encountering traditional estancias where the gaucho way of life is still preserved.

 

Brief History

Montevideo, founded by the Spanish in 1726 as a military stronghold, soon became an important commercial center due to its natural harbor. Claimed by Argentina but annexed by Brazil in 1821, Uruguay declared its independence in 1825 and secured its freedom in 1828 after a three-year struggle.

A violent Marxist urban guerrilla movement named the Tupamaros (or Movimiento de Liberación Nacional-Tupamaros (MLN-T)), launched in the late 1960s and led Uruguay's president to cede control of the government to the military in 1973. By yearend, the rebels had been crushed, but the military continued to expand its hold over the government. Civilian rule was restored in 1985.

In 2004, the left-of-center Frente Amplio Coalition won national elections that effectively ended 170 years of political control previously held by the Colorado and National (Blanco) parties. The left-of-center retained the presidency and control of both chambers of congress until 2019.

Source: https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/uruguay/

 

Cultural Insights

Meat, particularly beef, is the mainstay of the diet. The national dish is the asado (barbecued meat). The parrillada (beef and entrails) is the most typical dish. It contains a varied assortment of parts, the most common being beef ribs, kidneys, salivary glands or sweetbreads ( mollejas ), small intestine ( chinchulines ) or large intestine ( tripa gorda ), and sweet blood pudding sausage ( morcilla dulce ).

Uruguayans are quite traditional and do not welcome criticism from foreigners. They also do not appreciate being confused with Paraguayans or Argentineans. Otherwise, people are friendly and easygoing.

Although tactful, people are frank and direct and maintain a close distance when speaking.

Close acquaintances of the opposite sex greet each other with one kiss on the cheek.

A national behavioral particularity is the conspicuous "following gaze" that males direct to females to indicate that they are attractive. In many cases this is accompanied by verbal expressions called piropos, which are sometimes abusive and usually are ignored.

Source: https://www.everyculture.com/To-Z/Uruguay.html

 

Transportation

By Air
The international airports of the country are served by the major airlines of the world, with regional flights from Buenos Aires, Porto Alegre, San Pablo, Río de Janeiro, Asunción, Panama, Santiago de Chile and Lima. Additionally, international flights arrive in Uruguay from the United States and Europe.

The main airports are the International Airport of Carrasco (18 kilometers from the center of Montevideo), the International Airport Laguna del Sauce in Punta del Este (Maldonado) and the airport in Colonia de Sacramento, International Airport Laguna de los Patos.

The new, International Airport of Carrasco was inaugurated in 2009 and is considered one of the most modern and attractive airports in the world.

Source: https://uruguaynatural.com/index.php/en/information

 

Money

Credit cards are widely accepted in most major towns.

Foreign cash cards can be used in most ATMs in Montevideo and Punta del Este, but there may be a charge for taking money out. It is always useful to have some cash as an alternative.

Source: https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/uruguay

 

Health

Medical care facilities in Uruguay are considered adequate and most are comparable to U.S. standards. The responsiveness of emergency, personal ambulance service is generally within U.S. standards; however there may be service delays if questions about health insurance coverage arise. Ambulances are staffed with a medical doctor, enabling advanced treatment/care en route to the local hospital.

If you need emergency medical assistance during your trip, dial 911 and ask for an ambulance. You should contact your insurance / medical assistance company promptly if you are referred to a medical facility for treatment.

Medical treatment is expensive in Uruguay. Make sure you have adequate travel health insurance and accessible funds to cover the cost of any medical treatment abroad and repatriation.

If you have a pre-existing medical condition and you regularly take prescribed medication, carry enough medication to cover the duration of your stay and a letter from your doctor describing the medical condition.

You can find most medication in pharmacies in large cities, but medicine for complex treatment may be unavailable in smaller towns. You will need a prescription from a local doctor to get prescribed medication. All medication in pharmacies, whether prescribed or not, is stored behind the counter and must be requested.

Source: https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/uruguay
https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel/International-Travel-Country-Information-Pages/Uruguay.html

 

Electricity

Uruguay operates on a 230V supply voltage and uses type C, F and L plugs.

The Type C electrical plug (or Europlug) is a two-wire plug that has two round pins. It fits into any socket that accepts 4.0 – 4.8 mm round contacts on 19 mm centres. They are being replaced by E, F, J, K or N sockets which work perfectly with Type C plugs.

The Type E electrical plug has two 4.8 mm round pins spaced 19 mm apart and a hole for the socket's male earthing pin. The Type E plug has a rounded shape and the Type E socket has a round recess. Type E plugs are rated 16 amps.
Note: The CEE 7/7 plug was developed to work with Type E and Type F sockets with a female contact (to accept the earthing pin of the Type E socket) and has earthing clips on both sides (to work with Type F sockets).

There are two variations of the Type L plug, one rated at 10 amps, and one at 16 amps. The 10 amp version has two round pins that are 4 mm thick and spaced 5.5 mm apart, with a grounding pin in the middle. The 16 amp version has two round pins that are 5 mm thick, spaced 8mm apart, as well as a grounding pin. Italy has a kind of “universal” socket that comprises a “schuko” socket for C, E, F and L plugs and a “bipasso” socket for L and C plugs.

Source: https://www.iec.ch/world-plugs

 

Communication

Time zone in Uruguay: Uruguay Standard Time (GMT-3)

International country code – 598

Uruguay has an advanced telecom market, with excellent infrastructure and one of the highest broadband penetration rates in Latin America.
Uruguay is one of the very few Latin American countries where the local fixed-line market is neither privatized nor liberalized; other segments of the telecom market have been opened to competition, including international long-distance telephony, mobile telephony, and fixed-wireless broadband.
Uruguay is also one of the few countries in the world where broadband access via cable modem does not exist.

Operators have achieved nationwide 3G coverage and the number of mobile broadband subscribers continues to grow. At the end of 2019, spectrum in the 5G-suitable range was auctioned, enabling operators to launch 5G services. (2021)

Source: https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/uruguay/


Phrasebook

English	Spanish
Hello!	Hola
Goodbye	Adiós
Good morning	Buenos días
Good evening	Buenos tardes
Good night	Buenas noches
Please	Por favor
Thank you	Gracias
Yes	Sí
No	No

Source: https://www.linguahouse.com/phrasebook/english-spanish/basic-words-and-phrases/basic-words-and-phrases

 

Entry Requirements

Under normal conditions, foreign visitors do not need to submit special paperwork to immigration. Only the current passport is necessary.
For citizens of countries bordering Uruguay, current passport or identification card are needed. For minors traveling alone, check the emigration policy on age in the country of origin, which generally requires written consent from parents. In all cases, it is recommended to consult a diplomatic representative.

Source: https://uruguaynatural.com/index.php/en/entry-requirements-and-paperwork

 

Embassies and Consulates

U.S. Embassy in Montevideo
Lauro Müller 1776
Montevideo
Phone: (+598) 1770-2000

Embassy of Canada in Montevideo
Plaza Independencia 749, oficina 102
Montevideo
Phone: (+598) 2902-2030

Source: for USA https://www.usembassy.gov/
For Canada: https://travel.gc.ca/assistance/embassies-consulates

 

UNESCO Sites

Fray Bentos Industrial Landscape
Located on land projecting into the Uruguay River west of the town of Fray Bentos, the industrial complex was built following the development of a factory founded in 1859 to process meat produced on the vast prairies nearby. The site illustrates the whole process of meat sourcing, processing, packing and dispatching. It includes buildings and equipment of the Liebig Extract of Meat Company, which exported meat extract and corned-beef to the European market from 1865 and the Anglo Meat Packing Plant, which exported frozen meat from 1924. Through its physical location, industrial and residential buildings as well as social institutions, the site presents an illustration of the entire process of meat production on a global scale.

Historic Quarter of the City of Colonia del Sacramento
Founded by the Portuguese in 1680 on the Río de la Plata, the city was of strategic importance in resisting the Spanish. After being disputed for a century, it was finally lost by its founders. The well-preserved urban landscape illustrates the successful fusion of the Portuguese, Spanish and post-colonial styles.

The work of engineer Eladio Dieste: Church of Atlántida
The Church of Atlántida with its belfry and underground baptistery is located in Estación Atlántida, 45 km away from Montevideo. Inspired by Italian paleo-Christian and medieval religious architecture, the modernistic Church complex, inaugurated in 1960, represents a novel utilization of exposed and reinforced brick. Built on rectangular plan of one single hall, the church features distinctive undulating walls supporting a similarly undulating roof, composed of a sequence of reinforced brick Gaussian vaults developed by Eladio Dieste (1917-2000). The cylindrical bell-tower, built in openwork exposed brick masonry, rises from the ground to the right of the main church facade, while the underground baptistery is located on the left side of the parvis, accessible from a triangular prismatic entrance and illuminated via a central oculus. The Church provides an eminent example of the remarkable formal and spatial achievements of modern architecture in Latin America during the second part of the 20th century, embodying the search for social equality with a spare use of resources, meeting structural imperatives to great aesthetic effect.

Source: https://whc.unesco.org/en/statesparties/uy