Uruguay Crash Course

Uruguay, or officially known as the Oriental Republic of Uruguay or the Eastern Republic of Uruguay, is a nation located on the Atlantic Ocean in the southeastern part of South America. It has a total population of 3.5 million people, about half live in Montevideo and its surrounding metropolitan area. It is bordered by Brazil to the northeast, the Uruguay River to the west, the estuary of the Río de la Plata (River of Silver), and in English it is the Plate River to the southwest, with Argentina on the other bank of both bodies of water, and finally the southern Atlantic Ocean is to the southeast. Uruguay is the second smallest independent country in South America, larger only than Suriname and French Guiana (which is an overseas department of France, lucky them!). According to Transparency International, Uruguay is the second least corrupt country in Latin America (after Chile). Uruguay's political and labor conditions are among the freest on the continent. It is a wholesome country to visit with a strong middle-class contingent, beautiful beaches, an exciting cattle country interior, interesting historical villages throughout, and a modern capital, Montevideo.

Uruguayan history

The first people to inhabit present day Uruguay were the Charrúa Indians, who lived on hunting and gathering in this semi-arid landscape. They either had great intuition, or were just a rough crowd, but in 1516 they slaughtered the first European explorers they saw, Juan Diaz de Solís and all of his crew. The only person to survive was a fourteen year old cabin boy, Francisco del Puerto, because the natives would not kill children and the elderly. Years later, the now man, who was raised by the Charrua met the next Europeans when waving frantically from shore. He went back to Europe but disheartened, returned to Uruguay to live the rest of his life.

Once again the materialistic values of the Europeans eventually took precedent, and by the 1600s the indigenous people started trade with the whiteman.

The Río de la Plata (Silver River) is the estuary formed by the combination of the Uruguay River and the Paraná River. It is a funnel-shaped indentation on the southeastern coastline of South America, extending 290 km (180 miles) from the rivers' confluence to the Atlantic Ocean.

Where the rivers join, it is 48 km (30 miles) wide, and it runs to the southeast growing to 220 km (136 miles) wide where it opens on the Atlantic Ocean, making it the widest river in the world. It forms part of the border between Argentina and Uruguay, with the major ports and capital cities of Buenos Aires in the southwest and Montevideo in the northeast. Martín García Island, off the coast of Uruguay, is under Argentine sovereignty.

The basin drained by the main tributaries of the Río de la Plata (the Uruguay and Paraná, and the important Paraná tributary, the Paraguay) covers approximately one fifth of South America, including area in southeastern Bolivia, southern and central Brazil, the entire nation of Paraguay, most of Uruguay and northern Argentina. An estimated 57 million cubic metres (2 billion cubic feet) of silt is carried into the estuary each year, where the muddy waters are stirred up by winds and the tides. Today the shipping route from the Atlantic to Buenos Aires is kept open by constant dredging.

The area was visited by Francis Drake's fleet in early 1578, in the early stages of his circumnavigation. The first European colony was the city of Buenos Aires, founded by Pedro de Mendoza on 2 February 1536, abandoned and founded again by Juan de Garay on 11 June 1580.

To counterbalance Spain's building of Buenos Aires, the Portuguese put in Colonia on the shore of the Rio de la Plata opposite Buenos Aires in 1680. Spain then constructed a citadel where present day Montevideo stands. Though José Artigas, a Uruguayan folk hero successfully defended the territory against Spain, the Brazilians moved in to the Banda, the east side of the Rio de la Plata. Artigas summoned up the 'thirty three Orientals' (Oriental meaning eastern, hence the Far East), who, with the support of Argentina liberated the Banda in 1828 establishing Uruguay as a type of independent neutral land between Brazil and Argentina. Independence was constantly opposed militarily by both Argentina and Brazil during the 1800's, and by Great Britain economically. Two political parties arose, and underhanded political tactics prevailed, dictatorships, and civil war. During this time, meat, wool and the railway industries were introduced by Britain. The boney criollo cattle were replaced by better, more meat producing breeds.

In the early 1900s, a visionary and socialist president José Batlle made Uruguay the first welfare state in the Americas, including comprehensive social services, the abolition of capital punishment, and the end to rule by force. Immediately the cattle industry financed much of the improvements, but because of the country's essential lack of tangible resources, it was doomed to a slow and painful failure. Up to the 1960s, monopolies and state endorsed enterprizes were out of kilter and full of corruption. A dictatorship ensued, and the whole country was in turmoil by 1967 with an urban guerrilla force, the Tupamaros, set to take the limelight.

They dissolved congress in 1971 as the military was allowed to take part in governing, as the Tupamaros faded away. With the military constantly interfering with good government until 1984, Julio María Sanguinetti took over as president. He had good intensions to return Uruguay to a democratic state, and political amnesties were given, but with no real ideas how to reform the economy, he lost in 1990 to free market enthusiast Luis Alberto Lacalle. Lacalle went overboard with wage and price controls, lack of social security spending and sell offs of the major state industries, so Sanguinetti in 1994 took control again.

For the next eight years things went back and forth, Uruguay participated in MERCOSUR, reforms were underway, people became aware of the necessity for education, and health care security, and governments ran on such platforms. The economy grew at a fair rate, but low commodity prices dipped the economy into a recession from 1999 to 2002.

Batlle's started a five year term in 2002, but only survived two years because he was bowled over with a recession based on the devaluation of the Brazilian real, aftosa (foot and mouth) disease in the cattle industry, and the economic collapse in Argentina. The Uruguayan peso devalued, real unemployment reached twenty percent and forty percent of the nation fell below the poverty line.

Fear of the free market economy, privatizing the state petrolium industry and water company, drove Uruguayans to the polls to elect a new president, Tabaré Vázquez in 2004. His government has pledged to continue paying down foreign debt, while boosting the job situation to attack poverty.

The culture

For such a tiny country, Uruguayans very much appreciate the arts, from artists like Pedro Figari who painted country scenes, to writer José Enrique Rodó. They love the theater, especially plays Mauricio Rosencof, one of the founders of the Tupamaros who the military tortured in the 1970s. There are many dance and music traditions polkas, folk songs, waltzes, and of course the tango which were derived in Europe and became hybrids. Regarding sports, soccer is the national addiction. Catholicism is almost universal, however, there is a definite separation of church and state. There are also a few Jewish people in Montevideo, many different protestant groups and even the Unification Church founded by Sun Myung Moon has taken root.

Real Estate

In the last 20 years, Uruguay´s real estate market has been linked to what goes on in the neighboring country of Argentina, and to a lesser degree, Brazil.

In 1998, all three countries seemed to enjoy a certain bonanza, and this year marked the highest values in real estate for 10 years, both in Argentina and Uruguay. The Mexican financial crisis, followed by the Brazilian devaluation of the currency caused both the Uruguayan and Argentine real estate markets to start a losing trend in its pricing in most areas. By the end of 2001, the situation in Argentina reached its climax, and in early 2002, devaluation followed. But the market, prior to devaluation, had already lost about 20-25% of 1998 values. This held true for the Uruguayan market as well.

When Argentina devalued its currency and defaulted on its debt, this had a strong impact on the Uruguayan economy and real estate market, and property lost a further 10-20$, with these losses being more noticeable in all Uruguayan markets heavily dependent in Argentina, such as the Punta del Este area.

The Uruguayan currency also devalued, but not as sharply as its neighbor, and Uruguay still kept its commitments. A lower priced currency, meant lower cost of living and an attractive environment for foreign investment, both for production, in the farming sectors and in the tourism sectors.

In the farming sector, property had lost about 50% of its value by 2002, when compared to 1998, but it since recovered, and it is now worth about 30-40% over the predevaluation prices.

The higher end areas of Montevideo, such as beach front units in Pocitos, are almost back to predevaluation prices, and these are 95% of what they were back then.

Punta del Este is also enjoying a construction boom, and most property has recovered over time and is now offered at 1998 values.

When one analyzes all the variables, real estate values in Montevideo and most of Uruguay are a fantastic value compared to most other latin American cities as well as to anybody coming from abroad. Uruguay has already been discovered by Europeans, who each summer flock to enjoy the summer when their country of residence becomes too cold.

Montevideo´s Real Estate Market

Montevideo has the River Plate bordering it on its western side, so there are various neighborhoods that have a fantastic view on to the water. There are over 10 beautiful beaches within the city, and these get very crowded between November and end of March, since Montevideans enjoy them fully. Although technically the River Plate continues a few miles towards the east, Montevideans address the River Plate as the Ocean, since many days the water is salty and more blue than brown.

The Old Town

Starting from the port area, the first neighborhood one finds is the Old Town. The majority of the buildings are colonial or French style, with very few modern buildings. The government is working hard towards the promotion of this area, since after many years of splendor, it turned mostly into an office centre, with little or no life after 8pm. The edges of the Old Town was densely populated and a bit dangerous, and many buildings was used to provide questionable services to the sailors that dock nearby.

Nowadays, some streets have been turned into pedestrian areas, and in the last 3-5 years, many restaurants have established themselves, together with the Port Market, and this started the revaluation of properties. At the same time, some professionals, mostly from the arts and design background, chose to establish themselves, not only to work, but also to live, so one sees very active refurbishing and improving of the old buildings. The main areas, close to Plaza Zabala and Plaza Matriz, and the pedestrian streets, such as Sarandi, are already very attractive both for living and dining.

Example pricing

This area of Montevideo has the best potencial for capital appreciation. Prices range between 50 and 80 US$/sqft, although, one may go up to 100 US$/sqft if the property has already been totally refurbished. Some listings worth mentioning were: • A 850 sqft, 2 bedroom, 1 full bathroom apartment, overlooking Plaza Zabala, with incredible views. The French style building is totally refurbished from the outside, and the apartment only needs some paint. Asking price: 75000 US$ • A 400 sqft, 2 small bedroom, 1 full bathroom apartment in 25 de Mayo corner with Perez Castellanos. The inner court, where one takes the stairs to go to the first floor, is charming, with lots of plants. The apartment is very bright, and located 3 blocks away from the Port Market. Asking price: 29,500 US$. Needs some painting.

One note of caution: Bringing back the old splendor to a French Style or Colonial property can be a bit pricey, so beware of properties that are totally falling apart!

Rental returns in this area are only now starting to increase, (about 5%/annum) since Uruguayans do not regard Ciudad Vieja as the best place to live, but this is quickly changing as more an more young professionals choose to live close to where they work, and enjoy the various restaurants, cafes and arts stores.

Next neighborhoods moving through the Rambla (coastal road) towards Punta del Este in Eastern direction):

Next to Ciudad Vieja you will find the Downtown area (Zona Centro). There is a mixture of styles here, and one can find very attractive Colonial and French Style buildings next to a very unattractive apartment building. This is the reason one should actually see the property because the surrounding buildings may greatly decrease the value of the property. Values in the downtown area range between 40 and 70 US$/sqft. There are not many Ocean view properties available in these two areas.

Moving along the Rambla, one starts getting into the more affluent areas in Montevideo. The first such area would be Punta Carretas, where the Golf Club is located, and properties here, on the Rambla, with fantastic ocean view go for between 130 and 170 US$/sqft. One can even find the most modern buildings asking as much as 300 US$/sqft.

Following Punta Carretas, you will arrive in Pocitos. Pocitos average property values range between 130-150 US$/sqft for ocean view properties, and about 30% less for properties a couple of blocks away from the beach and the ocean.

Buceo follows, and has a very attractive port, so properties here overlooking the ocean have a very nice view. Prices are similar to Pocitos.

Pocitos, Punta Carretas and Buceo are in high demand by Montevideans, both for younger crowds, professionals, and people that do not want to go out to the suburbs.

After Buceo, you will arrive in Malvín, where prices drop to about 100-120 US$/sqft for ocean view properties.

After these neighborhoods one arrives in Punta Gorda and Carrasco. Carrasco is the highest end area, with lots of trees, and open spaces, and here one definitely is in the suburbs. The Carrasco downtown centre is an attractive cluster of old English houses transformed into commercial property. The rest of Carrasco shows very few properties of 4 storeys, some newer 2 storey buildings (the building code changed about 10 years ago and the tallest building can only be 2 storeys tall now), but mostly one finds very elegant and spacious houses. This is where most corporate and diplomatic people choose to live, and where the best international schools are located.

Apartments start at 200 US$/sqft and lots go for about 30 US$/sqft. Building a new house in Montevideo costs around 70-90 US$/sqft.

Punta del Este real estate market

Punta del Este is considered the most up scale sea resort in Latin America. This fact is probably not well known world wide but this is rapidly changing as more North Americans and Europeans are discovering this exceptional market with its real estate values. In fact, Europeans such as Italian, French, Germans, have discovered it around 10 years ago, and use it to live year round in a summer environment, as they retire relatively young and in their winter commute to the properties here since we have opposite seasons. Historically the ownership make up of Punta del Este was 80% Argentines, and the balance divided amongst other Latin American countries and wealthy Uruguayans. This has shifted in the last few years to accommodate a larger influx of Europeans and Americans replacing the Argentineans that came out of this market with the 2002 crisis. It is also interesting to know that Mexican, Chileans and Central Americans tourists are increasingly discovering Punta and investing here. It is also worth mentioning that the wealthy Brazilians have been investing here in a continuous and steady manner, today owning whole neighbourhoods.

The reasons behind the trend

While the Northern Hemisphere has increased its real estate prices, to all time record levels, here it is still possible to find an excellent property both in quality and location at a substantially lower price than the international prices. One aspect that always surprises foreigners when arriving to Punta, is that they expect to see a line of waterfront buildings, a small town, and two blocks behinds these buildings poverty stricken areas. Punta is far from this, and a strong selling point. The inside of Punta, between the two seas, is full of beautiful houses, nice lawns, maintained in excellent condition all year round. Punta offers something for every taste, coastline or inland. Traditionally the families that came to Punta owned houses, but in the last decade there have been a trend towards luxury apartments. This explains the boom Punta is going through at the moment when it comes to apartment buildings.

What makes Punta different?

Travellers, who have been around, note that what makes Punta different than any other sea resort, is the level of the quality, tasteful, sizeable properties under development. A very important aspect that makes Punta del Este a chosen destination amongst the wealthy is its security. Walking the streets here poses no problems day or night. To this effect Athina Onasis once said in an interview “the only place in the world that I can walk the street without a body guard, is Punta del Este.” The season is very short but very intensive, lasting only three month, and then families go back for the school beginning. The fact that Punta is now getting a different kind of public, is slowly extending the season, as March and April are also normally beautiful months.

Price Evolution

A more international approach as brought a more demanding public and the market is responding very positively to this. Today, there are more than thirty new developments of superb quality, ready to cater to this new clientele. The value of a sq meter was U$S 1000 for many years. The value today holds through for standard construction while the newer and luxurious is in U$S2000 sq meter range and up. Houses are sold at a much lower per meter value plus the maintenance is not as expensive.

Different Areas

Punta del Este is a cluster of different neighbourhoods, each one with its own characteristics. There are Punta Ballena, Solana, Pinares, Paradas, Peninsula, San Rafael, Beverly hills Rincón del Indio, La Barra, Montoya, Manantiales, Jose Ignacio.

• Total Uruguay Real Estate
• Visit-Uruguay Real Estate
• Alquilar y Ventas de Casas
• NV Mundo Real Estate
• Realogy
• Punta for Sale
• International Living
• Property World
• Real Estate Link World

Where to go

Uruguay is the second smallest of the South American countries after Surinam, but has more tourist arrivals per capita than any other. It is bounded to the north by Brazil, to the southand east by the Atlantic, and is separated from Argentina in the southwest and west by the River Uruguay. The landscape is made up of hilly meadows broken by streams and rivers. There is a 500km (300 miles) string of fine sandy beaches on the Atlantic and the Rio de la Plata, woods, mountains, hot springs, hotels, casinos, art festivals and numerous opportunities for sport and entertainment. Montevideo, the capital, is the country's natural trading centre. There are nine major bathing beaches, the best of which are Playas and Miramar. The Atlantic coast resorts are popular from December to April, and have fine beaches. Theatre, ballet and symphonic concerts are staged in Montevideo from March to January.

Montevideo is really the only big city in Uruguay, as it sprawls beside the Río de la Plata. Montevideo has an ambiance of European styling and decore. Most people are either drawn to the old city, Ciudad Vieja, on a peninsula near the harbour, or the commercial area to the east by Plaza Independencia. At the plaza you will find a stunning black marble statue and mausoleum of the national hero, Artigas. Things to see in the area are the Plaza Constitución, the neoclassical Cabildo, the 1799 Iglesia Matriz, Montevideo's oldest building, the four homed Museo Histórico Nacional, and the intersting Museo del Gaucho y de la Moneda housing an great display of Uruguay's cowboy (gaucho) past.

For a little lively time, try the colourful market stalls, restaurants and street singers and artists at the Mercado del Puerto, or the outdoor Feria de Tristán Narvaja selling foods, antiques and Uruguayan souvenirs.

On summer weekends you'll see many of the city's residents flocking to the beaches along the waterfront of Montevideo. Reasonably priced accommodations, restaurants, discos and other nightclubs, a an assortment of theaters are all found in the old city, whereas the most popular shopping area is Avenida 18 de Julio, running east out of Ciudad Vieja.

The Littoral West of Montevideo covering a part of Uruguay that fronts onto the Río de la Plata and the Río Uruguay is the major agriculture region of Uruguay, centered around the cobble-stoned and whitewashed Colonia del Sacramento. People fish, boat and swim at the Mercedes beaches. You may appreciate the fine museums in Paysandú, the second largest city in Uruguay. The Uruguayan Riviera is the region just east of the capital, and is very westernized with plenty of beach resorts, water activities and plenty of happy, fancy tourists in wild flower shirts.

Punta del Este is first class all the way, including the prices compared to the rest of Uruguay. It is really a place for jet-setters of the South American style. You trip over yachts, and fishing tours, golf courses, and casinos, and several gorgeous summer homes for the rich and famous. It is built on a point of sandy land and is excellent for sunning yourself, and bathing in the cool waters. Not far offshore is Isla Gorriti with more great beaches and the ruins of a 1700s fortress. Also check out Isla de Lobos, Island of Wolves that is now home to a sea lion colony.

When to go

Uruguay's main attraction is its beaches, so most visitors come in summer. Along the coasts, summer temperatures are swelteringly hot, but the hilly interior is cooler, especially at night. Uruguay is said to have a temperate climate. The average temperature for the warmest months of January and February is 21.7° C (71° F), and for the coldest month, June, 10° C (50° F). Rain falls throughout the year and averages about 890 mm (35 in) annually. During the winter months cold storms (pamperos) blow from the south-west. Somewhere in South America at any time of year you woud good weather and bad, from unbearable tropical humidity or bone-chilling cold.

The equator runs through northern Brazil, Colombia and Ecuador and the countries surrounding it are essentially tropical in climate, altitude being the only cooling factor, and as a general rule are less humid, even if they are as hot during the Uruguayan winter ( Dec.-Feb.). The further south you go, the more temperate the climate becomes. Generally, during their winter is a good time to visit Uruguay, with less crowds, and better service and prices.

Money and costs

Currency: Peso Uruguayo, trading today, December 18th, 2006 at 24.445 pesos to one US dollar. 1 U$ (peso) = US$ 0.042 (four cents) 1 U$ (peso) = Euro 0,033 (three cents)

Prices are often quoted using the U$ symbol, which may be easily confused with the US$ (US dollar) symbol.

Meals: budget - US$2-8, mid-range - US$8-15, Top-end - US$15 and upwards

Lodging: budget - US$5-15, mid-range - US$15-20, top-end - US$20 and upwards

Annual inflation in Uruguay hovers around 15%, but steady devaluations keep prices from rising rapidly in dollar terms. Costs are slightly lower than in Argentina, especially with respect to accommodation and transportation. Budget travelers can get by on US$15 a day. Those looking for a bit more comfort and nutrition should expect to spend closer to US$30 a day. Cambios in Montevideo, Colonia and Atlantic beach resorts change US cash dollars and travelers cheques (the latter at slightly lower rates or modest commissions). Banks are your best bet in the interior. Better hotels, restaurants and shops accept credit cards, but (and I have no reason why) Uruguayan ATMs reject North American or European credit cards, so you'll have to get cash advances on your credit cards in a bank. There is no black market. In restaurants, it's customary to tip about 10% of the bill with reasonable service. Taxi drivers do not require tips, although you may round off the fare for convenience.

Prices in Uruguay are considerably lower than in the US or Western Europe and comparable (perhaps a little higher) to other Latin American countries.

Popular items to buy include yerba mate gourds and antiques.

Travel and tourism

Compared with its gigantic South American neighbors, Argentina and Brazil, Uruguay may lack size, dramatic landscapes, and cultural and natural diversity. Still, it's found a niche on the international tourist circuit with its beaches, inundated by Argentine celebrities and fashion shows in the summer months of January and February. Uruguay also has subtler attractions such as the 17th-century colonial town of Colonia del Sacramento and the underrated capital city of Montevideo. Its rolling interior, dotted with estancias (cattle ranches), many of which house guests in stylish comfort, is still gaucho country. Uruguay's people, almost entirely of Spanish and Italian ancestry, are unique in South America in that they are mostly middle class -- there aren't the extremes of wealth and poverty that plague much of the rest of the South American continent (a legacy of the country's progressive social services). As a result, the nation enjoys a relatively high standard of living and literacy, though Argentina's economic meltdown of 2002 impacted the tourist economy when Argentines, with their devalued pesos, were unable to travel across the Rio de la Plata.

Immigration

Holders of passaports (or MERCOSUR ID cards) from the following countries can enter without a visa: Argentina, Australia, Austria, Bahamas, Barbados, Belgium, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, South Korea, Chile, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cyprus, Denmark, Ecuador, El Salvador, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, Honduras, Hungary, Ireland, Iceand, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Latvia, Lichtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Malta, Mexico, Monaco, the Netherlands, Nicaragua, Noruega, New Zealand, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Poland, Portugal , Dominican Republic, Czech Republic, Romania, South Africa, Seychelles, Sweden, Switzerland, Trinidad Tobago, Turkey, United Kingdom, United States, Venezuela. Travellers from other countries should contact the local consular section of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

By plane

Pluna (the Uruguayan carrier) has connecting flights from São Paulo and Madrid.

There are other companies that also have flights to Montevideo. In 2004, American Airlines launched a non-stop flight from Miami to Montevideo. The flight is not daily and only operates during the North American winter season.

You can see a list of airlines at the international airport's website.

By train

There are limited commuter train services around Montevideo. There are some tourist trains which do not have a fixed schedule. You need to find annoucements for them at the Montevideo train station. There is no regular long distance train service.

By car

The highways are in good shape. Speed limit is 90 km/hour in most of them but it's not enforced. Most people go about 120 km/h and slow down a little when they see a highway patrol car.

By bus

There are many buses running from the Brazilian cities of Porto Alegre, São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro. Bus service is very spread among the people and there are many services that run from Montevideo to different cities across the country. Terminal Tres Cruces, Agencia Central and Terminal Ciudad Vieja are the three main hubs. Travel by bus is very safe.

By boat

The Buquebus ferry service operates between Buenos Aires, Argentina, and both Colonia and Montevideo. Some services continue from there to Punta del Este. The travel time is approximately three hours.

Getting around

Spanish is spoken everywhere. The pronunciation and the use of the 'vos' pronoun instead of 'tu' is practically identical to the Spanish variety spoken in Argentina. Portuñol (or Brasilero) is a mixture of Portuguese and Spanish used on the Brazilian border. Amerindian traits can be found everywhere in Uruguayan culture, from cuisine to vocabulary. Most Uruguayans living in the cities have studied some English at school but do not actually speak it very well. Outside of Montevideo and Punta del Este there are few English speakers.

Spending your money

Prices in Uruguay are considerably lower than in the US or Western Europe and comparable (if a little higher) to other Latin American countries. Popular items to buy include yerba mate gourds and antiques.

Cheap eating

A simple traditional breakfast for 4 people can cost as little as $58 pesos (U$2) from a supermarket, ie: 1 box(1 litre) of Tropical Fruit Juice - $30 pesos + 2 packages(5 ounce each) of coconut biscuits - $28

Uruguayans have a voracious appetite for meat and the parrillada beef platter is what everyone loves. Chivito is a cardiologist's nightmare, a steak sandwish with fried eggs, potatoes, cheese, aham, and don't forget to smother it all in mayonaise. Snacks (?) are a club sandwich (olímpicos) and a spicy sausage wrapped in a hot dog roll (húngaros). Public markets offer a hundred different types of meat. Gramajo made with fried potatoes, ham and eggs is popular. Vegetarians can order ravioli just about anywhere, and sit by themselves.

Beverages

Tea or yerba mate are largely consumed on the streets, but few restaurants serve it. You may have to buy a package at a super mercado and make your own. The drinking gourds are widely available and range from economical to super deluxe silver and horn. Yerba mate is a social drink. If you are with a group of Uruguayans, they will probably not offer you any because they assume that foreigners do not like the bitter taste. But try it anyway, you'll make everyone happy.

Clericó is a mixture of fruit juice and white wine, and what they call medio y medio is half sparkling wine and half white wine. The beer, like anywhere, never had a bad one, is crisp and cold. Uruguay is also acquiring a reputation for its fine wines, especially those made from the Tannat grape.

Work

There are numerous English language schools which are looking for native speakers as teachers. They can arrange papers or pay teachers under the table. The pay is not good, but enough to live fairly comfortably in Montevideo. Work permits are not particularly difficult to obtain and Uruguay lets you convert a tourist visa to a work visa without leaving the country.

Safely.travel

Unlike its South American neighbours, crime is not a serious problem in Uruguay. Like anywhere, however, sensible precautions should be taken. That being said, Montevideo provides the highest opportunity for a run in with pickpockets. In an emergency, call 911 or 999.

If you are new to travelling, or even if you have travelled the globe for years, I strongly recommend you check out the following link for some very interesting and informative reading about safe travelling in Uruguay, and the Third World in general. It is an accumulation of original thoughts and experiences of several worldly travellers, just go to Safely Travel. It was written with the Third World in mind, where travelling disasters are around every corner, and a pre-emptor to what we may all expect someday in the First World as populations increase and desperate people become more brave and sophisticated in their survival techniques. It will make you aware of all sorts of scams, how to check into a hotel, advice for single lady travellers, advice for single men travellers, rip tides, credit card scams, driving in a foreign land, kidnapping, street people, you name it. It is an essential read for anyone travelling, and the most comprehensive discussion I know of!

Stay healthy

Tap water is safe to drink in all major cities. The Hospital Britanico near the Tres Cruces central bus terminal has European-quality service and is clean and efficient.

Renting a Vehicle

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Tours

Uruguay tours have two main foci: the coastal resorts near the capital and estancia, or ranch tourism in the central part of the country. Both types of Uruguay tours are perfect for the traveler who wants to relax and visit fairly un-trod tourist destinations. City tours in Montevideo and Colonia del Sacramento are also worthwhile.

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The western coast of Uruguay is known in travel circles as the "Riviera" of South America. Discover Uruguay offers you personal attention in planning a vacation specifically tailored to your needs and desires. Staffed by a bilingual, knowledgeable staff, Discover Uruguay strives to bring you the BEST quality at the most affordable prices.

So whether it's airline tickets, lodging, car rentals, tour buses, or personally guided tours, Discover Uruguay is your center of resources. You won't find forms to fill out and click on, here. We have real people who have walked the sands of Uruguay to help guide you. Review our testimonials and see for yourself how clients fare.

Come dine, dance, hike, swim, surf, explore! Enjoy a nightlife that doesn't sleep until dawn; visit casinos and try your luck; go horseback riding, body surfing or shop for antiques.