The name Uruguay aptly translates to “river of the colourful birds” in reference to the many colourful species of birds inhabiting the forests near the Rio Negro river. The country is situated between Brazil and Argentina and is South America’s second smallest nation with about four million inhabitants. With its stable democracy and social benefits such as free education, the country is often referred to as the Switzerland of South America. Celebrated for its Spanish colonial architecture and an idyllic Atlantic coastline, the country features a low-lying landscape on the whole with the odd exception being Cerro Cathedral, the country’s highest point, which measures 514m high. In terms of cities worthy of attention, aside from the capital of Montevideo, the pretty colonial town of Colonia del Sacramento is a World Heritage site characterised by cobbled streets and Portuguese and Spanish colonial architecture. The town of Salto, meanwhile, is a known for its citrus growing focus and tourist friendly hydroelectric dam, Salto Grande. Ornithologist will revel in the national park, Rocha Lagoon, which offers unparalleled migratory bird watching.

Getting there
Several airlines operate flights to Uruguay, including American Airlines and Iberia.

Getting around
The most common way to get around in Uruguay is to travel by bus, and there are also limited train services in most cities as well as additional train services targeted to tourists. If travelling by car is your preferred means of transportation, roads are generally in good condition. Taxis in Uruguay are safe and prices are moderate.

Local information

Language: Spanish

Time: UTC/GMT -3 hours

Climate: Uruguay’s climate is largely temperate, with summer temperatures ranging from 20 to 25c. In winter, the average temperature hovers around the 12 degree mark.
Tipping: Sometimes, service is added to bills. If not, it’s common practise to offer a tip of 10 percent.

Duty free: For travellers aged 18 years or above, the items listed below may be imported into Uruguay without incurring customs duty 200 cigarettes or 25 cigars or 250g of tobacco; 1l of alcohol; 2kg of foodstuffs.

Safety: Street crime such as pick-pocketing and bag snatching is not uncommon in Montevideo. Mugging and robberies do also occasionally occur, but these forms of crime are becoming more unusual. Still, do exercise caution when withdrawing money from ATM’s, and avoid carrying large amounts of cash or wearing ostentatious jewellery when visiting large cities such as Montevideo, particularly late at night.

Currency: Uruguayan Peso

Laws: Penalties for possession or use of illegal drugs in Uruguay are severe, and if convicted, the offender can face long jail sentences and heavy fines.

Healthcare: Medical and dental treatment can be expensive in Uruguay, and visitors should take out health insurance before travelling.

Socket type: Type C or F