This past weekend I escaped to Uruguay…with no plan. First we took a ferry from Buenos Aires to Colonia del Sacramento then busses to Montevideo, Piriapolis, and Punta del Este. Considering the fact that I took this trip on a whim, I was completely unprepared and, thus, absolutely freezing 3/4 of the trip, but oh well. Here's a breakdown of my favorite four places to visit in Uruguay…
Colonia del Sacramento: Deemed an UNESCO World Heritage Site, this cobblestone town was both adorable and beautiful. We took a ferry straight from Buenos Aires into Colonia del Sacramento Thursday night – it was a breeze, but finding our hostel in the pitch black was a bit tough, so I was happy to be with a guy! We walked around for a bit and I was amazed at the silence; it was so peaceful. The next morning it was raining, but we woke up early to wander the town anyway. The lack of a rainjacket was a bit…tough…but all was good. Luckily it cleared up after about an hour or so and we were graced with beautiful blue skies. The little quaint town definitely didn’t disappoint.
Montevideo: I didn’t really have much of an interest in the capital of Uruguay, but it made for a good pitstop between locations. We got there with plenty of sunlight and decided to tour the city on our own; I loved that you could look down the streets and see the water. We cooked our own dinner that night and planned on having a quiet evening, until we realized that there was a pre-game to a Brasilian bachelor party happening in the courtyard. Needless to say, it got a bit rowdy, but it was a blast. We started talking about music and a few of the guys love Damien Rice and Glen Hansard, so we instantly bonded.
Piriapolis: I hadn’t really planned on hitting up Piriapolis, but my Spanish professor said that it was his favorite city in Uruguay, so I figured I might as well check it out. So happy I did. This beach town felt very homey. We were stuck schlepping around our backpacks, but that didn’t keep us from seeing everything. It was beautiful, but extremely windy. Due to this, we didn’t feel how strong the sun was. Needless to say, I fried (and consequently have some very awkward burn lines thanks to my backpack). Oh, and I had the best hamburguesa complete – yummm.
Punta del Este: This was our final destination in Uruguay, and the city I’d heard most about. I figured it’d be a letdown, but it wasn’t. It was gorgeous; we arrived right in time for sunset on the beach. Although I was freezing, it was quite enjoyable. That night we hung out with some guys in the hostel, which was fantastic for my Spanish since very little English was spoken. The following day was the absolute perfect day to spend on the beach – not too hot but outstandingly sunny, there wasn’t a cloud in the sky! Man, the sun in Uruguay is strong…
All in all, such a fabulous and relaxing weekend. I highly recommend these places to visit in Uruguay for your next trip!
