Montevideo travel guide
The Rambla, Ciudad Vieja and forty nights of murga and candombe
A relaxed capital on the Río de la Plata with a walkable old town, 22 km of riverside Rambla and Uruguay's carnival. Visit from November to March for beach weather and carnival; three or four days covers the city. Many nationalities visit Uruguay visa-free for up to 90 days.
Uruguay's capital spreads along the northern shore of the Río de la Plata, a river so wide it looks like sea. More than a third of the country lives here, yet the pace is unhurried: people walk the long seafront Rambla with a thermos of mate, eat grilled beef at the old port market and pack the streets for the longest carnival in the world.
The old town, Ciudad Vieja, fills a narrow peninsula between the bay and the river. Plaza Independencia marks its edge, with the bronze statue of José Artigas above his mausoleum and the Art Deco tower of Palacio Salvo, once the tallest building in South America, looming over the square.
East of there, Avenida 18 de Julio is the main shopping street, and the city then unrolls along the water through Parque Rodó, Punta Carretas and Pocitos to the villas of Carrasco. Most visitors base themselves in this coastal belt, where the beaches start a short walk from the apartment blocks.
Football runs deep. Every match of the first World Cup was played in Montevideo in 1930, with the final at the Estadio Centenario, which still hosts the national team and the big club derbies between Peñarol and Nacional.
Founded by the Spanish in the 1720s to counter Portuguese expansion along the river, the city today hosts the Mercosur secretariat and regularly rates near the top of Latin American quality-of-life surveys.
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Top things to do in Montevideo
Plazas and museums in the old town, the riverside Rambla, football and the city's carnival.
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Best time to visit Montevideo
Month by month, so you can pick the weather and the crowds you want.
Highs of 25-28C; Montevideanos head to the coast in January, and carnival fills the evenings from late January.
Highs of 21-24C, good walking weather, with the free museum weekend of the Día del Patrimonio in late September or October.
Highs of 15-17C, lows of 7-9C and a raw wind off the river; rain is spread evenly through the year at around 90-110 mm a month.
Carnival opens with a parade on Avenida 18 de Julio in late January and runs about forty days; book seats for the Llamadas parades through Barrio Sur and Palermo early.
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Getting there
Carrasco airport, Tres Cruces and the river ferries
Carrasco International (MVD) is about 15 km east of the centre, with flights from South American capitals, Panama City, Miami and Madrid. Public buses from outside the terminal run to the Río Branco terminal near Plaza Independencia, stopping through the eastern and central neighbourhoods on the way; allow around an hour or more. COT intercity coaches heading west stop at the airport too and run faster to Tres Cruces bus station; make sure you board one going into the city, not to Punta del Este. Taxis are quicker but expensive. Tres Cruces is also the hub for all long-distance coaches. Ferries from Buenos Aires arrive at the port beside Ciudad Vieja, or at Colonia del Sacramento with a bus connection on to the capital.
- City bus from MVD
- To Río Branco terminal, around an hour or more
- COT coach from MVD
- Westbound to Tres Cruces, quicker than the city bus
- Tres Cruces
- Main long-distance bus station, east of the centre
- Ferry
- From Buenos Aires direct to the port, or via Colonia del Sacramento
- Both eastbound and westbound coaches use the same airport stop; check the sign before boarding.
- Restaurant cover charges (cubierto) are common, so read the menu before sitting down.
Staying safe
Pickpockets and car break-ins
Montevideo is calmer than most large South American cities, but street crime has risen. Pickpocketing is the main risk in the Centro and Ciudad Vieja, especially around 18 de Julio and on crowded buses. Thieves also smash car windows to grab bags from seats.
- Lower risk
- Pocitos, Punta Carretas, Buceo, Parque Rodó
- Higher risk
- Old town streets after dark, the area by the port at night
- Carry backpacks in front in crowds.
- Take a taxi back to the coast after late nights in the old town.
Where to stay
Old town, Pocitos or the Rambla
Central hotels vary widely in upkeep; those around Plaza Independencia are of a higher standard. The coastal districts are greener, safer at night and close to the sand. Hotel rates are often quoted in US dollars.
- Ciudad Vieja and Centro
- Walk to the sights and the port market; quiet and less safe after dark
- Pocitos
- Beachfront apartments, cafés and restaurants; a bus ride to the old town
- Punta Carretas and Parque Rodó
- Lighthouse, park, shopping centre and leafy streets
- Carrasco
- Upmarket villas near the airport, far from the centre
- Buceo, Pocitos, Punta Carretas and Parque Rodó are usually rated the safest neighbourhoods.
Getting around
STM buses and the seafront on foot
Buses are the only mass transit. Board at the front and pay the driver, or use an STM card, sold at Abitab shops, which gives cheaper fares and transfers within one or two hours. Stops rarely show maps or line numbers, so plan routes on Moovit or Cómo ir, the city's own app. Taxis are metered and Uber operates. The Rambla, about 22 km of seafront promenade, is flat and pleasant for walking, running or cycling between the old town and Carrasco.
- STM card
- Rechargeable card for cheaper fares and timed transfers
- Cómo ir and Moovit
- Route planning; stops seldom list lines
- The Rambla
- Promenade for walking and cycling along the river
- Hold up your hand clearly at a stop; buses do not halt unless signalled.
Know before you go
What makes Montevideo worth the trip, and what catches visitors out.
Why travelers love it
- A parrilla lunch at the Mercado del Puerto, beside the grills in the old iron market hall.
- Sunset on the Rambla at Pocitos, among locals sharing mate on the sea wall.
- A match at the Estadio Centenario, where the first World Cup final was played.
- Candombe drums echoing through Barrio Sur on weekend evenings.
- The Artigas mausoleum below Plaza Independencia, guarded by an honour guard.
Good to know
- Nothing happens before midnight in bars; dinner at nine is early.
- Side dishes are ordered separately: a steak arrives on its own.
- Watch bags downtown, and never leave anything on a car seat.
Trip fit
BookingMentor editorial ratings out of 5, based on a first-time visitor's experience.
Weather in Montevideo, month by month
Montevideo's January peaks at 28°C, and July is cool at 15°C by day and 7°C at night. April is the wettest month, at about 111 mm.
Climate figures are approximate long-term averages for Montevideo (Instituto Uruguayo de Metereología, via Wikipedia).
Plaza Independencia to Pocitos along the Rambla in two days
Two days cover central Montevideo. Spend the first in Ciudad Vieja, from Plaza Independencia to the grills of the Mercado del Puerto, and the second heading east along Avenida 18 de Julio and the Rambla to Punta Carretas and the beach at Pocitos.
Begin at Plaza Independencia in the morning. Look into the Artigas mausoleum beneath the equestrian statue, then the Palacio Estévez, now a museum of the presidency, with the Palacio Salvo towering opposite. Pass through the old citadel gate into Ciudad Vieja and walk Sarandí, the pedestrian street, to Plaza Matriz and the cathedral.
Keep going downhill to the Mercado del Puerto for a long lunch at the grills. In the afternoon, a small-boat trip leaves from the pier nearby, or stroll the port-side Rambla. Evening is for the old town's bars and music venues, which only start to fill near midnight.
On the second day head east. Take a morning walk on Avenida 18 de Julio to the Palacio Legislativo, then a bus to Parque Rodó and on along the Rambla to the lighthouse at Punta Carretas. Spend the late afternoon on the beach at Pocitos, and if there is a game on, finish with Peñarol or Nacional at the Estadio Centenario in Parque Batlle.
Chivitos, asado and the grills of Mercado del Puerto
Beef is the national obsession, and the parrilla is where Montevideo eats it. The Mercado del Puerto, an iron-roofed market hall near the port in Ciudad Vieja, is the place to watch whole sides of meat, chorizo and morcilla (blood sausage) cooking over wood embers; several grill restaurants also do good paella. Portions are large, and potatoes or salad are ordered separately.
The chivito is the city's own sandwich: thin beef steak layered with ham, cheese, egg, lettuce and tomato in a soft bun, or served al plato with chips. Snack bars all over the city make it. Look also for milanesa, breaded cutlets often eaten in a sandwich, and the Italian heritage in fresh pasta and fainá, chickpea flatbread laid on top of pizza.
Sweet tooths get dulce de leche in everything and alfajores at every kiosk. Drinks lean to Tannat red wine from the hills north of the city and medio y medio, half white wine, half sparkling, a Mercado del Puerto tradition. Expect a cubierto cover charge in sit-down restaurants.
Carnival murgas, Llamadas drums and heritage day
The city's biggest event is the Montevideo Carnival, about forty nights from late January into March. It opens with a parade along Avenida 18 de Julio; in February the Llamadas bring candombe drum troupes through Barrio Sur and Palermo, and through the season murgas, parodistas and humoristas compete on the stage of the Teatro de Verano by the Rambla and on neighbourhood tablados. Summer weather helps: January averages 28C by day and 19C at night.
The other big date is the Día del Patrimonio, the heritage weekend in late September or early October, when public buildings, government palaces and many private houses open free. Holy Week, known in Uruguay as Semana de Turismo, empties the city as residents head for the coast and the countryside.
Winter is cool, with July highs of about 15C and lows of 7C, and the wind off the river makes it feel colder. Rain falls evenly through the year, roughly 90-110 mm a month, so no season is truly dry.
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Montevideo's details are checked with Uruguay Natural, the Ministry of Tourism's site, and UNESCO for the Colonia del Sacramento day trip.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Quick answers to the questions travelers ask most before visiting Montevideo.
Getting there
City buses from outside the terminal run to the Río Branco terminal near Plaza Independencia, taking around an hour or more. COT coaches to Tres Cruces are quicker, and taxis are fastest but expensive.
Yes. Ferries cross the Río de la Plata directly to Montevideo's port or to Colonia del Sacramento, with a bus link from Colonia.
Booking
For about forty days from late January into March, opening with a parade on 18 de Julio. See the carnival page for this year's programme.
General
In the streets of Barrio Sur and Palermo in February; seats along the route sell out, so buy early.
Pocitos or Punta Carretas for the beach and safer streets; Ciudad Vieja if you want to walk to the sights and do not mind quiet nights.
Uruguay's signature sandwich of thin beef steak with ham, cheese, egg and salad, also served on a plate with chips.
Yes, in summer at Pocitos, Buceo, Malvín and Carrasco. The water is river-estuary, brown and mild, and conditions vary after storms.
Yes. The stadium of the 1930 World Cup hosts the national team and big club matches, including Peñarol and Nacional fixtures.
Buses are the only mass transit. Board at the front and pay the driver, or use an STM card, sold at Abitab shops, which gives cheaper fares and transfers within one or two hours. Stops rarely show maps or line numbers, so plan routes on Moovit or Cómo ir, the city's own app.
Prices & payment
At Abitab shops around the city. The card gives cheaper fares and transfers; without it you pay the driver on board.
Timing & weather
A weekend in late September or early October, when museums and historic buildings around Plaza Independencia and elsewhere open free.
The best time to visit Montevideo is Nov to Mar. Highs of 24-28C, beach days on the Rambla and carnival season from late January.
- Summer: December - March (Highs of 25-28C; Montevideanos head to the coast in January, and carnival fills the evenings from late January)
- Spring and autumn: October - November, April (Highs of 21-24C, good walking weather, with the free museum weekend of the Día del Patrimonio in late September or October)
- Winter: June - August (Highs of 15-17C, lows of 7-9C and a raw wind off the river; rain is spread evenly through the year at around 90-110 mm a month)
January is the warmest month in Montevideo, with average highs of 28°C, and July the coolest, with lows of 7°C. April is the wettest month, at about 111 mm of rain; May is the driest. Montevideo's January peaks at 28°C, and July is cool at 15°C by day and 7°C at night.
Visa & documents
Citizens of the UK, the EU, the US, Canada, Australia and many other countries can visit Uruguay visa-free for up to 90 days. Uruguay has strict rules on importing food products.
Health & safety
Montevideo is calmer than most large South American cities, but street crime has risen. Pickpocketing is the main risk in the Centro and Ciudad Vieja, especially around 18 de Julio and on crowded buses. Thieves also smash car windows to grab bags from seats.
