URUGUAY

Carmelo: About a 4 hour drive outside of Montevideo, you will find the peaceful town of Carmelo nestled against the Rio de la Plata (the river separating Uruguay from Argentina). Not only will you find picturesque countryside and breathtaking sunsets, but you will also be in the heart of one of Uruguay's more popular wine regions, so it goes without saying that if you are visiting this part of the country, you are most likely here for the wine!

The town itself is quite small, boasting 2 main roads and a small square, so you don't need to save too much time for exploring there, but we would recommend 1-2 full days for visiting wineries. If you would like to stay close to town, the two wineries that came highly recommended to us were Capilla Winery and El Legado Winery. Both offer beautiful settings for wine tasting and excellent hospitality. El Legado offers a traditional BBQ lunch (check for availability before arriving) and Capilla has a wonderful charcuterie board to pair with your wine, so you can easily make a day of the two wineries with plenty of food options. Expect to pay about $20-$30 per tasting, with additional costs for food and allow for about 2 hours per winery to enjoy the full experience.

Two other wineries of note, which we unfortunately were unable to visit, are Bodega Familia Irurtia and Narbona Wine Lodge. If you have an extra day and wish to taste more wine, then these would be perfect to add to your itinerary. 

Colonia: About 1 hour south of Carmelo is the UNESCO town of Colonia, and it is the perfect place to stop and have lunch on your drive back to Montevideo. You could easily stay overnight here if you have more time, but an afternoon is plenty for strolling through the main streets and grabbing a bite to eat.   

The charm of the capital city of Uruguay lies in the enjoyably slow pace that everything moves at. Rather than arriving in a city with a long list of places to see, you will have the opportunity to simply soak up the energy of the city, take a stroll, and put yourself into food comas daily thanks to the abundance of local beef and parrilla grills! 

If you are interested in seeing some of the popular sites, then you will want to make your way over to Old Town, towards the end of the peninsula, and start with Independencia Plaza. Here you will be surrounded by beautiful architecture while you stroll through the square. From there, you can wander the streets, discovering a few local museums, street art, and cafes. This part of town is busier during the day but tends to close towards 7-8pm, so do not plan on spending evenings or dinner in this part of town. Once night falls, you can head to the newer neighborhoods of Punta Carretas, Pocitos, or Pocitos Nuevo where you will find plenty of restaurants and bars to enjoy the nightlife of the city.

If you happen to find yourself visiting during the summer months, you can enjoy the beaches, with the most popular being Playa de los Pocitos. This can be found between Pocitos and Pocitos Nuevo and is lined by a portion of The Rambla. The Rambla is a boardwalk that stretches almost 14 miles along the coast of Montevideo and is the longest sidewalk in the world. Here you can enjoy a stroll or bike ride while taking in the beautiful scenery. 

It would be a shame to visit Montevideo and not experience some of their world famous beef, and there is no better place to do this than at Mercado del Puerto. This old shipping port has been transformed into a market filled with shops and plenty of restaurant boasting the traditional parrilla grill. It would be easy to visit daily for lunch (the market closes around 7-8pm) and try a different restaurant each time. Don't forget to try a glass of the local tannat as well!