About Uruguay
Uruguay is South America’s next smallest country after Suriname. It has a coastline on the Atlantic Ocean on the southern side. Uruguay is situated like a diamond in an upside down position between Argentina and Brazil. It is also the smallest Spanish-speaking nation of South America. The tourists looking for an extra bit of adventure and off the beaten track destination must surely take a Uruguay vacation. Uruguay comprises of 19 departments. The capital city is Montevideo. The other important cities of Uruguay are Colonia de Sacramento, Chuy, Juan Lacaze, Fray Bentos, Nueva Palmira, La Paloma, Paysandu, Piriapolis, Punta del Este and Salto.
The meaning of Uruguay is a river of colorful birds and it is based on the name of Guyana or Arawak Guyana, the region of many waters. The landscape of Uruguay is mainly a low lying one. The highest point of the country is Cerro Catedral at a height of 514 m. Uruguay enjoys a subtropical climate.
Gaucho Country
As Uruguay mainly comprises of grasslands, it is rightly called the cowboy country or Gaucho Country. The complete prairie terrain is wind blown and an untamed one and the vacationers can join in the ranch activities or just relax on the estancias and ranches to see time pass by. Most of the ranches in Uruguay have opened up ample opportunities for tourism.
Reaching Uruguay and Getting Around
Montevideo has an international airport and there are connecting flights of the Uruguayan airline, Pluna from Madrid and Sao Paulo. American Airlines operates a direct flight from Miami city to Montevideo in the winter season of North America. Montevideo has limited services of commuter trains and the tourist trains do not follow fixed timings. The highways in Uruguay are quite good and car travel is quite comfortable. Convenient bus services are available from different Brazilian cities. Uruguay is easily accessible by ferries from Buenos Aires in Argentina. The tourists can comfortably explore Uruguay by way of buses, taxis and hitch hiking.
Tourist Attractions in Uruguay
The places of tourist interest in Uruguay are aplenty. The capital city of Montevideo is full of colonial plazas, beaches, restaurants, outdoor cafes, casinos and nightclubs. Punta del Este is the southernmost tip of Uruguay in the shape of a finger. It is highly popular among the tourists and overflows in the summer season from December to March.
The adventure lovers can explore the Gaucho Country on horsebacks. You can spend a day or night at the converted ranches and estancias. Rio de la Plata can be reached by taking a ferry ride and you will get to see the oldest church of Uruguay in Colonia del Sacramento. The places worth watching here include the only bull ring of Uruguay, Plaza de Toros, a fortress, historic center and contraband port. This complex is listed as a world heritage site by UNESCO. The tourists must see the beaches on the southern coastline along the Atlantic Ocean like the Cabo Polonio, Fortaleza de Santa Teresa and Punta del Diablo. The birdwatchers are in for a treat at Rocha.
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