Just across the Rio de la Plata from Buenos Aires lies the second-smallest nation in South America. But while Uruguay is a little place, it certainly makes a big impression. With an impressive living standard, high literacy rate, large urban middle class, and excellent social services -- including the best medical care system in South America -- it has become a model for other developing countries in the region. Despite its homogeneous population (mostly of European descent), Uruguay reveals splendid contrasts. This is a land of dusty colonial towns and sparkling beach resorts, of rough-and-ready gauchos and subtle artists and festive plazas. Uruguay is a place where soccer (fútbol) is worshipped without reserve, where the sun shines brightly and the air stays warm, where few question the dignity of their homeland. And despite the economic troubles of recent years, Uruguay remains a proud and peaceful nation.
Porteños (as residents of Buenos Aires are called) take the ferry over to Montevideo for the day to shop and to dine. Montevideo is the cultural heartland of Uruguay, a vibrant city where you can discover the bold accomplishments of Uruguay music, art, and literature. Outside the capital, pastureland and rolling hills draw your attention to a softer, quieter life. But this rural lifestyle stops at the coast, where world-class resorts centered around glitzy Punta del Este lure the continent's rich and famous. Porteños by the thousands descend on Punta during summer weekends. For a grander, quieter side trip, consider lovely Colonia del Sacramento, a UNESCO World Heritage City, only an hour away from Buenos Aires.
Entry Requirements & Customs
Citizens of the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and New Zealand need only a passport to enter Uruguay (for tourist stays of up to 90 days).
Uruguayan Embassy Locations
In the U.S.: 2715 M St. NW, 3rd Floor, Washington, DC 20007 (tel. 202/331-1313; fax 202/331-8142; www.embassy.org/uruguay).
In Canada: 130 Albert St., Suite 1905, Ottawa, ON K1P 5G4 (tel. 613/234-2727; fax 613/233-4670; www.iosphere.net/~uruott).
In the U.K.: 140 Brompton Rd., 2nd Floor, London SW3 1HY (tel. 207/589-8835).
Money
The official currency is the Uruguayan peso (designated NP$, $U, or simply $); each peso is comprised of 100 centavos. Uruguayan pesos are available in $10, $20, $50, $100, $200, $500, $1,000, and $5,000 notes; coins come in 10, 20, and 50 centavos, and 1 and 2 pesos. The Uruguayan currency devalued by half in July 2002, and the exchange rate as this book went to press was approximately 26 pesos to the dollar. The value of the peso fluctuates greatly with inflation, so all prices in this section are quoted in U.S. dollars.
