Montevideo, Uruguay
I have a love/hate relationship with this place
I’ve been going through some shit in my personal life and had no desire to do anything, so I apologize for the recent absence of my writing.
Things are going in a more positive direction for me now and I’m ready to get back to creating content.
Many people are interested in Montevideo but there is not a lot of information out there.
After spending 8 months living here over the past couple of years, I’m here to share my experience and make your life a little easier.
I will explain everything you need to know about Montevideo from a foreigner’s perspective. How to get there, the good neighborhoods, what to eat, things to do, all that shit. I’ve got your back.
A little background
Montevideo is the coastal capital of Uruguay. While is it part of Latin America, it has a much more European feel, with many of the locals having Italian or Spanish heritage.
Historically, it’s been part of a neutral zone between Argentina and Brazil. Both countries tried to claim Uruguay as their own but it eventually became an independent country.
With that said, Montevideo really feels like a neutral place where people don’t publically express strong opinions in either direction.
In my opinion, this city is the most peaceful and quiet capital in Latin America.
When should you go
You should go after you travel to Argentina or Brazil and want to relax and chill out.
Or take a short trip while you are in Buenos Aires by ferry.
Montevideo is not a place I would travel across the world to visit unless you are thinking to live there or you have a personal connection to Uruguay.
But if you are already in the neighborhood, it’s worth checking out.
The weather is nice in most months but I did not like the winter. It can be very cold during those months with the wind from the sea and the city feels pretty dead. Winter is in June, July, and August.
I personally liked it the most in the summer months of January and February. It’s hot but not uncomfortable because of the ocean breeze. Perfect weather in my opinion.
How long should you go
You should go for 2 days.
There is not a lot to see in Montevideo as a tourist. It’s worth coming to check out the vibe though. See a few sights, walk on the rambla, and eat some Uruguayan asado.
It’s a better place to live than to visit as a tourist.
The beaches and pueblos are better for tourism purposes in Uruguay.
How to get there
Ferry from Buenos Aires
Traveling by ferry is a lot more comfortable than riding in a bus or airplane. You can stand up and walk around while the ferry is moving. Buy some snacks. Whatever you want.
I highly recommend taking a ferry if you are coming from Buenos Aires.
Buquebus and Colonia Express are the main companies. Buquebus is a little nicer but they are practically the same. I’ve used both and either one is fine.
Direct Ferry - 2.5 hours
This is the most comfortable way to get to Montevideo. The ferry goes directly from Buenos Aires to Montevideo without stopping.
The port in Montevideo is 5-15 minutes from most places tourists want to visit, depending on the zone. You can take an uber from here.
Ferry / Bus combination - 4 hours
This is the cheapest option. It’s about half the price of the direct ferry.
Buy the combination together from Buquebus / Colonia Express
You take a ferry to Colonia, Uruguay which is about 1 hour, 15 minutes from Buenos Aires. As soon as you exit the ferry, you go directly into a bus from the same company and go straight to Montevideo.
Buy the combination separately
If you want to spend some time in Colonia, which I recommend, you should buy the direct ferry to Colonia without the bus.
Buy a seperate bus ticket from Colonia to Montevideo using Urubus.
Flights - varies by country
There are direct flights from a few cities in the US and Europe. And many cities in Latin America. Time and cost varies by country but Montevideo is one of the easiest airports to deal with. It’s never really crowded.
The airport is about 40 minutes from the main area of Montevideo where most people visit. You can take uber or taxi from the airport.
Getting around
Uber is the easiest way to get around. Most rides will cost between $5 USD - $10 USD, depending how far you are going.
Most of the zones you are going to want to visit in Montevideo are close to each other. It rarely takes more than 10 minutes to get anywhere in uber.
The bus system also works well and is cheap. I don’t remember the exact amount but it was around $1 USD to get somewhere.
Another nice thing about Montevideo is that many of the desirable zones are close to the rambla, which is a long walkway that runs along the entire coast of Montevideo.
So you can easily walk or ride a bike on the coast and get to another part of the city in a very scenic way.
Money Situation
Credit card is widely accepted in Montevideo. You rarely need cash unless you are buying hot dogs in the street or going to small local businesses. Uber only accepts credit card here.
If you are going to Argentina after your trip to Uruguay, I recommend to withdraw USD from the ATMs so you can exchange the cash for the dolar blue (black market rate) in Argentina.
Neighborhoods
In Montevideo, all the neighborhoods you would want to visit are within 15 minutes of each other by uber.
I’m not going to include zones like Carrasco, which is mainly for rich Uruguayans. It is far from the center of the city and it’s not really interesting for foreigners.
I don’t think there is a perfect neighborhood in Montevideo, but there are definitely some that are better than others. The following zones are viable for a stay in Montevideo.
Ciudad Vieja
This is the historical zone of Montevideo, where the original city started. Because of this, it has a lot of older buildings.
It has potential to be cool but many of the buildings are poorly maintained and beat up, so the zone still looks run down in my opinion. You will see ugly graffiti and trash all over. Drug addicts and crazy people hang out here.
I never felt any real danger but there are definitely some sketchy people walking around.
Many of the offices in Montevideo are located in this zone, so Monday-Friday it is pretty active with many people that are working. But it’s a ghost town on the weekend.
On the positive side, there are a decent amount of restaurants, bars, and museums in this area. Teatro Solis and the Cinemateca are also here.
I personally stayed in Ciudad Vieja for 3 months the first time I was in Montevideo and I did not like it for long-term living purposes. Dude trying to sell me drugs as I walked out of my apartment building stopped being funny after awhile.
If you are in Montevideo for a short time and don’t have a problem with a few drug addicts, this is a good zone for touristic purposes and to get a taste of Uruguayan culture.
Centro
The Centro is more consistently alive than Ciudad Vieja. There are definitely more people walking around here on the weekend.
In my opinion, it’s the most sketchy of the zones I’m recommending, but danger is relative. I still consider Montevideo very safe compared to any other capital in Latin America. You should be fine in the Centro.
I didn’t spend a ton of time down here but a lot of larger events like the anniversary of the city happen in this zone. There is also a farmer’s market on Sundays.
This is my least favorite neighborhood from the zones I’m recommending, but it’s totally fine. It’s close to the Ciudad Vieja.
Parque Rodo
If there was a hipster neighborhood in Montevideo, which there isn’t, Parque Rodo would be the closest to it.
You will find the most “hipster” type coffee shops and bars in this neighborhood. In general, I think it’s the best place to stay if you want walkable options for food, bars, and coffee. There are some good options.
Parque Rodo is also an actual park and that is where the zone gets the name, because it’s near this park. It’s very close to the coastline (rambla) and I consider it the best park to hang out in the city.
If you want to have the combination of being close to the coastline, park, and near bars, restaurants, and coffee shops, I think Parque Rodo is the best zone to stay for both short-term and long-term stays.
Punta Carretas
During my last time in the city, I stayed for 5 months in Punta Carretas. In my opinion, it’s the best zone of Montevideo.
The houses and buildings are very nice in this neighborhood. I loved walking around and seeing the architecture. I also lived very close to the rambla so I was able to be on the coastline in a couple of minutes.
If you want to stay in the nicest zone in the city for walking around and being close to the coastline, stay in Punta Carretas. It’s the best place to stay in my opinion.
Pocitos
The main reason to stay in Pocitos is if you are interested in the beach. This neighborhood is located right in front of the beach.
As a California native, I’m not really impressed by the beach in Montevideo. The beaches in places like Punta del Este, Cabo Polonio, Punta del Diablo, etc are much nicer. The water in Montevideo is often brown because it mixes with the Rio Plata (river).
But I know that is not an issue for everyone and some people like to chill on the sand, so if that is your thing, Pocitos is definitely the best one for that. The coastline is definitely nice to walk on.
Other than the beach, I found this zone pretty boring. It’s a nice place for families though.
If you want to stay near the beach, Pocitos is cool. Otherwise, it’s pretty boring.
Accommodations
If you’re on a budget or want to be near the tourist attractions, I recommend to stay in the Ciudad Vieja or Centro.
If you are going to stay in Uruguay for awhile, Punta Carretas and Parque Rodo are much nicer for living purposes. The rambla is also nicer in these zones.
While Uruguay is expensive, hotel and Airbnb prices are not terrible in comparison to places like the US and Europe.
For short-term stays, just pick whatever fits your goals, based off what I described for each neighborhood. Airbnb and hotels are both fine.
For staying longer in Uruguay, it’s a little bit different. Leases can be a bitch, owners want a huge security deposit, so I don’t recommend that unless you are really set on living in Uruguay.
The 1st time I was in Montevideo, I stayed 3 months in an Airbnb in Ciudad Vieja for $1,100 USD/month.
The 2nd time, I stayed at Opta for 5 months, which is a hotel that operates as a co-living. Essentially, half the guests live there longer-term, and the other half are short-term. It has large shared kitchens, pool, co-working spaces, gym, etc. The cost was about $1,100 USD/month for a standard room. It’s also located 1 block from the rambla, which is a prime location.
Opta is a good place to stay if you want a flexible place that you can stay at for a couple of months. At some point, I got tired of not having my own kitchen and space, but I would go back for a 1-2 month stay in Montevideo.
Airbnb is also a good option, but there aren’t a ton of places to choose from.
Restaurants
Uruguayans have a similar culture to Argentinians in the fact that they eat pretty late.
Most people start showing up to restaurants around 9pm, so don’t be surprised if you go to dinner at 8pm and it’s a ghost town.
I think Uruguay has the best asado I’ve ever tried, better than Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay. Do yourself a favor and crush some asado while you’re in Montevideo.
Toledo Bar de Tapas - Tapas and cocktails spot. Went here multiple times and everything tasted good. They have some Peruvian dishes which I enjoyed. — Instagram - Google
Demorondanga - Tapas and cocktails spot. All the food we tried was solid. Cocktails were fire too. — Instagram - Google
La Milpa - Best tacos in Uruguay. To be honest, they are better than any tacos I ate in Buenos Aires. As a dude from Los Angeles that has lived in Mexico, these hit. The barbacoa tacos and a michelada were giving my mouth an orgasm every time I ate here. — Instagram - Google
Mushroom Bar - Vegan restaurant that uses mushrooms for all their dishes. Interesting concept and the food was great. I went several times and the mushroom tacos were definitely my favorite. — Instagram - Google
La Pulperia - My favorite Asado restaurant in Montevideo. It is not a very big place and there are only barstools inside of the restaurant. Definitely a family owned spot. Owners are friendly and make you feel at home. If you want a guaranteed seat without waiting, I recommend to arrive before 8pm because it’s a small place that fills up fast. — Instagram - Google
Parrilla Garcia - High-end steakhouse. It’s pricey but definitely worth it. We had the baby beef and lamb chops which were both fire. — Google
Mercado del Puerto - This is actually a mercado with many asado restaurants inside of it. The prices can be somewhat high because it attracts tourists but I felt it was worth it. The best steak I tried in Uruguay was here. — Instagram - Google
Coffee
Culto Cafe - Best overall coffee shop in Montevideo in my opinion as an addict.
They have coffee from all over Latin America and can serve it however you want. On top of that, they have some interesting events that they share in their instagram from time to time. There are multiple locations but I like the one near Parque Rodo the most. — Instagram - Google
The Lab Coffee Roasters - Another solid coffee shop with multiple locations. Every spot they have is in an old, restored house which is pretty cool. My favorite one is in Punta Carretas. It’s the most comfortable place to go if you want to knock out some work in my opinion. — Instagram - Google
Botanico - I’m giving these guys a shout out because they were directly in the building I was living in for several months. I spent the most time here of any coffee shop and always felt at home. — Instagram - Google
Che.co.ffee - Nice coffee shop in the Ciudad Vieja. Owners are Czech. They always had quality Colombian coffee whenever I went. Worth a visit. — Instagram - Google
Cafe La Farmacia - An old vintage pharmacy that has been restored and changed into a coffee shop. The coffee is solid here and it’s worth checking it out just for the atmosphere. — Instagram - Google
Cultural Alfabeta - This place is cool, but more for the atmosphere. It is a combination of coffee shop, bookstore, cinema, and restaurant all in one place. The food and coffee are decent but nothing special. It’s worth checking out for the variety of things and the cinema has some good movies. — Instagram - Google
Cheap Food
Cheap is a relative term in Uruguay. Nothing is truly cheap here and you rarely get a good deal.
While you can eat inexpensive street food in many Latin American countries, it’s not really part of the culture here.
Everything recommended in this category you can get for $5 USD-$10 USD, which I think is a good deal in Uruguay.
These are ones I’ve tried and think are pretty good.
You can find some cheaper hole-in-the-wall and “menu del dia” restaurants in Ciudad Vieja and Centro. Those won’t be on Google Maps though.
Hot dog, sausage, and hamburgers food trucks
Hamburguesas, Panchos, y Chorizos (Parque Rodo) — Google
Ta Mejor (Parque Rodo) — Google
Hamburgueseria El Condor (Pocitos) — Google
Pasta and Pizza
Meriggiare — Instagram - Google
Venezuelan
Con Sabor a Llano Guariqueño — Instagram - Google
Mexican
Shawarma
Ashot Shawarma — Google
El Palacio del Falafel — Google
Mercados
Mercado Williman — Google
Mercado Ferrando — Google
Fresh Market
This is a large grocery store chain that has several locations throughout Montevideo. You can find some reasonably priced food at many of their stores.
Large pepperoni pizza (cooked) - $12 USD
Pre-made pasta - $2.50 USD
Salad bowl - by weight
Nightlife
When I judge nightlife in a city, I judge it by the hangover test. Now that I’m 36, I’m picky about my hangovers because they hurt like a bitch.
Is the nightlife good enough where it’s worth getting a hangover?
In a place like Florianópolis, Brazil, a hangover is worth it 100% of the time because the parties are so good.
In Montevideo, it’s never really worth it. Nightlife is pretty uneventful. It’s worth having some drinks with friends, but not getting destroyed.
Apparently before Covid there was a specific street with many bars, but it died and never came back.
I didn’t go out a lot, but here are some ideas.
Night out to party
12am - Go to Montevideo Beer Company in Punta Carretas. Start pre-gaming.
1am - DJ starts playing, people get more active
3am - Go to Jackson Bar or Volve Mi Negra
Full disclosure, I hung out at Montevideo Beer Company but I never felt like staying out past 2am or so. So I didn’t personally check out the boliches (clubs). But this is what the younger Uruguayos in their 20s told me was good.
Beers with friends
Sumo Brew Pub - Google
Montevideo Beer Company - Google
Malafama - Google
Gyms
BIGG Gym - Great gym with nice equipment. It’s a group workout similar to Crossfit but you select your personal workout from many options in an app on your phone. It’s not completely flexible but enough to where you can focus on whatever goal you want (i.e. strength). I was able to do stuff like deadlifts, squats, etc every week without issues.
I spent 5 months training here and I loved it. The people are nice and they have a Whatsapp group with events like happy hour to chill with some other people from the gym. I highly recommend it. — Instagram - Google
City Fitness - If you’re looking for a more traditional gym, this is the best one I found in Montevideo. I had a membership here the first time I was in Montevideo and it was solid. — Google
Calisthenics gyms - There are some calisthenics gyms on the rambla, with pull up bars and other equipment. I will link some of the main locations. Parque Rodo - Pocitos - Punta Carretas
What to do in Montevideo
Smoke weed - Weed is legal in Uruguay so you will see a lot of people chilling in the park or at the beach getting high and hanging out. If you like to move at a slow pace, it’s a good option.
Drink mate - Uruguayans definitely appreciate mate more than anyone else in the world. Similar activity to the weed, chill in the park or on the beach for hours. But drinking mate instead of smoking weed.
Walk on the rambla - This is my favorite thing to do in Montevideo. The ocean view and breeze is nice and it’s a cool place to workout as well. A lot of people are running or on bikes here.
Watch the sunset - Watching the sunset is big here. Every place I visited in Uruguay, the locals are posted up with their folding chairs and mate at 6pm, ready to watch the sunset. In Montevideo, I think the best spot to see the sunset is near Playa Ramirez.
Cinemateca - This is a cinema that has foreign films from many different countries. Things like anime movies from Japan, films from the US, European films, etc. Cool place if you are into movies. — Instagram - Google
Teatro Solis - The main theater in Uruguay. If you are into plays and orchestras this is the place to be. I went to about 5 shows here and I enjoyed it, it’s a nice place. — Instagram - Google
Museo Andes 1972 - If you are not familiar with the story, an Uruguayan rugby team got in a plane crash in the middle of the Andes and were stranded there for several months. The museum adds a lot of depth to the story and it’s the most interesting museum in Uruguay in my opinion. It’s worth visiting. — Google
See a rock concert - People love rock here. Uruguayans don’t normally get that excited, but if you can see an Uruguayan band like Cuarteto in Uruguay, it’s a really cool experience. My best memory in Montevideo is being in el topo (moshpit) during the Cuarteto concert. That was the most hyped I’ve ever seen Uruguayans.
Plaza Independencia - This is the main plaza in Montevideo where you see the iconic building you always see in photos of the city. — Google
Play sports - On the rambla, more near to Pocitos, you will see a lot of people working out and playing sports. Running, biking, rugby, soccer, kitesurfing, volleyball, and swimming. I may have missed something there’s a lot of action happening with these sports.
Workout and work - Montevideo is a good city to be healthy in and stay relatively sober while focusing on some goals.
Mercado del Puerto - I mentioned this for food but it’s also a must-see of Montevideo. — Instagram - Google
Could I live here
As far as living here, I already tried it for 8 months and it wasn’t for me.
I really wanted to like living in Montevideo.
However, I just never really felt at home here like I have in other countries. The people are very polite but I found it more difficult to make friends than any other place I’ve been.
I’m not sure if my personality just doesn’t match up, but socializing felt harder than it needed to be.
I chilled with a good amount of acquaintances, but never really made a solid friend.
Even though I was in Montevideo with my girlfriend, I felt very lonely.
It’s hard to want to live somewhere where you feel like this. Especially when you know there are other places you can live and feel at home.
While the daily lifestyle is comfortable and safe, it felt boring to me. There is not much to do except chill.
I respect that Uruguayans are able to live such a peaceful, chill, slow, type of lifestyle drinking mate for hours. But I don’t want to live like that.
Montevideo is a nice place to stay for 1-2 months when you want to chill, work out, and focus on work. But it can be difficult when you have the desire for more action.
It wasn’t for me, but I think some people would like it, depending on personality type.
Uruguayans are very respectful of different types of people and do not cause problems for foreigners. Nobody ever treated me badly.
Infrastructure is good, internet is fast, there is very little traffic, and shit generally works in Uruguay.
I know a lot of people that would love to be in this situation.
Quality of life
Cost - 2.5 / 5 (Uruguay is expensive)
Internet - 5 / 5
Safety - 5 / 5
Restaurants - 2.5 / 5 (there are some good restaurants but the majority of places are not worth the price)
Grocery stores - 5 / 5 (you can find high quality groceries)
Sports - 5 / 5 (good city for doing sports, a lot of activity by the rambla)
Gym access - 2.5 / 5 (There are some quality gyms but not many)
Nightlife - 2.5 / 5
Out of all the places I have lived, I have the most love/hate relationship with Montevideo.
When I’m very tired, after being in Brazil or Argentina, Montevideo is incredible. It’s quiet, peaceful, and I sleep amazing here.
I’m able to get into a really healthy routine, working out and focusing on my work. Chilling comfortably in coffee shops, walking by the beach, and crushing some amazing asado.
On the other hand, I don’t really relate to people that much in Montevideo. I find it so much easier to find common interests and make friends with Brazilians or Argentinians.
Uruguayans are nice, which is great, but I never felt at home here like I did in Brazil, Argentina, or Mexico, some of my favorite countries.
I have no regrets about my time in Montevideo, but I was ready for a change.