We missed Punta Del Este, Uruguay, because there was a medical emergency that caused us to return to Puerto Madryn to get a passenger to a hospital, so we had an extra sea day before arriving in Montevideo (which was fine with me because I was recovering from a cold). Luckily, by the time we arrived in Montevideo, I was feeling up to exploring the town, which is very close to the port. We got off early, before anything was open and the streets were deserted.
Old town with ship at end of street
Montevideo was voted the 5 th best city to live in the Americas, and I can see why. The old city has graceous old buildings, lots of pedestrian streets and very little traffic.
We had planned to do a walking tour that didn’t start until 11am, so we returned to the boat to rest until 10:30. The tour started at Plaza de Independencia and explored the old town.
Teatro Solis was the first theater in South America. Montevideo also has a carnival that lasts from mid January to the beginning of March (40 days).
Teatro Solis
Palacio Salvo has a sister building in Buenos Aires. It began life as a luxury hotel but was soon converted into office space and private apartments.
Uruguay is a very European city (94% os their DNA is European) and it’s a remarkably liberal country. It separated church and state when it adopted its constitution, and granted women the right to vote in 1913. Just recently, they legalized abortion, gay marriage, and recreational marijuana use. Apparently, as a result, narcotics trafficking has been drastically reduced. Their economy is among the strongest in South America.
Plaza Constitution is the old Spanish colonial square, with both the cathedral and government buildings.
There is a great market and restaurant complex right next to the port, but it was too warm for a big meal (mostly beef) so we decided to return to the ship to rest our weary legs after having walked 6 or 7 miles. Montevideo is a very walkable and visitor friendly city.