Travel Diary: Montevideo, Uruguay

If you’ve ever wanted to be a fly on the wall, stroll through the Old City of Montevideo on a Sunday. The capital of Uruguay is seriously stunning – in both its aura and picturesque features – and is home to gorgeous colonial architecture and a real sense of history. Walking through the streets, there are just as many crumbling as restored buildings. We felt this strange sense of time – not really knowing what time or place we’d stepped into. It’s a bit colonial, a little French, a sprinkle of modern. Yet for so much contrast, everything about this city feels authentic for whatever era you feel like transporting to. It’s safe to say it’s the closest I’ve been to an out of body experience.

The Old City is a ghost town on weekends, making a Sunday stroll through the streets completely enchanting. Montevideo is still so unknown by many people and even if it is known, it’s likely not high on people’s bucket lists. For this reason and so many others, it makes everything around you seem that much more special. Even better, the locals don’t seem to take notice of visitors (and that’s not because my Spanish accent is especially convincing).

So Dave and I spent our Sunday strolling through the streets, snapping pictures of the gorgeous architecture, never needing to pause for people passing by. We ate insanely delicious steaks at a parrilla counter as if it were our Sunday ritual. We enjoyed a long sobremesa – which in Spain is the leisurely time after everyone has finished eating, but before getting up from the table. We strolled Las Ramblas in awe of how even on a work night families with small children played along the ocean until close to 9:00 p.m. We sat in a neighborhood bar, full to the brim even late into the night, listening to Uruguayan bluegrass as if we went there every Sunday night. And it was there we saw the most insane harmonica solo that almost had us at our feet à la Pharrell on The Voice. We were so immersed in the culture that I’m not even sure a local could have spotted the tepid meat eating, in-bed-by-9:30, gringa I usually am. It was one of those days that reminds you of the truly good things in life and we had the luxury of enjoying it without disturbing the magic that is Montevideo on a Sunday.

Having said all this, Uruguay is incredibly underrated. The lack of attention travel writers pay to this beautiful country is criminal, yet I can almost thank them, because it allowed me the privilege of the most authentic travel experience I’ve ever known. The charm, the quiet streets and the low-key Uruguayan people – I will return, and I will give the country my full attention.

Montevideo “Insider” Tips

Here are three highlights from our trip, two of which we didn’t find in research prior but were so lucky to stumble upon.

Casa Sarandi

Since there are no travel books worth reading on Montevideo, and we didn’t have friends who had been, we were very lucky to stumble upon Casa Sarandi. This guesthouse absolutely made our stay. The owners, Karen and Sergio, are expats who have have been living in Montevideo since 2000. Casa Sarandi was inspired by B&Bs the couple visited in South Africa — warm, beautifully decorated with a unique hospitality. Perfectly situated in the Old City, Karen spent over an hour with us upon our arrival, making us cappuccinos and helping us map out our short three days in Montevideo. Side note: Karen gave us a “mini-guide” to the city that was far better than any book or information I found online.

Museo Andes 1972

The Andes Museum uses pictures and recovered artifacts to tell the story of 29 Uruguayans who were stranded in the Andes for over two months in 1972. If you don’t know the story, look it up. It’s insane. Their airplane crashed on its way from Montevideo to Santiago de Chile – what was supposed to be a short flight in the middle of summer left them in unimaginable conditions with little food and no warm clothing. The museum recounts the 72 days of this life and death struggle.

Bouza Bodega

I don’t know much about wine but I know this. Thanks to my trip to Montevideo, I love Tannat. If you’ve never heard of this variety, don’t worry, I bet you aren’t the only one. Tannat is a red-wine grape originating in the Basque country, but is now the national grape of Uruguay. Bouza specializes in Tannat among others like Tempranillo. This family run winery leads tours in both English and Spanish and have a great tasting with cheese and meat pairings. The winery was just a short cab ride from the city.