From Wikitravel Shared

Montevideo is the pleasant capital city of Uruguay, a country in South America.

[edit] Get in

The Montevideo Carrasco International Airport (IATA: MVD) airport is about 15km east of the city center. Buses depart right outside the airport to Terminal Rio Branco, just north of many major sites downtown (easily walkable to hotels). The cost is 21 pesos (March 2005). There are also rides to the city with hyperinflated prices - 500 pesos and more. Normal metered cabs to the center should cost little more than 200 pesos.

[edit] Get around

If you are not bashful about your Spanish, feel free to ask people which bus route you need to take to get to your destination. It can be effective and cheap!

[edit] See

• Ciudad Vieja - Montevideo's Old Town. Enter through the portal called Puerta de la Ciudadela
• Plaza Independecia - the Independence Square at the end of the 18 de Julio ave.
• Palacio Salvo next to Plaza Independencia, once South America's highest buildings still dominates Montevideo's skyline.
• Underneath the statue on Plaza Indepencia is the Mausoleo de Artigas. Faint red light, a urn, one tourist and two guards. It makes you wonder what the latter are doing when you leave.
• National History Museum - spread between five old historic houses, holds important bits of the country's history. Entrance: free.
• The sexual diversity monument, erected in 2005, is located on Policia Vieja St., between Plaza de la Constituición and Plaza Independencia. It reads "Honouring diversity is honouring life; Montevideo is for the respect of all identities and sexual orientations". It's South America's first monument dedicated to sexual diversity. Other places of interest to gay people include the Edificio Liberaij, where two gay Argentine bank robbers (featured in the 1998 movie Plata Quemada) died in 1965.

[edit] Do

Any part of the Rambla waterside roadway has people biking, fishing, drinking mate, and enjoying the great views. 22 kilometers-long (13.6 miles), the Rambla goes along Montevideo's waterfront. Try sunset.

[edit] Buy

The Mercado de los Artesanos on the corner of Paraguay and Colonia streets is fantastic! It contains goods from different artists and craftspeople in leather, paper, woodwork, textiles, etc.

The Montevideo Leather Factory at Plaza Independencia 832 has a wide range of leather jackets at reasonable prices, and they offer to custom make a jacket to your measurements in 24 hours. Phone +598 2 901 6226.

[edit] Eat

[edit] What

• Uruguay has arguably the best meat in the world and Montevideo has many parrillas where it is deliciously grilled.
• Chivito is the local sandwich with the best local meat and veggies. It can be served "al plato" (at the dish) what means it is going to take fork and knife to be eaten. It is tastier, cheaper and much bigger than a hamburger.
• Great local frankfurters with special mustard can be found at traditional restaurant chain "La Pasiva"

[edit] Where

• The touristy Mercado del Puerto houses a dozen or so restaurants. Most offer grilled meat. There you can find good Paellas too.
• Another area with a number of recommendable restaurants is "Pocitos". Worth mentioning are "Montechristo" which offers innovative and very tasty dishes and is located in a castle-like building that used to be the house of an alchemist, and "Cru", considered Montevideo's finest restaurant, and a good sample of Uruguayan New Cuisine.
• There are many good sidewalk cafés in the city center along the pedestrian streets towards the Old Town.

[edit] Drink

• El Mate. The most popular traditional drink to be found anywhere and everywhere in the city of Montevideo. Mate is derived from the herb yerba that was originally used by the indigenous Guarani living near the Rio de la Plata. Most of the city-dwellers in Montevideo prefer to drink their Mate without sugar, what they call a 'Mate amargo'. Gourds and horns are constantly being refilled from sun-up to sun-down in this city.

[edit] Sleep

• Albergue Juvenil, Canalones 935, 02-908-1324. Nice HI-Hostel close to the center. With kitchen and internet access.
• Ciudad Vieja Hostel[1], in the Core of the Historical Heart of the City and in the Middle of Montevideo’s Nightlife.
• Red Hostel[2] is a 2004 renovated old Montevideo classic French home. Typical hostel traffic, but very nice staff who like to hang out with their friends late at night on the hostel roof.
• Hotel Solis, Bartolomé Mitre 1314, Tel: 915 0279. Rumor has it that the hotel was originally built by a former president at the turn of the 20th century for his mistress. The hotel is located near the Plaza de Independencia and the Teatro Solis. Prices are exceptional (10-16 USD) and the staff is incredibly friendly and helpful. Many of the best restaurants, music, bars, and sightseeing spots are literally within a few steps of the front door.
• Ibis Montevideo[3], Calle La Cumparsita, 1473. Tel: 413-7000 (fax : 413-6245, ibismontevideo@accor.com.uy). A 5-minute walk from the old town, this chain hotel has simple but comfortable rooms and is bookable over the internet. Singles/doubles 920 pesos.
• The Radisson is on a main square and costs about USD $80-$100 per night. It has a pool. It may have been a former Moonies building. Room 1958 has a horrible problem with windows creaking in the night and morning, probably due to the changing temperature. Breakfast buffet is included in the rate, as well as several pieces of underwear washed for you daily. (March 2005)
• The area around Plaza Cagancha also has many hostels and hotels.

[edit] Get out

• Colonia - A pleasant little World Heritage colonial town

This is a usable article. It has information for getting in as well as some complete entries for restaurants and hotels. An adventurous person could use this article, but please plunge forward and help it grow!