Colonial Colonia, Montevideo's Rambla and the beaches of the Atlantic coast
Stroll the cobbled lanes of Colonia del Sacramento, eat asado at Montevideo's port market, sip Tannat in the wine country and follow the Atlantic shore to Punta del Este and Cabo Polonio.
Most travellers begin in Montevideo. Our specialists typically suggest 6–10 nights to see the highlights without rushing — longer if you’d like to combine regions or add beach time.
Uruguay at a glanceCountry details are maintained by our travel specialists. Live weather is provided by an external service and updates automatically.
Colonia del Sacramento was founded by the Portuguese in 1680 on a peninsula in the Río de la Plata, opposite Buenos Aires, and changed hands between Portugal and Spain many times. Its small walled Barrio Histórico, with irregular cobbled lanes and low colonial houses, has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1995.
A seaside city on a peninsula in Maldonado Department, about 140 kilometres east of Montevideo, that grew from a small town into a resort for the Latin American and international jet set. Its coast is split between the sheltered Mansa side on the Río de la Plata and the open Brava side on the Atlantic.
The Ciudad Vieja is the historic core of Montevideo, a peninsula at the mouth of the harbour where the Spanish built a walled city in the eighteenth century. Today it mixes colonial buildings, Art Deco and Neoclassical façades, museums, cafés and the pedestrian Sarandí street.
A small village on a rocky cape inside Cabo Polonio National Park, reached only across the dunes in off-road vehicles or on foot. It has no streets, mains electricity or running water, and a colony of sea lions lives on the rocks below its lighthouse.
Landmarks, sacred sites, islands, parks and food streets — each with its story, the best time to go and what’s nearby.
16 places in Uruguay
Uruguay · 7 nights4★ BoutiqueUruguay · 7 nights4★ Boutique8 days · 4★ boutique · indicative from $2,258 pp. Every day can be adjusted.
View full packageYou’re met at Carrasco International Airport and taken to your hotel near the Rambla.
A guided walk through the Ciudad Vieja, from Plaza Independencia and Teatro Solís to lunch at the grills of the Mercado del Puerto.
Drive west to Colonia, about two and a half hours, stopping at a family winery for a Tannat tasting and lunch.
A guided walk through the cobbled historic quarter, the lighthouse and the Calle de los Suspiros, with the afternoon free.
Drive east along the coast to Punta del Este, passing through Montevideo.
See La Mano on Brava Beach and the port, then watch the sunset from Casapueblo, the white cliff-top house built by artist Carlos Páez Vilaró.
Asado and chivito, empanadas, dulce de leche, mate and Tannat wine
Candombe drumming, gaucho traditions and a relaxed European-influenced city life
Leather goods, mate gourds, local wine and amethyst from the north
Winery visits, beach days, old-town walks and estancia stays
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