Uruguay Overview
Among the smallest countries in South America, Uruguay sits between Brazil and Argentina and though dwarfed by its neighbours in term of geographical size, it’s a destination capable of offering as much if not more to visitors in terms of culture, interesting sights, attractions and activities. Add to this the fact that Uruguay is one of South America’s safest countries and you begin to get the picture with regards to its viability as a tourist destination.
Montevideo is the country’s capital and is a city bursting with possibilities for visitors. Magnificent old buildings and well-preserved structures from the city’s colourful history are complemented by pleasing natural surroundings. Visitors can go sightseeing and check out the Salvo Palace and Independence Square or head for the city’s shopping malls for some retail therapy before finding a nice little eatery for a spot of lunch or dinner.
Punta del Este is Uruguay’s beach city and the place where you’ll find both package holidaymakers and members of the affluent jet-set fraternity. Miles of golden sands are typical of the Punta del Este coastline and are the main attraction of this laid-back, distinctly vacation-oriented destination. A wealth of accommodation options, great restaurants, numerous leisure activities and a lively evening entertainment scene make this the country’s premier coastal resort.Outdoor enthusiasts will find a great selection of options for activity, with Uruguay’s varying terrain and geography lending itself well to the pursuit of a variety of popular sports. Golfers can take advantage of a handful of scenic courses, while fans of water sports will find the beaches at Punta del Este, Piriápolis, Solis and Atlántida, are well suited to water skiing, sea kayaking, scuba diving and other well established pastimes.
The country enjoys a variety of lively festivals across the year and many visitors schedule their trips to coincide with some of the bigger events. Montevideo’s Mardi Gras, otherwise known as Las Llamadas, attracts big crowds with holidaymakers making up a significant proportion. Tacuarembo, meanwhile, packs them in March for the Festival of the Gaucho Culture and in June for the Festival of the Tango Culture.Uruguay is easily reached, having a major international airport in its capital city and the country being small enough that other destinations can be reached from there easily by road. Once in major cities such as Montevideo, Colonia and Punta de Este, visitors will find there are reliable and efficient bus services available for getting around. Taxis and car hire provide good alternatives for domestic travel.
The Charrúa Indians, an aboriginal tribe, were the first homo sapiens to make home on the territory that was later to become Uruguay. The tribes people lived at a subsistence level, with developed skills in fishing, hunting and basic aspects of self-preservation. The arrival of Spanish explorers in the 16th century was met with great hostility by the Charrúa, who were staunchly territorial. Violent encounters ensued, in which leading explorer Juan Diaz de Solís was killed, as were a significant proportion of his fellow travellers. It was another hundred years before the Charrúa adopted a more tolerant approach to outsiders, a shift that eventually resulted in the forging of a trading relationship with the Spanish.
The Portuguese arrived in the late 17th century and made a presence in the region with their Colonial settlement located on the Río de la Plata’s estuary. The Spanish were ill-impressed by this and attempted to reaffirm their claim to the area with the building of a citadel at what is now Montevideo. Portuguese settler José Artigas made a public declaration of his country’s claim to the region and it wasn’t long before tensions between the two nations came to a head and war broke out.
The Spanish and Portuguese, and the Brazilians also, fought for control of the region from 1825 until 1828. It was the British who were ultimately responsible for bringing an end to this particular period of conflict via their part in the orchestration of a deal, which saw Uruguay declare itself officially independent. The warring factions were still discontented, however, and hostility continued to plague the country for the better part of the 19th century.
The arrival of the 20th century saw a new era for Uruguay, with José Batlle y Ordóñez taking the role of president in 1903 and subsequently introducing a variety of fundamental political reforms to the country. Ordóñez enjoyed two terms in office (the first until 1907 and the second from 1911 to 1915), during which time he established a welfare state, abolished capital punishments and removed many of the government’s strong-arm policies.A period of economic recession began in the late 1950s and the country experienced high rates of inflation, widespread unemployment, a decline in its welfare state and a huge fall in the standard of living of blue-collar citizens. Unrest in the form of protests and militant demonstrations was an unfortunate consequence of the recession.
The country’s dire economic state encouraged corruption among officials and the subsequent establishment of control by dictatorship. A guerilla movement known as Tupamaros was formed in the late 60s and threatened government control with activities that aimed to bring food and money to the people by any means necessary. The army was brought in to remove Tupamaros, which they succeeded in doing before staging a coup that led to the removal of the government and the establishment of military rule.
The army retained the greater extent of the control of Uruguay until the 1984 when the swearing in of Julio María Sanguinetti as president marked the beginning of a new period of democracy. Under Sanguinetti, the country’s economy improved considerably and its current state owes much to his period of office. Although today the economy is still undermined by minor problems, it looks capable of sustaining stability for the future.Temperate weather characterises the climate of Uruguay, meaning that extreme heat or cold is uncommon and for most parts of the country, rainfall is distributed evenly across the seasons. Spring, summer, autumn and winter fall at opposite times to European countries.
Summer, lasting from December through until March, is the warmest season of the year, seeing highs in the upper 20ºC range. January gets the hottest temperatures with daily averages of 25ºC for the best part of the month, while towards the end of March, as the season peters out, temperatures being to drop slightly and rain is common. Summer is the chief tourist season as it’s never unbearably hot and weather conditions permit the pursuit of both indoor and outdoor activities.
The winter season arrives in June and lasts until August, during which time temperatures are cool but not excessively so and temperatures very rarely dip below freezing except in high mountainous areas. It’s possible to enjoy a holiday in Uruguay during this season, provided you pack some warm outdoor clothing.The spring and autumn seasons are transitional, bringing moderate weather conditions in which temperatures can be mild to warm. Daytime highs can climb into the 16 to 20ºC range, while nights and early mornings can see cooler, crisp conditions.
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