|
Uruguay: off the map?
The first thing to say about Uruguay is that it's definitely not like many
other Latin
American countries – and that's a big positive. Uruguay is small
by the standards of its big neighbours, about one-third larger than England.
The nation is prosperous and stable, run by serious politicians who are not
in the game to enrich themselves. The buses run on time, and hotels and
restaurants are down-to-earth and friendly (much like the Uruguayan people)
– except in the main beach resort of Punta del Este, which in season is
essentially an Argentinian enclave.
Uruguay is squeezed between two giant neighbours, with Argentina to the south
and Brazil to the north, and it has the same sort of relation to them as
does Canada to the United States, or Ireland to Britain – a sense of being
overshadowed by a larger, louder neighbour, while its inhabitants feel, deep
inside, that they are the smarter, wittier ones.
Many European travellers pass through Uruguay only briefly en route between
Argentina and Brazil, or pop over for a flying visit from Buenos Aires
before returning to the big-city delights of the Argentinian capital. But
Uruguay deserves attention in its own right – and is also the country that,
more than any other in South America, could be classed as the ideal
low-budget, low-stress introduction to the continent.
Paint me a picture
The Atlantic coast to the east of Montevideo is marked by a succession of
rocky capes. Each has a calmer beach on its western side and a wilder beach,
usually dominated with surfers, on its eastern side. The interior comprises
mainly open grassland roamed by large herds of cattle, waiting to be
converted into the world's finest beef. There are still traditional
estancias where you can stay and ride with the gauchos – such as the
Estancia La Sirena, near Rio Negro in the Soriano department (00 598 99 102
130; lasirena.com.uy). The cost of full board is a modest US$110 (£74) per
person, per night for full board and all activities.
The west of the country, along the Rio Uruguay which gave the country its
name, is known for hot springs and unspoilt wetlands, with a wonderful array
of bird species and stunning sunsets.
Oh, and the nation excels at football. Even though Uruguay has only about as
many people as the West Midlands, the national team has done brilliantly to
win the World Cup twice and reach the semi-finals this year. If you want to
see a game, the best venue is Montevideo's Estadio Centenario.
Where do I start?
Almost all visitors arrive in Montevideo – a surprisingly elegant capital, on
a human scale. Like Acapulco and Rio, it is a Latin American city with an
excellent beach attached.
Montevideo's museums are not exactly world-class, but the main drag, the
Avenida 18 de Julio, is lined with a top-notch line-up of architecture from
the 1870s to the present, with plenty of over-the-top historical eclecticism
and much cooler Art Deco.
The city's main landmark is the Palacio Salvo, a tower that resembles Jules
Verne's idea of a space rocket. Beyond it lies the Ciudad Vieja (Old Town),
with colonial buildings – some very dilapidated – and the city's liveliest
bars, such as Roldos, in the Mercado del Puerto.
Where can I stay – and eat?
Plenty of visitors stay in one of the capital's many locally owned mid-range
hotels, such as the Balmoral Plaza at Plaza Cagancha 1126 (00 598 2 902
2393; balmoral.com.uy; doubles from US$90/£60 room only). Luxury chains such
as the Four Points by Sheraton at Ejido 1275 (00 598 2 901 7000;
fourpoints.com/montevideo) are represented, with rates well below the
international norm. Doubles here start at US$155 (£103) room only.
Montevideo now has half-a-dozen backpackers' hostels, such as the Red Hostel
at San Jose 1406 (00 598 2 908 8514/16; redhostel.com), where rates start at
US$14 (£9) per night including breakfast.
Perhaps surprisingly, Montevideo is one of the best places in the world to
sample Basque cuisine, because of the number of immigrants from northern
Spain and south-west France who settled here. Baserri Etxeko at the corner
of Avenida Julio Herrera at Calle Reissig 957 (00 598 2 411 6895;
baserricocina vasca.blogspot.com) is highly regarded for seafood. It opens
noon-3pm and 8pm-midnight daily except Sunday.
El Fogó*at San Jose 1080 (00 598 2 900 0900; elfogon.com.uy) is one of the
most renowned parrilladas (grills). It opens noon-4pm and 7pm-1am daily, and
is well placed for many mid-range hotels.
The Rincó*de Zabala (Rincó*787; 00 598 2 915 1617; open 9.30am-5.30pm from
Monday to Friday), known as RdZ ("erre-day-zayta"), is a stylish
place for lunch. It's aimed at financial types but is well within the budget
of those working their way through the nearby museums. Besides sandwiches,
there is always a cheap menu of the day, plus specials such as veal, stuffed
pumpkins or paella.
For something simpler and cheaper, El Gaucho (18 de Julio 1449 at the corner
of Barrios Amorin; 00 598 2 908 3249; elgaucho.com.uy) is an all-day diner
(8am-1am daily) with few pretensions.
Where next?
Colonia del Sacramento, better known simply as Colonia, is the country's
best-preserved colonial town and a touristic hotspot. Despite its location
just across the River Plate from Buenos Aires – to which it is linked by
frequent fast ferries, taking just an hour for a fare of US$25 (£16.50) with
Buquebus (buquebus.com) – Colonia retains a village-like charm. The jumble
of mainly 17th-century buildings is now occupied by galleries and
restaurants. The Municipal Museum at Plaza Mayor 77 is well worth exploring.
Consider staying at the Hotel Posada Casa Los Pinos at Washington Barbot 191
(00 598 52 31470; posadacasalospinos.com) where double rooms start at US$49
(£33) including breakfast.
I need a beach
A couple of hours east of the capital, Uruguay's Punta del Este is the leading
Argentine beach resort (due to the lack of decent beaches anywhere on the
south side of the River Plate). It has all the bling-tastic hotels and clubs
a self-respecting Porteño [a resident of Buenos Aires] could wish for. For
something cooler and less crowded, La Barra and Manantiales – around 20km
further east – are where the surfing dudes hang out, V Cwith the bars
pumping out the vibes late into the night. At the stylish and relaxed Posada
de los Pajaros at Calle 10 & 5, parada 48 in Montoya (00 598 42 772181;
posadadelospajaros.com.uy) a double room costs from US$130 (£86), including
breakfast.
A little further east, from here to the chic fishing village of José Ignacio,
is where the really rich and fashionable – including Argentine politicians
and tycoons, singers such as Shakira, supermodels such as Gisele Bundchen
and the writer Martin Amis – rent villas.
José Ignacio has no budget accommodation, but boasts boutique hotels built in
a strikingly minimalist white-cube style. A good example is Posada del Faro,
Calle de la Bahia (00 598 486 2110; posadadelfaro.com) where doubles start
at US$180 (£120), including breakfast.
The great outdoors?
Surfing in the west, bird-watching in the east (and elsewhere), and
horse-riding throughout the country are the most obvious outdoor activities.
Many of Uruguay's estancias welcome visitors, who mostly come for horseback
riding (perhaps heading out at dawn with the gauchos to select cattle for
dipping and other treatments). Tour operator Last Frontiers (01296 653000;
lastfrontiers.com) can put together a custom itinerary lasting around nine
days from £1,415, excluding flights.
There is little hiking terrain or genuine backcountry. The country's highest
point, Cerro Catedral, rises a mere 514 metres above sea level, but it's not
a bad hike, mainly due to the birdlife along the way. You can access it from
buses between Maldonado and Aigua; stay at the Posada de Campo La Laguna (00
598 944 23136; posadadecampolalaguna.com).
What's the food and drink like?
Uruguayan grass-fed beef is possibly the finest in the world, and the country
has a fine sideline in seafood as well. Many of the people here are of
Italian extraction, so almost every urban restaurant offers pasta, as well
as a local approximation to pizza.
Rural Uruguay has a wide range of establishments, from pretty basic working
farms to luxury country hotels with spas, swimming pools, tennis courts and
even their own wineries – but all offer a warm welcome and large quantities
of wholesome food, usually beef.
Uruguay's wineries are all boutique-sized (Chile's Concha y Toro winery
produces more wine than the whole of Uruguay), and thus will never have much
impact on the world's supermarkets, but they are almost all family-run,
individual and very welcoming. In the Montevideo department, for example,
you could visit the amusingly named Bodega Bouza at Camino de la Redencion
7658 bis (00 598 2 323 4030; bodegabouza.com).
Tannat, an obscure grape from south-west France, has become Uruguay's national
varietal. As the name implies, it is heavy on tannin. But skilled winemakers
and modern techniques now produce some superb wines: full-bodied, fruity and
a bit smoky. Tannat-merlot blends work well, and some wineries are
introducing delicious fortified tannats.
Tim Burford is author of the Bradt Travel Guide to Uruguay (£15.99), the
first English-language guide dedicated to Uruguay alone.
A sense of history
Uruguay has been inhabited for at least 13,000 years; from around 4,000 years
ago the main inhabitants were known as the Charrúa, who were largely killed
off by the Europeans who arrived some time between 1502 and 1516. The few
remaining aboriginal inhabitants were assimilated by the mid-19th century.
The first Europeans introduced cattle, but they were left to run wild and
breed like crazy, with Spanish settlers from Buenos Aires landing
occasionally to kill some for their hides (rather than their meat).
Spanish Jesuits founded a mission at Isla Vizcaino in 1624, while in 1680 the
Portuguese established Colonia del Sacramento as a rival to Buenos Aires,
directly across the River Plate.
Spain and Portugal tussled over the so-called Banda Oriental (Eastern Shore)
until Spain achieved supremacy in the 1770s. Almost at once, however, in the
aftermath of the Napoleonic wars, an independence movement gathered pace. It
was led by the "father of the nation", José Gervasio Artigas. This
established Uruguay as a separate nation independent from the future
Argentina. In 1820 the country was occupied by Brazil, but independence was
finally achieved in 1828 by Juan Antonio Lavalleja, with the help of British
diplomats.
Civil war dominated much of the rest of the 19th century, but from 1903
President José Batlle y Ordóñez began the creation of a progressive welfare
state, with stable democratic government and a profitable agricultural
sector, exporting huge quantities of beef worldwide.
In the 1970s a military dictatorship triggered an urban guerrilla movement
(the Tupamaros), but a democratic transition allowed a return to stability.
Since 1995 the leftist Frente Amplio (Broad Front) has ruled, benefiting
from firm commodity prices for natural resources such as wood pulp, as well
as beef, wheat and soya.
The Fray Bentos story
Initially cattle in Uruguay were raised for leather, but when Justus von
Liebig, "father of organic chemistry", invented concentrated meat
extract around 1840, nutrition soon became a far more profitable line of
business.
The Liebig Company pioneering modern marketing techniques to create a
worldwide market. A plant was established at the small port of Fray Bentos ("Friar
Benedict"), on the Rio Uruguay.
From 1887 canning technology allowed the introduction of corned beef and
steak-and-kidney pies, and – in 1899 – a cheap-to-produce meat extract
called Oxo (a pun on "ox"). Further expansion came in the early
20th century with the introduction of refrigeration. At its peak, the plant
processed 2,000 or more cattle a day, as well as lambs, pigs, turkeys and
fruit and vegetables.
Fray Bentos played a huge role supplying the troops in both World Wars and the
Korean War. But it was taken over by the British firm Vesteys in 1979; with
no investment, changing trade patterns led to its closure in 1979. The
plant, known as "El Anglo", remained in a state of suspended
animation, and finally reopened as the Museo de la Revolució*Industrial
(Museum of the Industrial Revolution) in 2005, thanks to a dedicated band of
local enthusiasts.
Each year more is restored and reopened, and in any case, the scale of the
place is impressive, and the enthusiasm of the guides infectious. You can
reach Fray Bentos by bus from Montevideo. The museum opens 9am-7.30pm daily,
and later on summer weekends and holidays. Admission is US$1 (60p), with an
extra $1.40 (90p) for a guided tour (at 10am and 3pm daily).
Travel essentials: Uruguay
Getting there
* Fares from the UK to Montevideo are relatively high, because of the limited
competition. The main links are from Madrid on Iberia, code-shared with the
national airline, Pluna. Typical fares for November from Heathrow to
Montevideo's spanking new airport on Iberia are around £900 return. Via Sao
Paulo, TAM has a fare from Heathrow of £750 return.
* The other approach takes advantage of the much stronger competition to
Buenos Aires across the River Plate in Argentina. On TAM, the fare in
November is below £700. From the Argentinian capital, there are good ferry
connections from Colonia and Montevideo.
Getting around
* From Montevideo's very efficient Tres Cruces bus terminal, frequent and
comfortable coaches fan out across the country. The longest journey from
here is to Artigas in under eight hours, for a fare of US$24 (£16).
* International and local car rental companies are widespread, with compact
cars available from US$40 (£27) a day or US$200 (£133) a week; automatics
cost a lot more, and one-way rentals are rarely possible.
* Cycling is enjoyable, especially due to the courteous and patient local
drivers; there are few facilities specifically for cycling, but main roads
have decent shoulders.
Red tape and currency
* British passport holders need no visas for stays of up to three months. The
local currency is the Uruguayan peso, which presently trades at a rate of
around £1=30. The best way to carry money is in US dollars – sterling is
barely recognised.
When to go
* November – which corresponds with late spring/early summer – is ideal, in
terms of low air fares, easily available accommodation and climate. Peak
season is from December to February, although prices only go totally insane
in Punta del Este for New Year and the first two weeks of January. Autumn,
ie the northern hemisphere's spring, is also very pleasant, and even the
midwinter months of June and July are not particularly cold or wet.
* Although Uruguayans are generally quiet and sober, Montevideo boasts the
longest carnival season of any, starting with a deafening procession of
massed drummers (Las Llamadas), usually in February, followed by the glitzy
Carnaval opening parade and then performances of murga, a sort of satirical
musical theatre, for a month on stages in each quarter of the capital and
its open-air theatre. Carnaval in 2011 last for 40 days, climaxing between 4
and 8 March.
Health
* No vaccinations are required. Dengue and yellow fever occur in some nearby
parts of Argentina, but have not yet appeared in Uruguay, which has a good
health system.
More information
* For further information contact Uruguay's Ministry of Tourism (Ministerio de
Turismo y Deporte, Rambla 25 de Agosto de 1825 & Yacaré, Montevideo; 00
598 2 188 5100; uruguaynatural.com).
View our great offers for Americas
Source: The Independent(www.independent.co.uk) |
