Montevideo & Punta Del Este, Uruguay

Uruguay was a last-minute travel decision in our South America itinerary and we are so happy we were able to squeeze it in!

The city of Montevideo is a quick ferry ride from Buenos Aires. It’s one of the most progressive countries in the world and has become a hotspot for millennials in South America. During our stay, we learned it’s a very inspirational location for artists too.

It was HOT here, like in the 90's hot. Everyone was running or biking on La Rambla, families were at the beach, guys were playing soccer. We were pleasantly surprised with the vibes and happy to have found them.

We also noticed the matè game is strong here. Everyone carries around a canister of hot water so they can continuously refill throughout the day. Americans are addicted to coffee, but it's all about the matè here.

Our next stop in Uraguay was Punta Del Este, where we stayed in a cute bed and breakfast, L’Auberge Hotel. Hailey loved everything about it.

Of course, it easily could have been because they serve waffles everyday at 4pm and we weren't about to pass that up…

It was much chillier in Punta Del Este and still a few months before high season. Given it's a popular beach / surf town, it's pretty much deserted during the off season. We had the town to ourselves and didn’t mind a break from the crowds.

Casapueblo, a hotel designed and built by a famous Argentinian artist was one of our favorite places. There was definitely inspiration from Picasso and we thought it looked like a giant sandcastle along the coast.

The art continued with a visit to a sculpture called La Mano (The Hand), we think it speaks for itself, and a roadside stop to walk through an abandoned home we found on our way East.

Just East of Punta Del Este is an even smaller beach town, Jose Ignacio. It’s been compared to The Hamptons or Monaco and it's where the rich and famous come to vacation. Given it wasn't high season yet, there weren't any celebrity sightings during our visit.

It was a moody day by the water and we couldn’t resist pulling over when we crossed this bridge on our way to lunch. It’s called the Laguna Garzon Bridge and was designed in a circular shape to force drivers to slow down. No surprise, Danny was not a fan.

La Huella restaurant in Jose Ignacio was the perfect place to end our time in Uruguay. Danny says it might have been one of his favorite meals from our whole trip. Fresh fish, grilled to perfection!

We loved Uruguay. Hopefully we have an opportunity to come back someday. Maybe when the weather is a little warmer in Punta Del Este.