Uruguay

[TruthBTold]

I was thinking of visiting Uruguay with thoughts of eventually moving there.  It is a very stable democracy with a high standard of living.  It has a large expat community living there and Montevideo (the capital) is large and modern.  It granted homosexuals in the 1930s, well before the U.S. and before the rest of Latin America.  It has a small country with a very temperate climate and much of it is beach front property.  Depending on where you rent/buy, you can be a 15 minute ferry ride from Buenos Aires (where I have family).  Unfortunately, I would have to learn a lot more Spanish than I know.  The food is more meat based than fish based which is more to my liking.  Unlike much of the rest of South and Central America it is a secular society.  From what I have read it a very friendly society.  It is not as cheap as much of the rest of Latin America but still only about 3/4 the cost of the U.S.  At any rate, if you have visited there I was wondering how you liked it or the things you did not like about it. 

[menaughty]

This is just my opinion:

I visited Uruguay last year. 

I found Montevideo to be boring. However, it has a beach (Playa Ramirez area) and gets lively during the evening. I honestly had a lot of expectations from Montevideo but it did not live it up. Some areas are not even that great. The food was not good either. 

I also visited Punta del Este and that is a beach town. I like beaches but I am not a huge fan of beaches. However, Punta del este is nice and cute. A little like Cancun or puerto vallarta. 

Uruguay is a secular country and I love that. It is a small country but it is expensive in terms of Latin American standards. 
 

I am not sure what your ethnicity is (I am brown) and Uruguay is mostly white and I remember the tour guide telling me that we tolerate people of color but we do not pro create with them. (He laughed about it)
 

But if you haven’t visited Uruguay, I definitely recommend visiting and judging it yourself.

I had more fun in Argentina honestly. 

 

[TruthBTold]

I am Italian and I think that Uruguay (like Argentina) was one of the places that Italians came after the United States began to cut off immigration in the very early 1900s.  I am not sure what type of Italian foods (north or south) the Uruguayans incorporated.  The secular aspect of the country would also attract me to going and staying in if I liked it.  The only other Latin American country that I have visited is Brazil and I really liked it.  The mixture of the men in every aspect I found unparalleled.  Fortunately or unfortunately I have reached that age that I am not looking for a night life, etc.   

[SirBillybob]

One of the reasons I like Brazil as a septuagenarian is that an early evening somewhat vibrant gay nightlife is accessible as needed and on demand when in my northern city I’d just be another old guy stretching out a sedate ‘happy hour’ with age peers or younger alcohol dependents. I also love early morning starts there. But let’s not go overboard here with discussions about Brazil. 😉

Edited March 4 by SirBillybob

[+ José Soplanucas]

Have you ever visited Uruguay, @TruthBTold? I love the country, although I would prefer living in Brazil or Argentina, but that is personal preference. Uruguay is indeed an amazing place to live in. Besides all its pros, is very well located to visit other more "stimulating" locations in its vicinity, as you point out.

Go for it.

[pubic_assistance]

23 hours ago, TruthBTold said:

if you have visited there I was wondering how you liked it or the things you did not like about it. 

I traveled through Uruguay several years ago. Firstly I have to disagree with @menaughty about the food. The focus is simple meats and vegetables all done "Asar a la parrilla" (grilled). I found the restaurant culture to be fresh and deliciously healthy. So it's all a matter of how you like to eat. I am not a fan of US.American food (in spite of being born here).

I do agree that Montevideo can be a bit sleepy. It's a low key lifestyle there. But being one of the few successful Socialist systems on the planet, they've accomplished a community of happy middle class people with little poverty (but also limited wealth). The only "glamourous"  area is Punta del Este, which I found to be artificial, pretentious and unappealing in comparison to the REAL-NESS of the rest of the country.

I started my visit in Montevideo which has a beautiful array of interesting building styles if you're a fan of architecture. Then up the coast via public transportation, which was clean, reliable and safe. Everyone was kind and helpful with my broken Spanish. Lots of charming historical spots along the way. Ending up in Cabo Polonio a charming (unofficial) hippy village at a rock point with beautiful ocean views and a huge colony of sea lions.

What I liked most about Uruguay was THE PEOPLE. Without the pressures of navigating an unbalanced economic system, the majority of people, I met were laid-back, generous and kind. I never felt unsafe (with the exception of some rough teenagers in and around the abandoned buildings near the old port.)..but police presence was plentiful in areas where pickpockets work the tourist crowds.

I wouldn't endorse the Country if you're looking for excitement, but if you want a peaceful existence in your retirement amongst lovely people, then it's a place I would definitley recommend.

[SirBillybob]

Abandoned buildings old port. U r guay. 😉

[+ Lucky]

Interesting article on Uruguay. Supposedly I have gifted the article, but don't be surprised to hit a paywall.

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/03/travel/uruguay-montevideo-la-rambla-waterfront.html

[MscleLovr]

I agree with a lot of what @pubic_assistance wrote.
 

I enjoyed visiting Uruguay 5x but the last time was 12 years ago. I had great vacations at the beach by staying in Jose Ignacio. While I too disliked the built-up Punta del Este, I’d recommend Jose Ignacio for charm, beautiful beaches and good restaurants. But don’t think that it’s cheap: the prices in season back then often rivalled the South of France. Nonetheless, quality matched the prices; both were high. 

I felt Jose Ignacio was what East Hampton was like in the 1960s (according to my parents’ reminiscing). It felt very safe. Often the beach houses were very smart, yet left empty and unlocked. There was a small crime wave when I was there last: a band of Brazilian criminals had drive overland and robbed stores at gunpoint etc, but the local police (visible police cars parked on the main entry roads) assured me they were hunting them.

i have no first-hand knowledge but an Argentine woman, whose elderly parents lived in Montevideo, told me there was a lot of low level crime there. It had worsened in the previous years to such an extent that they had considered moving back to Buenos Aires.

Incidentally I was unaware that the ferry crossing was now so rapid, as @TruthBTold stated, that you could get to Buenos Aires in 15 minutes. When I made the crossing several times, it took some hours. 

[+ José Soplanucas]

2 hours ago, MscleLovr said:

I agree with a lot of what @pubic_assistance wrote.
 

I enjoyed visiting Uruguay 5x but the last time was 12 years ago. I had great vacations at the beach by staying in Jose Ignacio. While I too disliked the built-up Punta del Este, I’d recommend Jose Ignacio for charm, beautiful beaches and good restaurants. But don’t think that it’s cheap: the prices in season back then often rivalled the South of France. Nonetheless, quality matched the prices; both were high. 

I felt Jose Ignacio was what East Hampton was like in the 1960s (according to my parents’ reminiscing). It felt very safe. Often the beach houses were very smart, yet left empty and unlocked. There was a small crime wave when I was there last: a band of Brazilian criminals had drive overland and robbed stores at gunpoint etc, but the local police (visible police cars parked on the main entry roads) assured me they were hunting them.

i have no first-hand knowledge but an Argentine woman, whose elderly parents lived in Montevideo, told me there was a lot of low level crime there. It had worsened in the previous years to such an extent that they had considered moving back to Buenos Aires.

Incidentally I was unaware that the ferry crossing was now so rapid, as @TruthBTold stated, that you could get to Buenos Aires in 15 minutes. When I made the crossing several times, it took some hours. 

I am sure @TruthBTold's was a figure of speech. The fastest boat from Montevideo is 2 hours. A flight takes almost one hour. 

If you have been in Uruguay 12 years ago, you will not recognize all the beaches from Jose Ignacio (which is even fancier than P del Este) to the North. There has been a lot of development, and there are many options for different vibes and budgets. I think the last hippie reduct is Cabo Polonio. 

[TruthBTold]

On 3/7/2025 at 6:09 AM, José Soplanucas said:

I am sure @TruthBTold's was a figure of speech. The fastest boat from Montevideo is 2 hours. A flight takes almost one hour. 

If you have been in Uruguay 12 years ago, you will not recognize all the beaches from Jose Ignacio (which is even fancier than P del Este) to the North. There has been a lot of development, and there are many options for different vibes and budgets. I think the last hippie reduct is Cabo Polonio. 

You're right Jose', it probably should be Truthb(generally)told however I just did not think it had the same ring to it.  😃   At any rate, you are right.  I was speaking about a ferry from Colonia de Sacramento to BA and that is still about one hour and a quarter.  And it appears that no one would probably want to live in a city that small.  The ferry from Montevideo to Buenos Aires is about 3 hours (more or less) depending on the ferry you choose.  

[+ José Soplanucas]

20 hours ago, TruthBTold said:

You're right Jose', it probably should be Truthb(generally)told however I just did not think it had the same ring to it.  😃   At any rate, you are right.  I was speaking about a ferry from Colonia de Sacramento to BA and that is still about one hour and a quarter.  And it appears that no one would probably want to live in a city that small.  The ferry from Montevideo to Buenos Aires is about 3 hours (more or less) depending on the ferry you choose.  

There is a super fast boat that makes Motev/BA in 2 hours, although I am unsure about calling it a ferry. 

About Colonia de Sacramento, it is actually a place I would consider to live in. It is a beautiful, colonial small town by the river, just a few hours away from two national capitals and several ports and airports. 

If you are looking for big cities to live in, Colonia is not a match for you. However, I would not miss the joy of a visit to this historic town if I were nearby. 

[BSR]

5 hours ago, José Soplanucas said:

There is a super fast boat that makes Motev/BA in 2 hours, although I am unsure about calling it a ferry. 

About Colonia de Sacramento, it is actually a place I would consider to live in. It is a beautiful, colonial small town by the river, just a few hours away from two national capitals and several ports and airports. 

If you are looking for big cities to live in, Colonia is not a match for you. However, I would not miss the joy of a visit to this historic town if I were nearby. 

Just googled it, the ferry from Buenos Aires to Colonia is just 1h15m.  Thanks for the tip, I’ll definitely try to get there for a weekend (too much for a day trip?) while in BA.

Edited March 9 by BSR
Wording

[TruthBTold]

8 hours ago, José Soplanucas said:

There is a super fast boat that makes Motev/BA in 2 hours, although I am unsure about calling it a ferry. 

About Colonia de Sacramento, it is actually a place I would consider to live in. It is a beautiful, colonial small town by the river, just a few hours away from two national capitals and several ports and airports. 

If you are looking for big cities to live in, Colonia is not a match for you. However, I would not miss the joy of a visit to this historic town if I were nearby. 

Thanks Jose'.  The only thing that mandates me living in a bigger city is a medical condition.  Otherwise Colonia de Sacramento is just my sort of thing, particularly at my stage of life.  CdS looks absolutely lovely and it has a partial UNESCO World Heritage Site so I am sure it is very interesting.

[+ José Soplanucas]

13 hours ago, BSR said:

Just googled it, the ferry from Buenos Aires to Colonia is just 1h15m.  Thanks for the tip, I’ll definitely try to get there for a weekend (too much for a day trip?) while in BA.

I used to go for weekends when I was living in BA. It is the perfect peaceful town for romantic escapades.

[mike carey]

A little off-topic, but a shipyard in Tasmania is building an electric fast catamaran to operate from Buenos Aires to Colonia.

Building the world's largest electric ferry - ABC News

WWW.ABC.NET.AU

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Over the centuries ferries have evolved from using paddles to steam engines, to burning diesel and gas. Can the...

 

[+ FrankR]

1 hour ago, mike carey said:

A little off-topic, but a shipyard in Tasmania is building an electric fast catamaran to operate from Buenos Aires to Colonia.

Building the world's largest electric ferry - ABC News

WWW.ABC.NET.AU

---

Over the centuries ferries have evolved from using paddles to steam engines, to burning diesel and gas. Can the...

 

Continuing off topic - I’ve never enjoyed the word “catamaran”; it is bulky, awkward and down right coarse.  I prefer a more descriptive name like “two-ti-raft-ti”! But I will bow to the experience of my friend @mike carey who has more experience in wielding words like “didgeridoo” without blinking! 😆

[mike carey]

1 minute ago, FrankR said:

Continuing off topic - I’ve never enjoyed the word “catamaran”; it is bulky, awkward and down right coarse.  I prefer a more descriptive name like “two-ti-raft-ti”! But I will bow to the experience of my friend @mike carey who has more experience in wielding words like “didgeridoo” without blinking! 😆

I'm sorry that words like 'catamaran' dog you so! Shall we just call it a 'fairy'. I mean 'ferry'.

[MikeBiDude]

5 hours ago, mike carey said:

I'm sorry that words like 'catamaran' dog you so! Shall we just call it a 'fairy'. I mean 'ferry'.

In my world of boating its a “multi hull”.

[moonlight]

I've wondered why Rentmen doesn't show listings for Uruguay. Probably because it's not a major tourist destination and there are other Spanish-language resources but idk.

[wanker]

https://www.guruguay.com/