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Montevideo is the capital and largest city of Uruguay, on the northern shore of the Río de la Plata. It is famous for its historic Ciudad Vieja, the long seaside Rambla, grand buildings such as Palacio Salvo and the Solís Theatre, and the asado grills of Mercado del Puerto.
Spain founded Montevideo as a walled port city in the 1720s to counter the Portuguese, and it became the capital when Uruguay gained independence. The old walls came down in 1829, but the Gateway of the Citadel still stands. Today about one in three Uruguayans lives in the city.
Start in Plaza Independencia, then walk through the Ciudad Vieja to the cathedral, Palacio Taranco and the Mercado del Puerto. Football fans head for Estadio Centenario, while the Rambla leads past Pocitos Beach to Punta Carretas. Spring and summer, from October to March, are the best seasons.
Ciudad Vieja is the old town of Montevideo, set on a peninsula at the mouth of the port and founded as a walled Spanish city in 1724. Its streets are packed with Art Deco, Art Nouveau and neoclassical buildings, museums and galleries. Stroll the pedestrian Sarandí street toward the port.
Plaza Independencia is the main square of Montevideo, laid out in the 19th century on the site of the old Spanish citadel between the Ciudad Vieja and the modern center. A statue of national hero José Artigas rises in the middle, and Palacio Salvo and the Gateway of the Citadel face it.
Montevideo Metropolitan Cathedral faces Constitution Square in the Ciudad Vieja, across from the old Cabildo, and is the main Catholic church of Montevideo. Its neoclassical building was begun in 1790 and consecrated in 1804, on the site of a 1740 brick church. Look inside at its altars and tombs.
Solís Theatre, beside Plaza Independencia in Montevideo, is the most important theatre in Uruguay, opened in 1856 to a design by Italian architect Carlo Zucchi. Named after explorer Juan Díaz de Solís, it was restored between 1998 and 2004. Take a guided tour, or book a seat for a show.
Palacio Salvo rises 105 meters over Plaza Independencia in Montevideo and was briefly the tallest building in Latin America when it was finished in 1928. Italian architect Mario Palanti designed it, and it stands where the tango La Cumparsita was first played in 1917. A small Tango Museum is inside.
The Legislative Palace in the Aguada area of Montevideo is the seat of the General Assembly of Uruguay, a monumental marble building raised between 1904 and 1925. It opened on 25 August 1925 for the centenary of the Declaration of Independence. Join a guided tour to see its grand halls and chambers.
Palacio Taranco stands on Plaza Zabala in the Ciudad Vieja of Montevideo, a French-style palace finished in 1910 by Charles Girault and Jules Chifflot, architects of the Petit Palais in Paris. It now houses the Museum of Decorative Arts, with European furniture and paintings. Tour its rooms.
Estadio Centenario in Parque Batlle, Montevideo, was built in 1929 and 1930 to host the first FIFA World Cup, and in 1983 FIFA declared it the first Historical Monument of World Football. It is the home of the Uruguay national team. Visit the football museum inside, or catch a match on game day.
Mercado del Puerto is a former covered market by the port in the Ciudad Vieja of Montevideo, now filled with restaurants grilling Uruguayan asado over open-fire parrillas under its iron roof. Come hungry at lunchtime, sit at a counter by the grill, and order a mixed grill with medio y medio.
The Torres García Museum in the Ciudad Vieja of Montevideo shows the paintings, drawings and writings of Joaquín Torres García, the Uruguayan master of constructive universalism. Founded by his family after his death in 1949, it has filled an Art Deco building on Sarandí since 1990.
The Andes 1972 Museum in the Ciudad Vieja of Montevideo tells the story of the 1972 plane crash in the Andes, when a Uruguayan rugby team and others on board survived for 72 days in the mountains. Photos, objects and personal accounts bring the story to life. Allow about an hour for a visit.
The National Museum of Visual Arts in Parque Rodó, Montevideo, opened in 1911 and holds the largest collection of Uruguayan art, with works by Juan Manuel Blanes, Pedro Figari, Rafael Barradas and Joaquín Torres García. It also hosts temporary shows. Pair it with a walk through the park.
The Rambla of Montevideo is a seafront avenue and promenade running more than 22 km along the Río de la Plata, the backbone of life in the city. Locals jog, cycle, fish and share mate along it, especially at sunset. Walk or rent a bike for the stretch from the Ciudad Vieja to Pocitos.
Pocitos Beach lines the upscale seaside district of Pocitos in Montevideo, one of the most popular beaches in the city, with high-rise apartments facing the Rambla. The area began as a seaside resort in the 19th century. Come on a summer afternoon to swim and sunbathe, or walk the sand at sunset.
Punta Carretas Lighthouse, also called Punta Brava Lighthouse, has stood on the rocky point of Punta Carretas in Montevideo since 1876. Its 19-metre stone tower alternates white and red flashes every ten seconds over the Río de la Plata. Come at sunset for views of the coast and city.
Fortaleza del Cerro crowns the Cerro de Montevideo, the highest hill in Montevideo at 134 meters, across the bay from the city center. Ordered by the Spanish governor Francisco Javier de Elío in 1808, it was the last Spanish fort built in Uruguay and now houses a military museum and a lighthouse.
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