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Uruguay Travel Guide

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2008's Best Jaunted Field Trip Is...

Where: Uruguay
December 30, 2008 at 4:00 PM | by Jaunted | 0 Comments

Jaunted editors and contributors traveled all over the world this year, from South Africa to the Bahamas, but nothing piqued our interest more than an undertouristed part of South America, often overlooked for Rio or Buenos Aires. That's why we're bestowing the Jaunty for Best Field Trip of 2008 to Uruguay.

Even without going in season, Jaunted editor Paul Brady--who recused himself from voting on this award, mind you--found great food, good beaches and even a premium national beer in Uruguay, a country many skip in their South American tours. Unlike in European countries, the exchange rate is still relatively favorable to visitors, and unlike on other South American beaches, you don't need to be born there to get a prime blanket spot. Try Uruguay in 2009; we'll save you a Patricia.

Related Stories:
· Uruguay Field Trip: Getting There [Jaunted]
· Uruguay Field Trip: Punta del Diablo [Jaunted]
· The Full Uruguay Field Trip [Jaunted]

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Jaunted's Guide To Punta Del Diablo, Uruguay

December 16, 2008 at 4:50 PM | by pbb | 0 Comments

Earlier this year, Jaunted editor Paul Brady spent a few days in Punta del Diablo while on his Uruguay Field Trip. It was so enjoyable, he went back, and today brings us this guide to the boomingest beach town on the South Atlantic.

One thing you'll fast realize when planning a trip to Uruguay is that there doesn't seem to be any information out there about visiting the country. Yes, there have been newspaper articles about Punta del Este, but that's no more Uruguay than South Beach is the United States. In perhaps the biggest info dump available to English speakers, Lonely Planet's guide to South America on a Shoestring gives the entire country 29 pages; Argentina gets 138.

But even if Uruguay remains off the radar, on the other side of the equator, summer is heating up, and tourists are flooding into Punta del Diablo, the beach town I've called home for the past month. One of many fishing-turned-surfing-turned-tourist towns that dot the country's seemingly endless and sandy coastline, it's perhaps the most popular of the moment: An article in Sunday's El Pais reports that as many as 10,000 day-trippers will be visiting each day this high season--on top of the 40,000 that will spend the night.

To help you cut through the crowds, you'll need our guide--and this map to all the must-sees.

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Uruguay Field Trip: Uruguay, We Hardly Knew Ya

Where: Uruguay
March 28, 2008 at 3:45 PM | by pbb | 1 Comment

Well, Uruguay, thanks for the good times.

True, it was sometimes challenging to tackle you without a guidebook, and the English-language travel media has skipped over you for the sexier-every-day Buenos Aires. (With one exception, that is.)

But hopefully our coverage can send some more steak-loving, beach-combing, wine-guzzling folks your way. You deserve 'em.

Related Stories:
· Ministry of Tourism of Uruguay [Official Site]
· Uruguay Field Trip coverage [Jaunted]
· Uruguay coverage [Jaunted]

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Uruguay Field Trip: Braving Punta del Este for the Snacks

March 28, 2008 at 2:00 PM | by pbb | 0 Comments

Most of our tour through Uruguay was poorly timed: Montevideo was vacant for Holy Week, we missed the full moon party in Punta del Diablo and we were late for the season in Punta del Este.

By the time we showed up, just about everything was shut down. But rather than whine about our bad luck to our stone-faced hotel receptionist, we dug up an old review of what's worth checking out year-round in South America's South Beach.

The illustrious Matt Gross swung through Punta more than a year ago, but we figured the town's "most popular bakery," Medialunas Calentitas, would still be around. His description made it all the more enticing:

I ordered a quartet of their famous sticky-sweet croissants and a cortado (espresso with a little milk) for 95 pesos, and as I munched them outside at the surfer-chic picnic tables, latecomers cautiously approached the bakery, only to be turned away. For a moment, I felt like an insider.

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Uruguay Field Trip: PdD's Best Beach Bar

March 27, 2008 at 4:30 PM | by pbb | 1 Comment

If there's any sign that Punta del Diablo is about to become an It spot for backpackers in South America, it's the supremely well-done Diablo Tranquilo Bar, right on the beach. The satellite food and booze spot for the hostel up the road, it's got great service, great design, a great menu and tons of cold beer. If that's not enough, did we mention it's right on the beach?

Though it's only been open for a few months, there really isn't anything bad to report. The place is simply one of the best hostel-affiliated bars we've ever seen--and we've done a lot of boozing at hostels.

Also worth checking out: the panoramic view of PdD from the third floor. Be sure to take your cocktail and that cute surfer chick from across the bar.

Related Stories:
· Uruguay Field Trip coverage [Jaunted]
· Uruguay coverage [Jaunted]

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Uruguay Field Trip: PdD's Best Empanadas

March 27, 2008 at 1:45 PM | by pbb | 0 Comments

In Punta del Diablo, the two biggest questions you'll face are "What should I get in my empanda?" and "Is it too early for a Patricia?" The answers: Fish and cheese and no, no it isn't.

The place to be is the no-name empanada shack just off the beach in front of the Cueva Luna bar. There are four tables, one guy taking orders and two ladies crankin' out super tasty pockets of golden fried goodness. The sweeping ocean view doesn't hurt either.

Our lunch of four empanadas and a big beer was just 190 pesos ($9). To help you find the no-name spot, we've marked it on our Uruguay Travel Map.

Related Stories:
· Uruguay Field Trip coverage [Jaunted]
· Uruguay coverage [Jaunted]

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Uruguay Field Trip: A Night at the Cena Show

Where: Gaboto 1810, Montevideo, Uruguay
March 26, 2008 at 4:00 PM | by pbb | 0 Comments

If you've ever been to Buenos Aires, you know about "Cena Shows." Basically, you pony up some US dollars for an all-inclusive dinner and tango show and they throw your taxi ride in for free. Touristy but cool, especially when they're pouring the wine like water.

Montevideo likes to brag that it too has tango. And at El Milongon you get more than just sexy dancing. They also bust out the candombe to put a bit of African drumming into your dinner.

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Uruguay Field Trip: Punta del Diablo

March 26, 2008 at 12:05 PM | by pbb | 1 Comment

After a couple days in vacant-for-Holy-Week Montevideo, we were ready to hit the beach. And while we could've gone the easy route and skipped over to Punta del Este, we decided to get ambitious. So we loaded up the iPod and bought bus tickets for a five-hour haul out to Punta del Diablo, a village not far from the Brazilian border.

It's your standard sleepy fishing town--except people are sleepy because they were at the beachfront disco El Pico until 6 am. Most people visiting rent a cottage--which locals call cabanas--and stay for a week or more, self-catering their trip. We could stay only a couple days, so we shacked up at the Diablo Tranquilo hostel. (It's brand new and nice.)

Besides sitting on the beach and drinking big frosty bottles of Patricia beer, there's not much to do. And that's just fine.

Related Stories:
· Uruguay Field Trip coverage [Jaunted]
· Uruguay coverage [Jaunted]

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Uruguay Field Trip: Meat Eating in Montevideo

March 25, 2008 at 4:15 PM | by pbb | 1 Comment

After a day and a night in Colonia, we'd seen about everything. The next morning we hopped a bus through the countryside to Montevideo, Uruguay's capital city of 1.5 million people.

We rolled into town during Holy Week, which we can tell you is about the worst time to check the place out: Everyone's fled for the beach. On the other hand, you'll have the town to yourself to check out the restaurant scene.

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Uruguay Field Trip: Our Rough Guide Gets It Right

March 25, 2008 at 2:45 PM | by pbb | 0 Comments

Sometimes the guide books get it right, and sometimes they are off. In this feature, we will tell you what the guide pros said about a place and then give you our take.

Our rough guide to Argentina had but a few pages on Uruguay, but that's par for the course in guide book publishing. It did cover Colonia, though, and we took a tip for dinner. Here's what Rough Guides said about Sacramento:

Fabulous food in postmodern surroundings--and even a couple tables outside, weather permitting--includes juicy steak with potatoes and bacon, ultra-fresh salads and unforgettable desserts. Uruguayan wine served by the glass, charming service and live music on Friday and Saturday evening.

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Uruguay Field Trip: Getting There

Where: Uruguay
March 24, 2008 at 3:30 PM | by pbb | 5 Comments

If you can get to Buenos Aires, you can get to Uruguay. South America's second smallest country is just a quick boat trip across the Rio de la Plata, and if you're gonna go all that way to get to Argentina, you might as well check it out.

Besides, isn't BA supposed to be played out by now? Hardly anyone goes to Uruguay--besides Argentines, that is--so once you make the trip, you'll be the star of the cocktail party. Won't that be nice?

Here's how to get there.

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Travel Snapshot: Mercado del Puerto, Uruguay

March 21, 2008 at 3:56 PM | by pbb | 1 Comment

We've been coming to you live from Uruguay this week, where we've been scouting the chivito scene, taking in plenty of sun and trying not to eat more than two steaks a day. (It's been hard.)

Stopping at places like Mercado del Puerto in Montevideo hasn't made it any easier. This big meat market--as in they sell meat--touts more beef than we could eat in a year. It also makes for some cool photos, if we do say so ourselves.

We'll be bringing you a full report on our Uruguay Field Trip next week. Until then, our Flickr pool is the place to check out more travel snapshots.

Related Stories:
· It's Summer in South America [Jaunted]
· Travel Snapshots coverage [Jaunted]