welcome to mojo travels and today we're
counting down our picks for the top 10
reasons to visit uruguay in 2021
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for this list we're looking at the most
compelling arguments as to why you
should consider this amazing south
american country for your next
big trip number 10
escape the crowds when brainstorming
potential destinations for your next
adventure
uruguay isn't exactly the first country
that comes to mind
even within south america it tends to
get overshadowed by more high-profile
tourist destinations like brazil
argentina and colombia we'd like to
argue however that uruguay's under the
radar status
is a big part of the country's appeal
even when visiting the major cities or
landmarks
uruguay feels 100 authentic and
uncompromised by tourism
the industry represents nine percent of
the country's gdp
but that only translates to 2.8 million
visitors
most of them from neighboring countries
if you book a trip to argentina or
brazil during the peak months
you're not getting much in the way of
personal space the beaches are packed
with people and accommodations are
competitive
in uruguay you've always got room to
breathe as you uncover this
gem of a destination number nine the
welcoming locals
this goes hand in hand with our previous
point but it warrants its own entry
because uruguay is actively trying to
promote its low-key tourism industry
locals are genuinely happy to see
foreigners the further away you come
from the more enthusiasm you're likely
to generate
uruguayans relish the opportunity to
share their culture and traditions
many a traveler has returned home from
an unforgettable trip to uruguay armed
with countless stories about the new
friends they made during their stay
rarely will you encounter such warm kind
and welcoming people
spend more than a few minutes in one
spot and locals are sure to strike up a
conversation
they're only too happy to give you
recommendations or tell you about the
area
uruguay is also very progressive and
ranks fifth in the world for lgbtq plus
destinations
number eight watching football amidst
the crowd
uruguayans tend to be a fairly relaxed
easygoing people
if you want to see them at their most
lively however get a ticket and
experience
game day from the perspective of the
crowd known as soccer in north america
football is by far the most popular
sport all throughout both central and
south america uruguay is no exception
you can't leave your hotel or hostel and
walk more than 100 feet in any direction
before you encounter a group of kids
kicking a ball around
and all that practice has paid off
uruguay has two world cups to its name
despite its pool of talent being a
fraction of the size of its similarly
football obsessed neighbors
for context uruguay has a population of
about 3.5 million
compared to brazil's 210 million
all that to say watching uruguay's
national sport at estadio centenario
makes for a truly unforgettable
experience you'll really feel like
one of the locals number 7. monte video
home to somewhere between a third and
one half of uruguay's total population
monte video is the cultural heart of the
country
be that as it may it's likely one of the
most relaxed understated capital cities
that you'll ever have the pleasure of
visiting in your travels
it's vibrant and has plenty to offer but
without much of the chaos and
overcrowding typical of capital cities
montevideo wears many hats it's the
industrial
economic and political capital its
defining characteristic however remains
its love for the arts
music and theater the historic district
is reminiscent of havana thanks to its
art deco architecture
but it's far from the only neighborhood
worth visiting ciudad vieja and barrios
each have something unique to offer in
their own right from sleepy family-run
restaurants and cozy tango bars to fine
dining and the more raucous nightclubs
montevideo has a little bit of
everything
number 6. carnaval when we say carnival
you invariably think of brazil while
latin america's largest country
certainly plays host to the most
famous such celebration the honor of the
longest-running carnival actually
belongs to uruguay
depending on the city or town the
festivities span anywhere between 40
days
and two months rooted in the traditions
of black slaves
uruguay's carnaval can trace its roots
back to the mid-19th century
like the celebrations in brazil the
festivities are characterized by music
dance brightly colored costumes and
seemingly endless street parties
the specifics however are quite distinct
candombe is the leading style of both
music and dance that you'll encounter
when visiting carnaval and uruguay
but morgan musical theater is an equally
important part of the tradition
the largest card naval celebration
naturally takes place in the capital
city of montevideo but celebrations are
held all across the country and involve
over 90 percent of the population number
five
adventure activities with only about 51
people per square mile in uruguay
and so much of the population living in
montevideo that leaves a whole lot of
the country to nature
one of the things that uruguay has
working against it in terms of tourism
is the lack of big ticket natural
attractions
while it might not have anything like
bolivia's surreal salary or uni salt
flats
or venezuela's angel falls uruguay is a
beautiful country well worth exploring
and there are plenty of thrilling ways
to do it punta de diablo is a popular
destination that while well known to
tourists
serves as a great home base for hiking
parque nacional santa teresa
if you're a surfer or interested in
learning punta del diablo has some great
but accessible waves
staying at anesthesia is an opportunity
to learn horseback riding from real-life
gauchos
the iconic rough and tumble horsemen of
south america
hot air balloon rides kitesurfing
wilderness trekking
there is no shortage of adventures to be
had in uruguay
number four wine after soaring over
vineyards on one of the aforementioned
balloon rides
we suspect you'll be anxious to taste
the end result for yourself
uruguay might fly under the radar from a
tourism perspective
but one of the ways in which it has
distinguished itself internationally is
with its wine
fourth in terms of wine production in
south america uruguay's growing wine
industry is best known for its red wines
specifically those made with tanat
grapes some have gone so far as to call
to not which originated in southern
france
the next malbec that being said uruguay
also produces merlots
chardonnays and cabernet sauvignons a
big part of the appeal of exploring
uruguay's wine country is that it's
notably unpretentious
while the producers might be humble the
wines that they're producing are
undeniably bold in flavor
and the surrounding landscapes
especially in the canelones region
are utterly breathtaking number three
cuisine the cuisine of uruguay doesn't
get much in the way of international
representation
even major cities that boast a diverse
food scene are lucky to have so much as
a single uruguayan restaurant
and yet the country's beef is the stuff
of legend
it's actually among the country's
largest and most important exports
chefs around the world create wonderful
dishes using uruguayan beef
but the locals eat their fair share and
over the generations they've mastered
the art of cooking meat to perfection in
a variety of ways
uruguay and barbecue is right up there
with brazilian asado
seeing a uruguayan asador work the grill
is to watch an artist at work
but uruguay's culinary delights extend
beyond barbecue
other must try dishes include capalet's
aracaruso
a meat stuffed pasta javito a type of
beef sandwich
and empanada for dessert you can't go
wrong with dulce de leche or pasta
frolla
number two beaches uruguay is after all
a coastal country
and much like its neighbors to the north
and south the waterfront boasts some
absolutely breathtaking stretches of
sand
considering everything uruguay has to
offer it's a wonder that it hasn't
caught on with international travelers
sooner
but of its many selling points this
feels like the most obvious oversight
honestly there are too many beaches to
name
and with relative low numbers of
visitors they're rarely crowded
if you do happen to be at a popular
beach in peak season
you can almost always escape the crowd
after leaving the capital of montevideo
these include playa de los positos
carrasco beach
playa verde and ramirez beach the
country's most famous beach however
is punta del este which boasts all the
amenities and services you could want
for a more off the beaten path beach day
make the trek to cabo polonio
number one colonia del sacramento when
it comes to unesco world heritage sites
china and italy are at the top of the
heap both countries boast
a staggering 55 sites apiece germany
spain france and india all have dozens
to their name
uruguay has only two but what the
country lacks in variety in this regard
it more than makes up for in terms of
quality okay
technically their second one is a
meatpacking museum but considering
uruguay's relationship to beef
this unlikely attraction is actually
well worth checking out
colonia del sacramento however is a
world heritage site to rival the best of
them
this historic riverside town dates back
to the 1680s
today the town is considered one of the
country's greatest treasures
enchanting anyone who visits with its
timeless charms
between the beauty of the barrio
historical and the painterly sunsets
you'll never want to leave do you agree
with our picks
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