1 destination · 10 things to do

Uruguay

Montevideo is the unhurried capital of a small country with big appetites: a peninsula old town of café squares and Art Deco towers, a 22-kilometre seafront Rambla where the whole city walks at sunset with a mate gourd in hand, and a table that revolves around grilled beef, Tannat wine and dulce de leche. This guide books Montevideo properly, starting with Ciudad Vieja and Plaza Independencia, the Teatro Solís, the smoky parrillas of the Mercado del Puerto and the long Rambla promenade, then adds guided city and street food tours, a Tannat tasting at Bouza winery and a tango and candombe dinner show. It also covers the two classic day trips: UNESCO-listed Colonia del Sacramento to the west and glamorous Punta del Este with Casapueblo to the east. Then it matches you to the right hotel, from a luxury beachside Sofitel in Carrasco and a five-star on Plaza Independencia to mid-range stays in Punta Carretas and Pocitos and a budget waterfront ibis, because in a city this stretched along the river, where you sleep shapes how you travel.