Uruguay water crisis: how did we get here?
Uruguay has some of the most abundant water sources in the world. But the capital was told we had water supplies for just 18 days.
… and not like a tourist. This interactive map loads really fast. Use it to travel by bus or on foot and get around Montevideo like a local.
Cómo ir is a beautifully-designed, fast website provided by the city government which shows you how to get anywhere in Montevideo on foot or by bus.
You’ll need to read some Spanish but really very basic.
Even if you don’t read Spanish, the site video demo is useful to see how to use the site. For instance you’ll see that you must type the first letters of the address and then wait for the text predictor to show you street options to select from.
Under origen y destino (starting point and end point)
I really recommend watching the site video demo before you start. Even watching it with the sound off it makes good sense.
Happy travelling!
Photo: Salkantay
[This article was first published on Aug 30, 2014. The date above is when it was last updated]
Uruguay water crisis: how did we get here?
Uruguay has some of the most abundant water sources in the world. But the capital was told we had water supplies for just 18 days.
Is Uruguay a developed country? Harvard moves Latin America HQ to Uruguay
Harvard University Business School opens Latin American research centre, praising Uruguay living standard and freedom of expression.
Montevideo Carnival 2024 dates
Hot off the press! The world’s longest carnival is in Montevideo Uruguay and we’ve got the dates.
Salón No. 3 – La Barra gourmet cuisine, cafe & deli
Gourmet lunches, speciality coffee & pastries, out of an antiques store. Smoked hams, artisanal cheese & local produce from the Expendio.
Casa Flor – live the Uruguay coast like a local (VIP)
One of the very best hotels in Punta del Este. Casa Flor’s well-connected owners give you access to the secrets of Uruguay’s coast most can only dream of.
Uruguay offers new digital nomad residency
Digital nomads and remote workers can now obtain a residency permit to work legally from Uruguay for six to twelve months.
Big Bang Nature Stays – Bohemian beach domes
Unique ocean-front location to reconnect with nature—with luxury touches—on one of Uruguay’s most deserted beaches in Maldonado.
8% of Uruguay is black—and maybe more
Afro-Uruguayans play a huge part in Uruguay’s cultural identity. Are they really just 8% of the population? The new census may correct the stats.
Gaucho week in Montevideo – Easter
Traditional food, handmade goods, and South American cowboys riding wild horses. It’s the Semana Criolla – Montevideo’s Easter gaucho festival.
Travel to Uruguay: Medical insurance mandatory
There’s been some confusion around whether it’s necessary to have health insurance to enter Uruguay since recent changes to travel requirements. We explain.
Getting around like a local. Flag down the bus—or it won’t stop. Don’t tip your taxi driver—but don’t expect him to load your luggage! Essential maps.
The Montevideo international airport is 15 miles from the city centre. You can take a taxi, shuttle or bus. The most common way is private transfer.
It’s easy to travel around Uruguay by bus, even if you don’t speak Spanish. A centralised website collects timetables, travel durations and ticket prices.
How to call for a cab in Montevideo—it’s easy, even when you don’t speak Spanish—, how much they cost, when it may be difficult to get hold of one.
It’s really, really easy to get online in Uruguay. In fact, Uruguay is the only country in the world to completely implement One Laptop Per Child.
Proudly made in Uruguay
Follow us
Subscribe
To receive two emails a month about travel, life and sometimes investment opportunities in Uruguay
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
What’s your interest in Uruguay?
Travel interests
Store
About us
Guru’Guay is part of UruguayNatural, the official country brand of Uruguay
Proudly made in Uruguay
Follow us
Subscribe
To receive two emails a month about travel, life and sometimes investment opportunities in Uruguay
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
© Guru’Guay 2013 – 2023. All rights reserved. No part of this site may be reproduced without our written permission.
Language
12 Responses
A related question – Is the hop-on hop-off bus a reasonable option to see Montevideo? We are think of staying either at Hyatt Centric (relatively newish / modern hotel with good views) or Alma Historica (good reviews and within walking distance to buquebus ferry.
Hi Dragonfly, how are you doing? I don’t rate the bus much. It zips through the centre of Montevideo without stopping over a long stretch with much of interest and the principal stops are outside of shopping centres (something Brazilian tourists love). However it’s convenient if you have just a day or two here to get to feel the lay of the land. Armed with the Guru’Guay guide to Montevideo, you could make your own way around. The D1 bus goes through Montevideo from the Old City to Carrasco in the far east for a fraction of the cost. Montevideo’s fairly small and best explored on foot to really get a feel of the city.
And do check out our Montevideo hotel recommendations. We’ve stayed at and love every place we recommend.
Thanks, The Guru of GuruGuay! We don’t mind walking at all – in fact walking is the best way to see the city. I will check the D1 bus route. We are not interested in shopping centres – but more about architecture and culture of the city.
I have read your blog on Montevideo hotel recommendations – great that the Alma Historica is on your list 🙂 The reason I was thinking of Hyatt Centric because we have status of major hotel chains and often get upgrade to a better room than the basic room. However, I am inclined towards the Alma Historica as we can walk to the buquebus terminal for the Francisco to Buesnos Aires.
Again, thanks for your very helpful and informative website!
Hola Ms. Guru,
I just bought your ebook but have yet to read it. I’ll post a review later.
Meanwhile, I’m enjoying your website. I just want to add, hopefully helpful, info regarding :Find your bus/plan your walking route in Montevideo” and the ‘como ir” info. There is an app for your smartphone called Moovit that is great for getting around by transit. With regards o the “como ir” website, if you open it using Google Chrome it will automatically do the translation for you.
Hola Mr Nick, I LOVE Moovit! Thanks so much for sharing this info and I’m looking forward to reading your review! All the best Ms Guru.
As a foreigner can I buy a electronic STM card? Or other options to buy daily, weekly or monthly passes?
Hi Silviu – A standard ticket called a común costs 33 pesos at the time of writing. If you plan to make frequent trips, buy an STM card at any Abitab store. They cost the equivalent of a couple of dollars and you just need to present your passport. Using this card you are able to buy one-hour or two-hour tickets that will allow you to change buses as often as you like during that time period for 30 and 49 pesos respectively. You can charge the card so you don’t need to handle money, or present the card to the driver and pay in cash. The card is not limited to personal use so you can use it to buy tickets for more than one passenger. There are no other pass options. Hope this helps! — Karen
Trying to find information about getting from the airport to my hotel in Montevideo and later to Colonia del Sacramento and finally from there back to the Carrasco Airport.
Hello,
Great post!
I also use this site: http://www.montevideobus.com It runs much faster on my google chrome on mac. Sometimes “como ir” just gets stuck.
Cheers,
Thanks for the tip, John!
Hello,
I’m currently living in Buenos Aires and I will be visiting Montevideo alone for a week in Feb. Could you recommend me a good hostel or even better bed and breakfast in a great location so that I could explore the city. I love walking and exploring and getting of the beaten path. I speak Spanish so it would be a bonus to be able to use that. Thanks soo much and I love your website. It’s been soooo helpful already!!!!
Hi D’Andre, I am so glad you are finding the site helpful. I have a lot of fun writing it, I have to admit. I do have a recommendation, and if you’ll forgive me for the own-trumpet-blowing, it is my family’s guesthouse! Casa Sarandi is in the Old City (guests go absolutely everywhere on foot, we are close to everything) and we specialise in recommending things for you to do every day while you are in Montevideo so that your stay is really memorable! I’ll write to you via email. If my mail gets lost feel free to write to me on info@casasarandi.com. February is a great month to visit as carnival is in full swing!