Trekking in Uruguay – El Gavilán, Valle del Lunarejo nature reserve
Trekking, horseback riding, nature photography, birding in one of the most outstanding protected areas in Uruguay, Valle del Lunarejo.
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We’re in the southern hemisphere so winter in Uruguay goes from June to August. Kinda weird when you’re not used to it. Winter is a great time to visit Uruguay especially if you love peace and quiet. There are very few tourists around. It’ll be you and the Uruguayans basically.
Winter is a great time to visit a Uruguayan ranch or estancia. Somewhere where you can spend the day riding and in the evening lounge on overstuffed leather sofas in front of a huge fireplace. It’s a magical retreat. And remember, the countryside or interior as it is called here is usually several degrees warmer than at the coast during the day. The Guru’Guay Guide to Uruguay: Beaches, Estancias and Wine Country goes into detail on seven very different ranches and a million-star horse-riding inn.
Years ago we rented an ocean-front mansion for just 25 dollars a night in July. I suspect the house agent pocketed the cash and didn’t tell the owner! But still, you can get some really amazing deals, especially for longer stays at the beach. Though we’re not talking swimming weather, it will often be perfect for relaxing and taking long deserted beach walks. I took the photo below at Punta del Diablo in August, overrun by thousands in January. Beware that a lot of eateries close down at the beach during winter. The Guru’Guay Guide to Uruguay: Beaches, Estancias and Wine Country goes indepth into which towns stay more open off season as well as essential advice on renting beach-houses (hint, there are some really crumby ones out there).
Southern right whales visit the coast of Uruguay to breed in the warmer waters at the start of winter. It is an incredible privilege to be able to sit on the beach and just watch whales and dolphins only metres away. Uruguay is an official whale and dolphin sanctuary and you’ll want to check out which places are the best for spotting these gentle beasties. Check out my video narration of whale-watching in Punta del Diablo in August. And this is what we saw.
You may have seen the San Juan bonfires in Spain to celebrate the longest day of the year. Uruguay also celebrates the same festival and adds candombe drumming. Bonfires are built in various plazas in different towns in Uruguay to celebrate the SHORTEST day of the year. In Montevideo, head to Plaza Varela on the intersection of boulevard Artigas and Avenida Brasil. The residents of La Pedrera on the coast have also started celebrating the tradition as an antidote to the massification of carnival. Wineriesall over Uruguay also celebrate San Juan. [Covid – given these activities are outdoor it’s very possible that these activities will be happening this year]
Montevideo, a city of 1.5 million people, has more musicians than most of its size. If you are into music then this is the best time of year to visit with great live music on every day of the week. Check out comments by a Texan journalist who has some great observations about Montevideo’s live music scene.
What better way to deal with winter than nursing a fine wine. July might see an influx of Brazilians at the wineries. Brazilians LOVE to come to Uruguay and use the leather boots they bought on their last trip to Uruguay and have not used since. But the rest of the time you’ll have the wineries pretty much to yourself. Arrange a visit to a winery just outside of the capital with Wine Explorers or a fine wine tasting with a premium expert like Manuel Filgueira at his dining table–and marvel at the warmth and informality of the Uruguay wine world.
Every year five days before or five days after August 30, Uruguayans brace for La Tormenta de Santa Rosa –or Storm of Santa Rosa–an annual storm! It’s a weird weather phenomenon caused by the first warm winds of the southern spring clashing with cold fronts from the Antarctic. You have to see footage of the damage from Santa Rosas past.
Guisos (say GEE-so) or stews are the stars of the Uruguayan country kitchen. The flavours depend on the region, ingredients in season and grandma’s recipe. In the countryside, make sure you try an ensopado(vegetables, beef and noodles in broth) or guiso de arroz, a rice stew of lamb and vegetables. In Montevideo, hearty lentil stew is on most menus at midday. Ask for guiso de lentejas.
Even during the coldest months, Uruguay has six to seven hours of sunlight on average per day and there are frequent Indian summers. It’s rare to have rain for more than a few days in a row. But do check out the Guru’s tips for dressing for winter in Uruguay because of the humidity. And bookmark this herbal cold and cough remedy from Uruguay – just in case.
Photos: Guru’Guay, Jimmy Baikovicius, Claudia Rivero, Laura, Tawil Al Umr
[First published on Jun 21, 2018 and last updated at the date above]
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Trekking in Uruguay – El Gavilán, Valle del Lunarejo nature reserve
Trekking, horseback riding, nature photography, birding in one of the most outstanding protected areas in Uruguay, Valle del Lunarejo.
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10 Responses
Hi Karen,
Have recently signed up to your newsletter. Congrats – good idea & good work.
I live in Salto (have done so for 40 years) and think you might wish to add the famous “Termas” for those who enjoy hot water spas during the winter. Wonderful hotels – although all closed at the moment cos of the quarantine.
There are a number of them – 2 most famous:
Termas del Dayman – 15 km from the city of Salto
Termas del Arapay – 70 km from the city of Salto.
All the best,
Linda
Hi Linda – thanks for the kind words and the recommendation! I am not a big thermal baths fan – at least not in Uruguay – but the last time I went was quite a few years ago… Great you signed up for the newsletter – it is where we often share information we don’t share elsewhere. Best wishes — Karen
Hi Karen,
I am from Germany and now working for three month in Montevideo. Your blog and book helped me a lot to get started very well alone. Thank you for that!
Muchas gracias
Hi Sarah, I am SO glad to hear that! Uruguay is a great country for solo female travelers, don’t you think?
Hi Karen,
I read your blog a lot and I now bought your book of Montevideo via the Dutch Amazon called ” bol.com” . I am going to buy your book of Uruguay on very short term. Although I know a lot about Montevideo, in your book I found out some very detailed information about various things ! It is so great that your book is so specific about Montevideo, that kind of information helps the traveller a lot. The book was also very easy to read, I had to look up only very few words, as I am Dutch. Keep up the good work regarding your website and books ! I was in Montevideo in March 2018 and I hope I’ll be back in Uruguay within 2 or 3 years. It is a great country, Prices are a high (because of a lack of mass consuming, as far as I am concerned), but the sincerity of this beautiful country and its people makes it worthwhile.
Thanks for such great feedback, Ingrid, and for buying the guidebooks! Yes, Uruguay is a small country and lots of goods are imported and expensive for that reason. Maybe people are forced to be less materialistic because of that, but the outcome is positive in my opinion too! Keep in touch. Are you also following us on social media?
Hi Karen, I am not into the social media that much, but therefore I am an enthusiastic follower of blogs, like yours.
Yes you’re right, Uruguayans love to spend their weekends with siestas, a good wine, good food and a couple of good friends and family around them, that is the real wealth. Mass consuming makes nobody happy in the end.
regards,
ingrid
I’m in agreement. Thanks for taking the time to write. If you’d like to write a review for the guidebook on Amazon it would be much appreciated. As an independent publisher we rely hugely on reviews to get us more readers. Thanks so much in advance. — All the best, Karen
Hi there, You didn’t mention the temperature in Uruguay during these months, What is it like on average?
Hi Elaine, the article about what to wear in winter in Uruguay has temperature information. All the best – Karen