Last Updated on 05/02/2023 by kami
Montevideo turned out to be the biggest surprise of my trip to South America. Well, the whole country was but I especially felt under the charm of the capital.
I went to Uruguay only because I figured it’s such an easy trip from Buenos Aires and a perfect opportunity to see (and count) a new country. And then when I found out the capital isn’t that far away from Colonia del Sacramento (where the ferry arrived) I thought I could go there as well, to get a better impression of Uruguay. After seeing some of Montevideo pictures online I was really excited as it seemed like a pretty cool city. And I was right!
From the very beginning I liked the city. People were friendly and helpful, the main street – Avenida 18 de Julio – was busy but bearable and Rambla – the boulevard along Rio de la Plata was bustling with beautiful people and a funky vibe.
I felt like on a holidays there (well, ok, I kind of was on one!) and I was so disappointed I couldn’t spend much more time in Montevideo. Sadly I had only one afternoon and one morning there, with so many things to do in Montevideo, so I wanted to get as much as I could from it.
Montevideo – a surprisingly pleasant city
I quickly left my backpack in my hotel and went to see what the city is about. My first impressions from the bus ride to the center were correct. Montevideo was lively but not overwhelming. And it kind of looked like the time has stopped there but at the same time it felt really modern.
The sun was shining and the day was just gorgeous so after a walk along the main street I left it behind, crossed the charming shadowed backstreets to finally get to the waterfront. And that was the perfect place for that weather.
Rambla was busy, people were walking, jogging, riding bikes or just sitting with the book. Even if it was a normal weekday no one was in hurry and so many people just enjoyed the sun. I joined the crowds and spent the majority of my time just relaxing and people watching. And it was the best thing I could do there!
On the next day, before heading to Colonia del Sacramento, I went to explore the Old Town. And it was just the prettiest! Beautiful houses remembering old times, green squares and a surprisingly big number of a really decent street art. It was just my kind of place.
I read before that the Old Town in Montevideo might be slightly unsafe but I figured it can’t be that bad, especially in the morning. Well, at some point I’ve noticed that something has changed and the overall feeling is so much different and kind of questionable.
The houses were still beautiful, the murals didn’t stop to impress me yet I felt somehow disturbed. Nothing really happened and I had no reason at all to be so nervous yet I was. I just quickly saw what I wanted to (including a great market hall turned into restaurants place) and headed back to catch my bus.
Montevideo pictures – how I saw the capital of Uruguay
I really hope to return to Uruguay one day and to have more time for Montevideo. I found this city underrated and even if it is nowhere close to being as amazing as Buenos Aires I believe it has a lot of potential. Just look at these Montevideo pictures!
















































Are you looking for a place to stay in Montevideo? Look no further! Book cheap accommodation in Montevideo here! I stayed in Splendido Hotel, it had a vintage look and a perfect location and I can definitely recommend it!
If you think of visiting Uruguay or just want to read more about the country take a look what else I wrote about it! If you’re looking for articles about any place in particular this map with posts might be useful for you. Or just take a look at the “destinations” page.

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51 Comments
Monika/patrzenaplac
08/03/2015 at 19:18Jak patrzę na takie foty to zastanawiam się coraz częściej nad Ameryką Południową. Do tego jeszcze te słodkości…
kami
08/03/2015 at 22:48ja jakoś nie do końca przekonana byłam aż trafiła sie promocja gdzie grzechem było nie skorzystać ;) i stwierdzam, że całkiem fantastycznie tam ;) a i słodkości dawały radę ;)
Monika
08/03/2015 at 23:11Montevideo was a really cool place for me – perfect for walking, good for relaxation, ideal for dining out. Only the prices were too high for me (unfortunately).
kami
09/03/2015 at 23:04oh yes, I totally forgot about the prices by now (guess we just erase those unpleasant things from our minds ;)) But other than that Montevideo was pretty great and I’m glad you share my opinion about the city :)
Anna @AnnaEverywhere
10/03/2015 at 10:20Was Montevideo more expensive then BA? I haven’t reached Montevideo but Buenos Aires was all right in terms of prices.
kami
12/03/2015 at 16:23Actually it was! But Uruguay is known for being crazy expensive! Plus the street exchange in BA really helps :)
Blondynka z Krainy Teczy
09/03/2015 at 11:27Bardzo zachecajace te Twoje zdjecia ;-)
kami
09/03/2015 at 23:05dziękuję!
Tangerine Reyes Trubiano
09/03/2015 at 14:26I want to go here when I visit South America again! ☺️
Mo Tresvodka
09/03/2015 at 17:32No proszę, wczoraj sprawdzałam bilety do Montevideo! Chciałabym w 2015 tam zawitać :)
Maciej Marczewski
09/03/2015 at 19:51Dobre foty. Szczególnie TITS i murale :)
Aleksandra Taskin
09/03/2015 at 20:01rewelacyjne zdjęcia :)
Obiektywnie
09/03/2015 at 20:04Bardzo ciekawe miejsce i zachęcające zdjęcia – jeden z fajniejszych Twoich wpisów, wbrew temu, że ja chętniej czytam o kierunkach europejskich niż zamorskich. Pewnie nigdy się tam nie wybiorę, ale pooglądac warto.
Diana Demi Marszewska
09/03/2015 at 21:06Wow! Ile pięknych zdjęć!!!
Pola (Jetting Around)
09/03/2015 at 23:29Pieknie uchwycilas aparatem jedno z moich ulubionych miast Ameryki Poludniowej. Duzo bardzo znajomych widokow. Az mi sie teskni…
kami
12/03/2015 at 16:11dziękuję! zaskoczyło mnie to Montevideo, nie spodziewałam sie aż tak fajnego miejsca :)
Sebastian Robaszkiewicz
10/03/2015 at 09:05super zdjęcia, ma coś w sobie to Montevideo ;)
Ewa
10/03/2015 at 16:04It’s my dream to go to Urugway! And after those pictures I think a few days in Montevideo is a must ;)
kami
12/03/2015 at 16:23Fingers crossed you will get to visit it soon! And then make sure to stop in Montevideo!!
TMpodróżniczo
10/03/2015 at 22:29Wszystko wygląda super. W ogóle ta część świata jest mi obca więc zawsze miło poczytać – dowiedzieć się czegoś i pooglądać zdjęcia :)
kami
31/03/2015 at 15:11bardzo przyjemnie tam było! :) w sumie jakoś mnie nigdy do Ameryki Południowej nie ciągnęło, ale trafiłam się tak piękna promocja, że grzechem byłoby nie skorzystać ;)
Kamila Kowalewska
11/03/2015 at 08:22Jak byłam na Kubie, to poznałam sympatyczną parę z Montevideo właśnie i zapraszali do siebie… patrząc po zdjęciach chyba (a nawet na pewno;) jest się po co tam wybrać! :)
Sammi Wanderlustin'
11/03/2015 at 13:01Wow, it looks stunning.
South America isnt’ on my list yet, I really want to get to Asia, and New Zealand and Canada right now ;)
kami
31/03/2015 at 15:12fingers crossed you will get there soon! :) I also wasn’t planning to go to South America but there were these really cheap tickets so… ;)
antonette - we12travel
11/03/2015 at 20:49I’ve never really given it a thought to go to Montevideo even if it’s within easy reach from Buenos Aires where I’ve been plenty of times … but who knows, it actually looks pretty cool!
kami
31/03/2015 at 15:14it was cool and you definitely should go there next time you’re in the area!!
Agnieszka /Zależna w podróży
12/03/2015 at 18:03I love the pink burberry mate mug <3 Next time you will be there you have to bring me one.
And I think I've never asked – what camera do you use?
kami
27/03/2015 at 21:44to be honest I haven’t even noticed that mug ;) I’d guess you’ll get there faster than me!
I use nothing too amazing, Nikon D3100
Asia | Byłem tu. Tony Halik.
12/03/2015 at 20:59This pavement painting with the dog is really cool!
kami
27/03/2015 at 21:44I know!!! I was so surprised when I found it!
Karen
12/03/2015 at 21:37Kami, Montevideo (and Uruguay) are totally under-rated! Your pictures are really great and capture some of what it’s all about. And the music and culture, which you have to come to experience is amazing, considering we are talking about a city of just 1.5 million in a country of 3 million. Part of the reason it is under-rated in my opinion is because there is very little information out there in English about it, the few guidebooks in general are very poor, and as it doesn’t have the dramatic scenery of so many other South American countries, people just assume that there’s nothing going on – which is SO FAR from the truth. I started a blog Guru’guay to try and remedy the lack of info. Thought you might like to see it. All the best and thanks for the wonderful pictures – Karen
kami
27/03/2015 at 21:53Thank you Karen from your lovely comment! You might be right with the reasons why Uruguay is so underrated! I also didn’t know anything about it prior to my visit, couldn’t even picture it and then it took me by a huge surprise! I really enjoyed it there and I will be gladly promoting it to everyone!
Karen
12/03/2015 at 21:40Ah, sorry! Another thing to add. Sunday is the quietest day of the week to experience Montevideo. To see it bustling, I’d really recommend going on a weekday, probably a Friday, when there are a ton of bands to see, tango to dance, cool bars to hang out at, drumming, etc etc. :)
kami
27/03/2015 at 21:54actually I was there on the weekdays, Wednesday and Thursday, but it still felt pretty quiet (except of Rambla :))
Robert Wright
13/03/2015 at 06:26Great post, Kami! I discovered the pleasures of Montevideo a few years ago doing something similar: walking, talking photos, enjoying the city. Such a relief after the chaos of Buenos Aires!!! Thanks for bringing back memories of a wonderful time!
kami
06/04/2015 at 21:31Thanks for your nice comment Robert. Montevideo is such a pleasure to be in, after the crazy Buenos Aires. I’ll definitely read your post too! Thanks!
Laura
13/03/2015 at 13:21I am Uruguayan and enjoyed your pictures very much. There’s even a photograph of the corner of my old school! :) You capture some things/places perfectly, and the light in the photographs is just amazing.
kami
06/04/2015 at 21:32Thank you! So which one is your school :) ?
Valeria
14/03/2015 at 11:36Hi! I’m a “Montevideana”, born and raised there (now living in Germany)and I loved these pics! They are so authentic and representative of what Montevideo is like. And the quality is amazing!! What camera were you using? Anyway, thank you so much for sharing these pics! They took me back to my hometown for a while :)
kami
06/04/2015 at 21:34Thank you for your lovely comment Valeria and I’m glad I could make you happy with my pictures! I’m using Nikon D3100 so nothing too fancy but it takes decent pictures :)
Graciela
14/03/2015 at 17:18It´s a ♥ city! thank you very much! you should stay a little longer next time
kami
06/04/2015 at 21:36Thank you! It really was amazing! And I definitely would love to stay longer!! :)
Mariana
15/03/2015 at 20:47Hi! I’m uruguayan and live in Montevideo. Your point of view is really interesting. If you come to Uruguay again, please visit Costa de Oro beaches, and the rest of the East coast because are really beautiful.
kami
06/04/2015 at 21:38Thank you for your comment Mariana! I will keep these places in mind next time I visit (as I’m sure I will return to Uruguay sooner or later!)
Get THE architecture guide to Montevideo - Guru'guay
16/04/2015 at 11:07[…] Kami’s blog post on Montevideo Some absolutely gorgeous photos of buildings and lots of public spaces. You can see how Montevideans make the most of their parks and the rambla. […]
Jozek
05/10/2015 at 15:35Dzieki za taaaaakie foty. Bywalem w MTV wielokrotnie przy okazji wymiany zalog statkow. Zdeptalem miasto lepiej niż Gdynie. Serdecznie pozdrawiam
kami
05/10/2015 at 21:56Ciesze się, że się podobały i miłe wspomnienia wróciły! Bardzo fajne to Montevideo, prawda?! Szerokości, pozdrawiam!
Adam
23/02/2016 at 13:50Piekne zdjęcia :)
kami
23/02/2016 at 14:33dziękuje
Józek
04/05/2017 at 09:00Miło było pooglądać, powspominać stare kąty. Bywałem w Montevideo wielokrotnie przy okazji wymian załóg statków poławiających na Płd. Atlantyku. Może kiedyś uda się wybrać tam, choc na parę dni. Fotki rewelacyjne. Gratuluję i pozdrawiam z Gdańska.
kami
27/05/2017 at 09:29Dziękuję bardzo! Cieszę się, że zdjecia się podobały i przywołały tyle miłych wspomnień. Pozdrawiam serdecznie i życzę rychłego powrotu do Urugwaju!