Montevideo – January 2025
Hotel: Holiday Inn Montevideo
After visiting Argentina for a second time, we were excited to continue our adventure exploring a new county too.
We landed late at night in Montevideo, but during the drive to the hotel, we could already tell how beautiful and nice this city was.
Day 1: City Exploring
We started our day on foot to explore the lovely streets around us. Our hotel was located in an amazing spot, just a block away from Plaza Independencia.
We passed through the plaza to head down Sarandí street, where we stopped inside the stunning bookstore of Mas Puro Verso. We always like to pick up a baby book for Lionel from everywhere we travel, so it’s always nice when we find one that’s a sight to see too.
Outside is filled with shops, vendors, and restaurants lining the streets, so we took our time making our way through, eventually stopping inside the Montevideo Cathedral to admire the breathtaking views.
Continuing down the street, you’ll find yourself in Ciudad Vieja on the right, another charming neighborhood filled with cute boutiques. I loved all the colorful flowers draping the sides of buildings and gorgeous architecture.
In this area, you’ll find Mercado del Puerto, a small market filled with shops and restaurants. The market is only open until 5 p.m., so this makes it a great place to stop for lunch. Inside are some of the best places to enjoy parrillas, all displaying and cooking a variety of meats over an open flame. You can’t go wrong with any one you choose.
We continued to wander the streets surrounding this area before heading back for Lionel’s nap time. We stumbled upon a beautiful park with a playground for Lionel to run around in Plaza Zabala. And right across the street, we stopped to admire the stunning courtyard outside of Palacio Taranco.
Day 2: Beaches
We took a taxi the night prior to the ‘Montevideo’ letters at Playa Pocitos, and then walked La Rambla along the waterfront. The area was very lively with groups hanging out enjoying mate and playing soccer games on the beach.
We decided to head back in the morning to try for better photos in daylight, and see if there was more going on in the area during the day. The sand was filled with people enjoying the beach, but you won’t find any vendors or many restaurants and shops along the street here. We also checked out Playa Ramirez, which has a similar vibe to the prior. We aren’t the biggest beach people, but either one would be a great place to spend the day and enjoy the water if you are.
At night, we walked down 18 de Julio Avenue, the main avenue in Montevideo. The street was filled with people everywhere and lined with restaurants and plazas. There were tons of shops along this street, making it a good place to explore during the day too.
Food Recommendations:
Chiviteria Marcos – Chivito is a famous sandwich that was created in Uruguay, filled with many types of meat, fried egg, tomatoes, olives, and more. Personally, it didn’t look appealing to me, but after Joe tried a few different places, he claimed this one as the best.
Mercado del Puerto – Market in old town filled with the best parrillas. Tons to choose from, but they only are open for lunch.
El Fogón – Great food and a menu that offered a variety that differed from the majority of restaurants. Joe got a chicken and rice dish resembling a paella that was incredible.
We had so much fun exploring a new country and seeing everything that Lionel got excited for — mostly all the playgrounds. Two days was the perfect amount of time to explore this gorgeous part of the world with such welcoming and friendly people.
• Everyday Davis • 