Getting to Uruguay from Buenos Aires is a $60 round trip ferry ride, 60 minutes each way. It was so easy to get there, we decided it would be foolish if we didn't conocer the small country on the other side of the Rio de la Plata.

Colonia Suiza

Lured by the promise of good dairy products made in a town settled by Swiss immigrants in the mid 1800s, we headed to the small agricultural town an hour by bus from Colonia del Sacramento. Walking around town we came to two realizations: this town is not meant for people without a moto or car and we had essentially chosen to come to a no-name city in the US midwest. When we later told a local in Montevideo our first destination was Colonia Suiza, he gave us a confused look and asked why we would do that. Although there wasn't much to do, we found a found a way to pass the time walking around, stopping for beer and chajá (a delightful Uruguayan cake) and filling our bellies with cheese fondue.

Tranquilo capital: Montevideo

Every travel article I've read about Uruguay has labeled Montevideo Latin America's most laid back capital, both for its size (1.5 million people) and for the mellow Uruguayan temperament. Our first confirmation of this was our first walk into old city when a man approached us to ask for money, and we must have had our Buenos Aires watch your back look on our faces because he followed up pointing at himself saying “No, I'm Uruguayan. I'm mellow”. The city was worth the trip with its European architecture and old city, with narrow streets and colonial architecture. Saturday we enjoyed a walk through the Plaza Constitución, home to an antique market where we met a wonderful man with an impressive coin collection including many of the coins we had seen the day before at a coin museum, and a walk through the Mercado del Puerto, which may be the largest display of grilling meat in one place in the world, a carnivore's dream come true.

Heading to the beaches of Punta del Este

The original plan was to drive from Montevideo east along the coast, stopping in small fishing and surfing villages along the way. Apparently we didn't take into account a Saturday in the summer, because there were absolutely no cars for rent in Montevideo. Instead, we hopped a 2 hour direct bus to Punta del Este and were pleasantly surprised that the seaside resort was not as glam/touristy as we had expected, and was instead a mellow and attractive town bordered on three sides by water. Activities included reading, riding bikes to neighboring town Maldonado, dining, watching the sunsets, and more reading.

The Smugglers port of Colonia del Sacramento

Colonia del Sacramento is now on my list of favorite places. Established in 1680 as a Portuguese port set up to smuggle goods to Buenos Aires, the town is packed with history and charm. With cobblestone streets, antique lampposts, colonial buildings, and tasty restaurants, Colonia has been a great place to spend a few days.
There are a string of museums you can easily visit within a few hours that give a glimpse into the history of the town. Down a windy cobblestone street, we stayed at Posada de la flor, which was a great deal with nice rooms and a lovely terrace with a view of the river.