Leaving Montevideo behind and shaking off metropolitan life we journeyed out of the city and into the rustic lands of a more rural Uruguay. Touring Uruguay in our campervan we passed by fishing villages, agricultural lands, lakes, rivers and beaches. From the moment we had landed we were both very eager to find the beach, so we when found Punto Ballena and its 12 kilometres of beaches, needles to say we got exactly what we asked for. Having our first of many swims in South America we relished the heavy waves as they crashed down on us and playfully allowed them to sweep us to shore.
Punto Del Este and finding a spot to stay at by a lake
Stopping nearby for a few nights at a lake near Punto Del Este a popular city for for both South and North Americans to holiday. The lake being far enough away from the city we were left undisturbed except for the odd friendly rambler, welcoming fishermen or those seeking a refreshing dip in the lake. Getting our first taste of a more favoured rural life, parked up on the edge of the lake, with a sandy garden at our doorstep and shade from the tall trees as late afternoon approached.
We swam in this large sweet water lake twice a day to wash away the heat the day brought. It was here we had our first sighting of lush green parakeets swooping from tree to tree, we would excitedly point out the exotic birds every time they appeared in the sky. Having stayed several days it was time for us to move on, though it was difficult to say goodbye to such a beautiful place we were excited for what was to come.
Parking by the sea
Searching for more beach we pulled off the road to a quiet little car park and when I say car park I mean an open sandy area nestled between sand dunes. With a sea view, path down to the beach and protected from the wind it was the perfect place to rest the night. It was a quiet and peaceful spot with only one other Campervan who kept to themselves that night. As it grew darker and the stars began to appear in the sky we couldn’t help but notice a few yellow flickering lights appearing and disappearing within the shrubbery of the dunes. They were pretty but we were baffled as to what it could be. Staying close to the ground and dipping in and out we let our imaginations run away with us believing it could be Pumas hunting their prey. And we thought we were the prey. Pumas are the only big cats still present in Uruguay but they are endangered, so not a worry we needed to have. Never the less we made a quick escape into the safety of the van and stayed there the rest of the night.
The generosity of locals
The following morning we saw a cat wondering around just as our Campervan neighbour was leaving. As we were trying to get the kitties attention the van stopped and told us it was his cat, she doesn’t like to travel so he leaves her there and comes back to her. Evidently he had been at this spot for some time and has had his cat for 9 years, a cat he has never named. While he was gone the cat I nicknamed “Gatitia” enjoyed our company and the shade of our van. Not long after the man we later got to know as Daniel returned, he came over to our van with two large steaks presented neatly on plate of salad. He said “England has the best music, Pink Floyd, Rolling Stones…. But Uruguay has the best meat” and with that, refusing our invitation to join us, he wandered off onto the beach, leaving us to enjoy our gift.
Later that day we went over to his van with a gift of our own to thank him for the food, a little handmade macrame hanging ornament. Mustering up my best Spanish and with Will’s guidance I practiced the phrase “ Un regalo para decir gracias” – a gift to say thank you. Even though I had practiced it over and over, by the time I was stood in front of the Uruguayan man my mind had blanked and I needed a prompt from Will for the words to come spilling out. With a knowing smile he graciously accepted the little gift and invited us into his van for coffee.
The three of us chatted for a while, Will acting as a translator both ways as we sipped strong black coffee. We learned his name was Daniel and we spoke of all sorts from English music to the history of Uruguay. He told us that the waves in the sea there are very strong and there are sharks too, very glad we didn’t go for a swim. Oh and remember the eyes of the pumas? They were fire flies! Yup. From then on every night we saw those yellow lights dancing in the dark, we could enjoy their magical beauty.
Leaving the next day in search of somewhere nice to spend Christmas, we popped over to Daniels van to say our goodbyes, only to find he had made us lunch again. How could we say no to this kind man, not that we wanted to especially with the aroma of roasted lamb lingering in the air. So once again we find ourselves in his van sitting at his table as he served us a succulent roast lamb, with roasted peppers and a side salad, followed by a chocolate mousse dessert! It was certainly difficult to say good-bye to this generous and kind man. Alas the road was calling us, loaded up with leftovers that would last us a week, we thanked him with sincere hearts full of gratitude and off we went.
Punta del Diablo
Following the coast we made a few stops at some lovely beaches, in particular the charming fishing town of Punta Del Diablo which I also mentioned in our ‘looking back on 2024 blog…’ With fishing boats on the beach waiting to be taken to sea, it offers a glimpse into the lives of the hardworking Uruguayan people. Down by the coast the colourful beach shacks lining the rugged dirt track roads looking onto the beach offer local home cooked food, seafood coming directly from the boats and handcrafted jewellery and keepsakes. For all this, it is a popular spot to swim, its soft sand and cool waters refreshing on a hot day.
With it being so busy we stayed only a few hours before venturing further up the coast in search for a peaceful place to swim and stay the night. Relocating, we parked up on a hill top, with a small boardwalk leading us down to the beach. To the left of us a river split the beach in two and was connected by a long and narrow suspension bridge. It bounced and swayed as we walked along it, being only three slim wooden boards in depth and having thin cables reaching from end to end it was a daunting passage.
Christmas 2024
Further north we found a lovely spot on the river to enjoy Christmas. In fear of repeating myself, if you haven’t already, why don’t you check out our blog ‘What Christmas looks like for travellers…’ to know more about our Christmas this year. To recap for you though, we parked up by the river in a community camping area. Our friendly neighbours invited us over for a chat and a snack, with Will yet again acting as a translator (I know what you’re thinking- I am learning, just slowly okay). You may recall in a previous blog ‘Solero’s in Town…’ that I mentioned the locals drinking Mate, with a flask like cup and metal straw and gripping n the arm a larger flask of hot water or with with a basket designed to hold both. Well our new friends told us, having the drink in this manner is uniquely Uruguayan. Having had a lovely few days there celebrating it was time for us to move on.
The cost of food
With Uruguay being much more expensive than we had anticipated we had considered leaving the country much earlier than planned to avoid the extra costs. Though things like petrol are cheaper, food shopping is really quite pricey. Fresh fruits and vegetables and prepackaged foods are more expensive than in the UK but meat is a great deal cheaper, especially beef. For example, a sharing bag of crisps is the equivalent of £3.50 (€4, $4.20) and thats the cheapest packet we could find. A quarter of a cabbage is the equivalent of £0.85 (€1, $1.05) – just for a quarter! But you can also buy a 3 pack of steaks for £3.50 (€4, $4.20), the same cost as a packet of crisps, make it make sense! The price of beef might have something to do with there being 4 cows to every 1 person in Uruguay, giving them the highest number of cattle to person ratio in the world.
To put all that into perspective, in the UK, a share packet of crisps can be as cheap as £1 (€1.20,$1.25) a whole cabbage is £0.80 (€0.95, $1) and for steak the cheapest I could find was £3.15 (€3.80, $3.90) for just one. Due to all this, as I said, we were considering leaving the country earlier but after having a long think and talking it over, we decided we didn’t want to miss out on an entire country and thought instead on how we could change the way we spend money. Taking even more care with every penny, and ensuring no food was wasted.
Shopping in Brazil
For New year we went to a large town called Chuy, this town sits right in the middle of the border between Uruguay and Brazil. Parking in Uruguay we walked over the road, crossing four lanes of traffic to find ourselves in Brazil, with super markets, clothes stores etc, just like a normal street. We did all our shopping for New year here. We could spoil ourselves a little more, being so far away from home, it can in some small way compensate for not being with friends and family. Having a little taste of Brazil made us even more excited to get there some day. Having loaded up on our spoils, we set out in search of the perfect destination to see the New Year in. With the weather being so warm and temperatures on the rise we always want to be by water to cool off, so we went in search of a lake as we headed inland.
New Years Eve
On New Years Eve the lake and it’s surrounding areas was fairly quiet, with families coming and going throughout the day to enjoy a swim it never seemed to feel all too busy. As night fell, being 3 hours behind the UK we were able to chat with friends and family and welcome in their New Year with them. As our New year approached, by then they were all either fast asleep or up to who-knows-what, so Will and I had each other to celebrate. Bathing in the lake as midnight hit, we were elated as fireworks lit up the sky and could hear hollering of well wishes in the air “Feliz Año Nuevo! Feliz Año Nuevo!”. Shortly after, we were joined by several locals in the lake, we chatted with them for a while, with one of them speaking good English, I could join the conversation even more so. We passed around our little bottle of honey grapa, only to later find out that one of them was only 16 years old, oops! He was with his mum though and fortunately she didn’t mind.
After a while we departed the lake and each others company offering well wishes all round. As we went back to our van we could see and hear our Brazilian Campervan neighbours just up the hill were still up and making some noise. With the bottle of pink fizz we had saved to open at midnight we approached the family of three, and offered a celebratory drink. They accepted us with open arms and welcomed us to sit with them. Drinks were poured and grilled sausage was shared as we chatted about our different travel plans and shared stories of places we have been.
A free concert!
On New Years day the areas surrounding us and the lake were swamped with people having a good time. Turns out New Years day is celebrated much more that New Years Eve. In true British style however, Will and I were nursing hangovers. Later in the evening, having heard loud music for a while and having had taken some respite inside the van we decided it was time to embrace the atmosphere around us. Looking round the van we were surprised to see live music up on the hill, not wanting to waste any time and not wanting to miss out on anymore we hurried up the hill to join in with the festivities. What a great way to start the year!
You may wonder how we didn’t notice their was live music, well it’s very common for people to play very loud music out of large sound systems in the back of their vehicles, so we had grown quite accustomed to hearing intrusively loud music.
Dirt tracks to Quebrada de los Cuervos hike
Travelling further inland we drove 40km on long stretches of dusty dirt tracks and intense washboard roads to reach the natural park Quebrada De Los Cuervos. If you haven’t already I would highly recommend reading our last blog ‘Quebrada de los Cuervos…’ where I take you through the hike in great detail. This hike took us up and down a ravine, through forests and subtropical climates, we passed rivers and streams and had several sightings of wildlife.
Enjoying the natural lAgoon
However, before we got here, close by there is a waterfall and lagoon to swim in. Having driven the 40km on dusty baron roads, a refreshing dip was just what we needed. At the end of yet another dirt track road we found a little farm house in the wild, paying the lady of the house, we passed through their property. Taking our van cross country, through fields with no roads we watched on as the cows and sheep dispersed as we approached but the horses grazing watched without flinching. Up and down a small creek and over the hill, with the house in the distance we parked up in the trees and readied ourselves for a swim.
First heading down the valley on a rocky footpath intermittently in shade by overhanging trees, it was a short walk to meet the lagoon. The river running in and out of it from either end brings a natural flow of clean fresh water. Deciding to hike to the waterfall first, thinking the lagoon would feel even better after a ramble in warm weather. Crossing the river on a bridge that consisted of two wooden logs and thin metal wire as handrails we started out climb. Minding our footing with every step, we scaled the rocky terrain and the track soon evened out as we neared the top. Opening up to a hill top sparsely decorated with shrubbery amongst the rocks surface.
Reaching the the top we could hear the river in the valley below but couldn’t yet see it, we first had to climb down the slippery bare rock face, using ropes as a guide. Gripping the rope and using it to hold our weight as we slowly walked backwards down the rock into the safety of the trees. Turning to the sound of running water, we stepped out onto the open plateau and reached the cliff edge to see the flowing river cascading down the craggy drops in the ravine. Creating little pools spilling over and dropping once more to meet the ravine again and flow onwards.
Stopping here for a while we enjoyed the small breeze that whipped around the cliffs edge as it twisted and turned in an unknown direction. Taking photos, I quite literally had to crawl to the edge with my heart beating a little faster and my legs turning to jelly, unlike Will joyfully striding close to the edge with little caution.
Leaving the gurgling sounds of running water behind us, we made our way back up and over the hill top and started the decent back down, being even more careful with our footing as the rocks below us gave way at our touch. Tiptoeing back over the rickety bridge and into the safety of the trees, we headed for the lake.
Stripping off our clothes to reveal our swimmies hiding under them. Eager to wash away the accumulated damp, naturally I sent Will in first to test the waters. Submerging ourselves, the lake was deep, cold and untouched by man, keeping its wild and rustic aesthetic.
Heading inland
Over the next couple weeks we drove deeper into rural parts of the country, surrounded by miles of farmland and dirt roads, it was always a great sigh of relief if we were to come across tarmac. Slowly making our way south as we headed for Argentina, stopping off along the way for at yet more bodies of water to swim and refresh. On our very last day being in Uruguay we used up the remainder of our Uruguayan Dollars and finished our visit with a delicious Chori Pan.
As always let us know what you think of our time in Uruguay, is there anywhere we missed? Or do you have any suggestions for our next adventure in Argentina?
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