More Montevideo

Montevideo’s port is the main one in the country and one of the most important merchandise entry points to the Mercosur. The port sits on the River Plate, the estuary formed by the combination of the Uruguay and the Paraná rivers. Extending 290km from the rivers' confluence to the Atlantic Ocean, it is the widest estuary in the world, 48km wide where the rivers meet and a staggering 220km where it reaches the Atlantic Ocean.

In a sense, this port is the opposite to the Buenos Aires one, the last was born as the result of the needs of a great city, while Montevideo – and Uruguay - grew up around this strategically placed natural port. Thus, the port is Uruguay’s economy main engine and is open at all times and it offers several attractions for the wandering traveler.

Spain designated this port as its main one in the Americas in 1776. Later, the modern port was inaugurated in 1909, as a competition to the one in Buenos Aires, saving the ships the need to deal with the mud along the Argentinean side. Eventually it became the key point along the route Sao Paulo-Buenos Aires, the main axis of the Mercosur economic activity.

From the travelers’ point of view, the main point of interest in the port itself is the Buquebus Terminal. It can be accessed only by foot from the main entrance of the port and is located at the end of the entrance path. Next to the security booth is an office of the Uruguayan Ministry of Tourism, where souvenirs can be purchased and information about Uruguay received from professional hands.

Buquebus is the name of the fast boats service connecting Buenos Aires with Montevideo.

A direct trip costs well over a hundred American dollars. Tickets can be purchased also at the Tres Cruces Bus Termina, which was also reviewed in this journal. If buying there, the ticket includes also the bus trip to the port. A way of lowering the expense is taking a bus to Colonia del Sacramento and then the boat in a shorter line to Buenos Aires.

Colonia del Sacramento is one of the major touristic attractions in Uruguay – maybe even in South America – there are frequent buses to there from Montevideo. Such a detour is thus fully justified from a traveler’s point of view and highly enjoyable.

Mercado del Puerto

The second attraction in the area is the "Mercado del Puerto," the "Port’s Market." It is located a block away from the port’s main entrance toward the Ciudad Vieja (see that entry in this journal).

The building was inaugurated in 1868. A sign of the country’s tiny dimensions is the fact that the president of the republic found then the time to inaugurate a food market. Its eclectic style resembles a spacious hangar; within which whole structures are located (every stall has its own ceiling, despite the market having a very high roof). A clock tower placed at its center in 1897 has been restored; nowadays the masterpiece faithfully shows the time. In 1975 the market was nominated a national historic monument. The area surrounding its main entrance has been transformed into a walking street and features many souvenirs shops.

So, what’s the attraction in an old market placed in an old fashioned hangar? Simply, this is the most renowned place for a "parrillada" in Montevideo. The fourteen restaurants placed in its interior specialize in the grilling of various meats and serve tourists and locals as one extra-sized "parrilladas," the famous South American Barbecue. A word of warning: the locals here charge significantly more than similar restaurants elsewhere in the city, though no other place compares in ambience to the "Mercado del Puerto."

Parque Rodo

Sometimes the best way of nourishing a park is leaving it alone for a century or two. Don’t mess with the trees, let them grow and drop some seeds in their surroundings. Don’t clean the lake; if it was well designed its ecosystem will thrive. Don’t surrender to the latest Art Deco eclectic style and do not remodel the park with every new government. So simple, yet so complicated to achieve in our world.

In a word: stability, an unimaginable condition in a country like Uruguay. Yet, that was exactly what happened with Parque Rodo, the largest park in Montevideo and probably one of the most beautiful in South America; almost in the same scale of Lumphini Park in Bangkok.

The park occupies 25 hectares in the neighborhood of the same name. It is not far from the Rambla, the Ramirez Beach and the MERCOSUR headquarters; see the Rambla review in this journal for more details on these. It was named after a Uruguayan writer.

Parque Rodo was the second park of Montevideo, after "El Prado," and is with no doubts the most popular park in town. It was designed by Charles Thays, a French born landscape architect that arrived at Argentina in 1889, and became Director of Parks and Walkways for the city of Buenos Aires in 1891. In 1896 he designed the Parque San Martin in Mendoza, one of the largest and most important parks in Argentina. These facts add importance and an international touch to this park.

The project for the park was presented in 1888, but an economy crisis caused the inauguration to be delayed until 1901. Charles Thays gave a definitely European touch to this masterpiece. The actual name was given only in 1917 after the Uruguayan writer José Enrique Rodó died in his Italian exile.

The park includes a lake, a small waterfall, a children’s park, several forested areas, an improvised fleas market, several restaurants and various monuments including one to Rodo done by Belloni, the most famous Uruguayan sculptor. Boats can be rented in the lake. The soccer club "Defensor Sporting" has its stadium nearby and the Montevideo Gran Prix takes place every year around the park and the adjacent stretch of Rambla. A golf club is placed nearby. Of interest to travelers is the nearby Museo Nacional de Artes.

An extraordinary sign by the lake shore explains why its waters are so green with algae and states in excruciating detail why the water is never cleaned. The idea is to keep a self-containing eco-system.

National Art Museum

Nearby is the National Art Museum, which was inaugurated together with a library in 1838 in a different location. Due to the prolonged Uruguayan Civil War both institutions were soon closed. They reopened only in 1871, when the museum became the main feature of the building. The collection included only a few works of European origin.

In 1874 the museum was divided in six sections that included among others sculptures, paintings and antiquities. In 1880 the library was separated, and the moved into parts of the "Teatro Soliz" (see the "Ciudad Vieja" entry in this journal). By this time its collection included also artifacts related to natural history of the area. In 1890, there were 108 paintings in the collection, none of them of contemporaneous art streams.

In 1911 it was decided to separate the museum into three: the Natural History, the National History and the National Art museums. The National Art Museum was designed to occupy a new building next to the Park Rodo, back then called "Parque Urbano" ("Urban Park"). The museum moved to the new building in 1914, and then it had 351 paintings. Since 1937 the museum began collecting works that won national competitions and the collection was vastly enriched.

However, the museum was closed between 1951 and 1962 for restorations. Even after the reopening, the museum adhered to its old standards and its collection remained insignificant. Only in 1969 a new director introduced a new spirit and significant exhibitions from abroad were brought; those included works by Rodin, Picasso, Gaudi, Miro, Goya and others. Works of the world renowned architect Santiago Calatrava were recently exhibited here. Regardless the collection exhibited at any given moment, visiting this landmark of Montevideo is a perfect complement to a walk along the Rambla and the Park Rodo.

Ciudad Vieja

The "Ciudad Vieja" ("Old City") is the name given to colonial Montevideo; nowadays the area is the central neighborhood of the city. Located between the port and the Rambla it is better reached by taxi, or with any bus marked "Ciudad Vieja" or "Puerto." If taking the last, make sure to have a street map, since the Ciudad Vieja center is a few blocks away from the port.

It encloses many of the main attractions of the city. The area was enclosed by a wall, which was demolished in 1829, except for its main gate on Plaza Independencia. Beyond the attractions, the area is worthy also of an aimless walk. The cobblestoned streets tastefully blend with the surrounding buildings, most of them dating back to the early twentieth century or even to the nineteenth. Coffee shops and restaurants feature high, old fashioned, ceilings and act as a reminder of the early 20th century prosperity.

A tour of the area is better combined with a visit of the Port and the Rambla, see those entries in this journal. Here is a review of the main attractions in the Old City of Montevideo.

Teatro Solís

This theatre is the main one in Montevideo; it occupies one of the corners of the Old City, on Buenos Aires corner Bartolomé Mitre. The construction began in 1842 but it was delayed due to the Uruguayan civil war; it was inaugurated unfinished in 1856 and named after Juan Díaz de Solís, the first Spaniard that sailed along the Plate River. The structure was finished only in 1874. The facade is a smallish replica of the Carlo Felice Theatre in Geneve, while the elliptic main room was styled after the Scala Theatre in Milan. The beautiful entrance offers good views of the Plaza Independencia.

Plaza Matriz

This plaza was the historical center of the Old City. It is known also as Plaza Constitucion, since here the first Uruguayan constitution was made public in 1830. The main buildings surrounding it were the cathedral (known as Catedral Metropolitana or Catedral Matriz) and the Cabildo, the seat of the colonial government.

Nowadays it hosts a daily market of souvenirs and antiques. In a country where seeing a "Ford T" slowly strolling on its main avenue is normal, the term "antique" refers to objects that require a conscious effort by most modern people to recognize their original function. In nay case, they are maintained superbly and make wonderful souvenirs.

Plaza Independencia

This plaza commemorates the Uruguayan independence and is located at the limit between the old town and the new city. At its center is a large statue of Artigas on a horse. The most important building around it is the awkwardly shaped Palacio Salvo (Was it a prototype of the space shuttle?), which was the tallest building in South America when it was inaugurated in 1928 (95 meters, 27 floors).

However, the most interesting sight is the "Puerta de la Ciudadela" ("The Citadel Gate"). This gate is the main leftover from the original wall around colonial Montevideo. Tastefully restored, its shape creates a wonderful contrast to the more modern buildings surrounding it. Its windows and openings create wonderful frames to its surroundings.

Peatonal Sarandi

This walking street connects the Plaza Matriz with the nearby Plaza Independencia and the Puerta de la Ciudadela. Many souvenir and commercial shops delimit it, while gift stalls and street artists crowd it. The street became a walking street in 1992, and in 2005 was extended beyond the Plaza Matriz.

Catedral Metropolitana

The main structure on the Plaza Matriz, the cathedral is known also as the Matriz Cathedral. Its origins date back to 1740, when a small bricks church was built. In 1790 the actual cathedral began being built; the works ended only in 1804. Its presence in an openly atheist society is of great importance, especially since its functions could not be banned: masses and other religious ceremonies are still carried out there.

Of neoclassical shape, the cathedral is pretty standard. However, as it happens sometimes with such buildings, its central dome had been wonderfully located, allowing the entrance to the inner space of a wonderful light. With or without a mass being carried on, sitting there is a wonderful, illuminating experience.

Montevideo’s riverside is beautiful. Usually river shores are quite calm and waveless, since the waters flow parallel to them; yet, here the waves are quite wild, with strong winds forcing them to wash the promenade. The explanation is simple; despite this being the River Plate, this is one of its widest parts, and not far from Punta del Este, where actually the river meets the Atlantic Ocean. Thus Montevideo experiences a river being pushed ashore by a wild ocean climate; the water here is of high salinity, midway between fresh and ocean water. Strong winds carry a lot of humidity and make the city’s climate somewhat colder than the expected at these latitudes.

From the travelers’ point of view, the result is the main attraction of this city, and maybe even the whole country, if we take into consideration that most of the important cities in it are along this shoreline.

The shore features a promenade – called here Rambla – which is with no doubt one of the best such constructions in the world. It surpasses anything I have seen along the Mediterranean Sea, be it Italy, Greece or my own country. Strong walls contain the river along most of its way, beaches, parks and port structures form the rest. Beyond the walls is a very wide walking path, then an avenue (which often changes names) and only afterwards the proper city begins. Constructing along the Rambla area is forbidden, thus walkers can enjoy unobstructed sights of several kilometers. Of uneven shape, the Rambla undulates along the coast and allows an ever changing, always magically beautiful landscape.

Early mornings and the sunset hours provide the best opportunities for energetic walks along it. The Rambla is advertised as a highly secure place, but during my walks there I experienced an oppressive presence of the police. In a country known for its military dictatorships and ongoing human rights violations (especially regarding the judicial processing of the generals responsible of the dictatorship), that was very uncomfortable. Every two blocks or so, a police car would pass next to me, sometimes stopping nearby and watching with interest my photographing. Taking pictures of them become a proven way of causing them to move away. Since I was one of the few walking the path, their harassment probably meant they had nothing better to do, but nonetheless the experience was annoying.

Near the Rambla beginning, just next to the port storage area, is a cement and rocks path advancing into the river and leading to a now obsolete lighthouse. Beyond awesome views of the town, the shoreline and the Cerrito (a small hill that apparently gave the name to the city, which apparently means "Hill-See"), this is a popular fishing point. I did not see any catch worth of dining on it, but nonetheless it seemed to be a popular spot with local fishermen and joggers.

Along the Rambla are several beaches. The first one to appear – if walking from the Old City (see that entry in this journal) is the Ramirez Beach. Forming an attractive arch, it offers good views westwards, toward the Rambla beginning and the nearby stylish MERCOSUR Headquarters Building. MERCOSUR is the name of the economic union between Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay. Afterwards, the Parque Rodo (see that entry in this journal) is bypassed and then the Pocitos, Buceo, Malvín, and Carrasco beaches appear amidst other attractions.

One of the beauties of the experience is that since it is located along downtown Montevideo – at least in its beginnings, since the complete Rambla runs for twenty-two kilometers – the walker can decide at any point to quit and take a taxi back to downtown. A repetitive circular path is not necessary.

A point to remember is that taking several set of clothes is a necessity during all seasons. My last walk along it was in January, 2009. Since Montevideo is on the Southern Hemisphere, that means summer time. Yet, early in the morning, the place was chilly, several short downpours wetted the whole city, and wild waves successfully and repetitively wetted all the spots the rain failed to.

Irresistible beauty.

Tres Cruces: the Neighborhood

The name of the area means "Three Crosses" and goes back to 1813, when the "Tres Cruces Congress" took place there; the congress predates the actual republic and was related to its later foundation.

Tres Cruces is located at the junction of three major roads: 18 de Julio Avenue, 8 de Octubre Avenue and Artigas Boulevard; Italia Avenue begins here as well. It is not exaggerated thus to state that despite its slightly off-center position, this neighborhood hosts the main junction in town giving rapid access to all its parts and main exits. Moreover, some of the city better known landmarks are located here.

Since 1994 this neighborhood had experienced a major development due to the bus terminal and shopping mall placed in it. It became an almost unavoidable stop for travelers passing through Montevideo.

Two monuments immediately catch the visitors’ attention: the "Cruz Papal" and the "Obelisco a los Constituyentes de 1830." The first is a huge white cross with the statue of Pope John Paul II at its front; it commemorates his visit to the city in 1987. The cross location marks the place of the mass given by him during the occasion.

Nearby is an obelisk commemorating the constitutional congress of 1830. Built of granite and bronze and of forty meters height; a hexagonal fountain surrounds it. It was inaugurated in 1938 at the junction of Artigas Boulevard with 18 de Julio Avenue. This was the place of a famous protest against the military dictatorship in 1983.

Shopping Tres Cruces

Montevideo got its first shopping mall only in 1985 ("Montevideo Shopping Center", near the Pocitos Beach); in 1994 three more were inaugurated including the Shopping Tres Cruces. Despite being of humble size, it enjoys the adjacent bus terminal (on the ground level) traffic; official statistics talk of more than twenty million visitors per year. This number exceeds several times the population of the whole country.

Untypical of the local city landscape, the whole building was built with bricks and those were left uncovered, creating a striking contrast with the surrounding area. However, since it is at a lower level than the adjacent avenue, most of it is half hidden; the building can be appreciated only from close by.

The shopping mall main characteristic is its appeal to passing by crowds that can dedicate to it only short periods of time before the bus trip expecting them; due to this most customers can be defined as not very wealthy. The result is a plethora of small shops selling low quality items, souvenirs from Montevideo and Uruguay and all imaginable type of food and snacks. A visit to the shopping mall unrelated to a bus trip is almost unimaginable.

Several coffee stalls were placed on its main corridor, on the ground floor – where the bus terminal is – and offer coffee of remarkable quality for such surroundings.

Bus Terminal Tres Cruces

This bus terminal transformed the transport landscape in Montevideo and Uruguay. Before its inauguration there was not a definite travel hub in the city; most of the long distance buses left from Plaza Cagancha. The last is a small plaza near the city center and was highly inappropriate for such a task.

The new terminal occupies the ground floor of the Shopping Tres Cruces. Most of this area features the selling windows of a plethora of companies selling bus tickets to everywhere in Uruguay and a few international locations. Buses to Argentina, Bolivia, Paraguay and even Sao Paulo in Brazil are available here; combinations of bus and Buquebus trips are also available. Buquebus is the name of the fast boats service connecting Buenos Aires with Montevideo.

A direct trip costs well over a hundred American dollars, but the expense is justified; I found the trip comparable to the crossing of the Pearl River with Hoover Boats from Macau to Hong Kong. A way of lowering the expense is taking a bus to Colonia del Sacramento and then the boat in a shorter line to Buenos Aires.

Colonia del Sacramento is one of the major touristic attractions in Uruguay – maybe even in South America – there are frequent buses to there from Montevideo. Such a detour is thus fully justified from a traveler’s point of view and highly enjoyable.

In the immediate vicinity of the terminal are many restaurants serving typical Uruguayan dishes in a more relaxed environment. Their prices are also significantly lower than within the terminal and closer to the normal levels elsewhere in town.