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With assets such as a peaceful capital, an amiable people and beautiful beaches, Uruguay is fostering the growth of tourism.
"The sunshine is the same, the land is the same, the sea is the same. You are different."
This unpretentious slogan befits the discreet, slightly shy character of the inhabitants of this small South American country. It's flat territory, on the left bank of the River Plate and the Atlantic Ocean, is home to a people formed from immigrants - mostly Spanish and Italian -. The native Indians are now little more than a memory. Uruguay's present population is about 3.500.000 people, half of which live in the capital: MONTEVIDEO. Uruguayans display a dogged pride, a resolve to scratch from the country's collective memory the stigma of being a nation of old people. Even though its area is but 176.215 square kilometers (68.536 square miles), Uruguay is a beautiful country of rolling fields where cattle graze to support an economy constantly striving to recover. Uruguayans have high hopes for the future - making the República Oriental del Uruguay relive its prosperity of the early 20th century, when it was nicknamed "the Switzerland of South America". A tradition handed down those halcyon days that made
the Uruguayans one of the most highly educated and cultured people on the continent. The Uruguayans' courtesy is an asset for those endeavoring to make tourism one of the stamples of the economy. With the expectations generated by Mercosur, - a common market formed by Brazil, Paraguay, Argentine and Uruguay -, tourism strives to be the foremost industry in Uruguay. Uruguay has some stroong point in its bid to become a major tourism hub. Foremos is the fact that it is the only country on the continent with total fiscal and exchange freedom, rigorous bank secrecy and free flow of hard currencies. MONTEVIDEO has not the hectic rhythm of most big cities. It is geared to the calm habits of is inhabitants and provides safety to those who venture its streets in the wee hours. In the daytime, nothing gets going very early. Stores open around 9 in the morning, and lunchtime is sacred to the locals. Nightlife begins after 10 p.m. and,, in hot weather, bars and restaurants are jam-packed. "Mate" is consumed by nine out of ten Uruguayans. Men and women go out in the streets toting the characteristic gourd and a vacuum bottle to hold hot water. Food is delicious, especially for those who enjoy meat. The excellent cuts are served grilled - the typical "parrillada" -, available everywhere, is a combination of several cuts of meat, innards and sausages. Casinos open at 2 p.m., and a total of 2.500 persons gamble each day at the three Casinos of Montevideo: Carrasco, Parque Hotel and Victoria Plaza, most of them trying their luck at roulette, but also at the slots machines. Card, slots machines and roulettes are not the only attractions for visitors to Montevideo. There are also the Old City, many beautiful beaches (Pocitos, Malvín, Carrasco, etc.), the typical restaurants of the waterfront market, the Solís Theatre, the 18 de Julio Avenue, the Prado Park, the Cathedral, the museums, the antique shops, the 35 - day Carnival (beginning the first Saturday of February), a night out with typical music, "candombe" (a rhythm with African roots, very similar to Brazilian "samba"), dinner at the Makao, dancing at the New York, a stroll in the upscale Carrasco district, with mansions crowded by surprising roofs. Montevideo possesses 2.000 hectares (4.940 acres) of green areas, spacious parks and a host of monuments, perhaps the denser concentration of monuments to be found anywhere: more than 200. Six statues or monuments honor José Artigas, the greatest hero of Uruguayan independence, the foremost of which is an equestrian statue in "Plaza Independencia", the very heart of the city, where the traditional Victoria Plaza Hotel is located. Montevideo's nearness to other tourist attractions render unforgettable tours easier. The port and resort town of "COLONIA DEL SACRAMENTO" lies 177 kilometres (110 miles) to the west. This town was founded by Portuguese in the 17th Century and has been designated a national landmark. Speedy hydrofoil boats sail from its port to Buenos Aires, across the River Plate. Nevertheless, a visitor's midsummer dream lies in the opposite direction. The "Interbalnearia Highway", leading east from Montevideo, is studded with beautiful beach resorts. One of these is "PIRIAPOLIS", the site of the magnificent "Hotel Argentino", famed for its geriatric treatments. The most sophisticated resort, however, is PUNTA DEL ESTE. As if to separate two different worlds, the hill of "Punta Ballena" rises imposingly between Piriápolis and Punta del Este. On that corner blessed by nature, Uruguayan architect Carlos Páez Vilaró began to build a different kind of monument in 1958. A dazzling white house flows down the cliff in forms that shun right angles. Called "Casapueblo" ("People's House"), this piece of "inhabitable architecture", which is open to visitors, is made up of balconies, stairways, mazes and swimming pools. After this surprising sight, travelers reach Punta del Este, in the Maldonado department (state). The international jet set and the Argentine upper crust continuously land at the local airport to enjoy summer in the resort. Punta del Este is the former "Cabo de Santa María de la Candelaria", on the point where the River Plate ends and the Atlantic Ocean begins. It has a fixed population of about 15.000 inhabitants, but in the summer it hosts from 200.000 to 250,000 visitors. One of Punta del Este's summer treats is a stroll along Gorlero Avenue, lined with shops, exchange offices, restaurants and realtor offices, and also the site of one of the city's Casinos.
The Atlantic Ocean has the stage all for itself on the beaches of the ROCHA department, which are beautiful and not very urbanized: LA PALOMA, LA BALCONADA, LA PEDRERA, PUNTA DEL DIABLO and SANTA TERESA (the surfers' paradise). The hospitable country offers a variety of options, in Pocitos or Punta del Este, the casinos, the "parrilladas" or strolls at twilight along the ramblas of Montevideo. The past lives on in the tenet that growing does not mean doing away with tradition - the Uruguayans have discoverd that the quest for modernity is compatible with "mate" gourds and "thermos" flasks carried in the streets on warm summer days.
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