Uruguay
Oriental Republic of Uruguay
South America · URY
Editorial Snapshot
Why Go To Uruguay
Uruguay is one of South America's easiest trips for travelers who want a calm coastal capital, good wine country, and a low-friction route between city and beach. It works especially well as Montevideo plus one or two additions such as Colonia, Punta del Este, or the interior thermal belt.
Popular For
Things To See
- Montevideo
- Colonia del Sacramento
- Punta del Este
- Cabo Polonio
- Tacuarembo
- Carmelo
Best Months
Best Months For Winter Travel
Know Before You Go
- Summer is the cleanest beach season, while spring and fall are better for city and wine travel.
- Montevideo and Colonia make a simple first-trip pairing.
- Uruguay is compact enough that a short route can still feel complete.
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Flights
Hotels & Accommodations
Compare stays across major booking options
Open hotel and accommodation options for Uruguay.
Guidebooks
📚Browse Uruguay Guidebooks on AmazonTours & Activities
Country Data
Stats At A Glance
Practical travel, safety, climate, and quality-of-life stats for Uruguay.
Quick Facts
- Capital
- Montevideo
- Population
- 3,499,451
- Area
- 181,034 km²
- Region
- South America
Languages
- Spanish
Currency
Uruguayan peso ($)
UYU
Exchange rate unavailable for USD.
Cost of Living (World Bank)
65.6
Price level index (US = 100)
- Groceries
- 55.1
- Restaurants
- 59.6
- Rent
- 14.7
Safety & Peace
higher score = safer everyday environment · derived from World Bank homicide data
lower score = more peaceful · 1.0–3.5 scale
Monthly Climate Averages
These weather averages are based on data for Montevideo (34.85°S, 56.17°W).
LGBTQ+ Friendly
74/100
Traveler LGBTQ score
- Legal protections
- 90/100
- Lived safety
- 44/100
This traveler-facing score is lower than the legal protections score because lived-safety context is weaker, based on broader traveler safety and development conditions.
This score blends legal protections with lived-safety context so strong laws alone do not automatically push a country to the top of the ranking.
- Homosexuality legal✅
- Relationship recognitionMarriage
- Adoption recognition✅
- Anti-discrimination laws✅
- Employment protections✅
- Legal gender recognition✅
- Conversion therapy ban❌
Human Development Index (UNDP)
0.862
Very high human development
- 5-year change
- +0.036
- 10-year change
- +0.050
- Trend
- improving
- Data year
- 2023
- Gender Dev. Index (GDI)
- 1.017
- Gender Inequality Index (GII)
- 0.218
- Planetary-adjusted HDI (PHDI)
- 0.804
UNESCO World Heritage Sites (3)
- 🏛️
The work of engineer Eladio Dieste: Church of Atlántida
Inscribed 2021
- 🏛️
Fray Bentos Industrial Landscape
Inscribed 2015
- 🏛️
Historic Quarter of the City of Colonia del Sacramento
Inscribed 1995
Natural Beauty (World Bank)
- Protected land area
- 3.1%
- Forest cover
- 12.0%
Source: World Bank.
Wildlife & Birdwatching
- Threatened mammal species (IUCN)
- 9
- Threatened bird species (IUCN)
- 22
Source: World Bank / IUCN Red List. Higher counts indicate richer biodiversity, typically in tropical rainforest, island, and savannah ecosystems.
Food & Cuisine
39/100
Food and dining score
Built from two layers: dining-scene breadth and open prestige signals. We combine restaurant density, cuisine diversity, distinguished restaurants, and gastronomy-city recognitions from open data sources.
Luxury Infrastructure
83/100
Luxury & premium accommodation score
Based on OpenStreetMap luxury hotel density and World Bank international tourism receipts.
US Travel Advisory
Reissued after periodic review with changes. Exercise increased caution in Uruguay due to crime. Country Summary: Crime is most common in these departments: Montevideo Canelones Maldonado Rivera Violent crimes, such as homicides, armed robberies, car jackings, and thefts occur throughout the country. These crimes happen at any time and have affected U.S. citizens. Criminals commonly travel in pairs on motorcycles to approach unsuspecting victims with a weapon and demand personal belongings. Armed criminals also target grocery stores, restaurants, financial centers, and small businesses, in which innocent bystanders are often victimized. Read the country information page for additional information on travel to Uruguay. If you decide to travel to Uruguay: Be aware of your surroundings, especially when traveling to tourist locations or poorly lit areas. Call 911 if you encounter a crime in progress. Do not physically resist any robbery attempt or try to stop a robbery in progress. Be vigilant when visiting banks or using ATMs during non-daylight hours or in remote locations; criminals often target ATMs and businesses in the early morning hours. Do not leave valuable objects in parked vehicles or in plain sight when driving. Do not display signs of wealth, such as wearing expensive jewelry or watches. Review your personal and residential security plans. Enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) to receive messages and Alerts from the U.S. Embassy and make it easier to locate you in an emergency. Review the Country Security Report for Uruguay. Prepare a plan for emergency situations. Review the Traveler’s Checklist. Visit the CDC page for the latest Travel Health Information related to your travel and return to the United States. We highly recommend that you buy insurance before you travel. Check with your travel insurance provider about evacuation assistance, medical insurance, and trip cancellation coverage.
Read full advisory →Data current as of May 2026 and subject to change. Travel advisory information is sourced from the U.S. State Department and reflects conditions at the time of data collection, not real-time conditions. Do not rely solely on this information for travel decisions. Always check current government advisories for your nationality. Terms of Use · About our data