Uruguay
Peak: December – February. These months are warm. Great for walking around exploring and beach days.
Shoulder Seasons (March – May and October – November): These months offer decent weather and lower prices.
Off-Peak: June – August. This is winter! It can get very cold in Uruguay but you can still get nice weather for exploring cities, such as Montevideo.
Credit cards are widely used and accepted throughout Uruguay. Cash can be helpful for street food or smaller shops.
Network Reality: Montevideo has excellent connectivity. My US carrier plan provided 4G/5G coverage throughout the capital, and many of the city’s parks and plazas offer free public Wi-Fi.
- Power & Plugs: Uruguay uses a mix of Type C (Euro-style), Type L, and occasionally Type I. Most modern hotels have universal outlets, but a universal adapter is a must for local guesthouses. The voltage is 220V.
The most uncalibrated moments in Montevideo don’t happen at the monuments; they happen in the quiet intervals between them. I was walking through the city at night, the air cool and the streets glowing under soft yellow lights, when I found a small, unassuming cafe tucked away in the center of town. I sat there for an hour, sipping bitter mate and working my way through a massive, dulce-de-leche-filled alfajor, when I struck up a conversation with a group of elderly locals at the next table. With the patient authority that only comes from decades of living, they gave me the real “map” of the city—pointing me toward the best hole-in-the-wall parrilla where the wood smoke never stops. We sat there late into the night, debating the nuances of football and dissecting Uruguay’s performance in the latest Copa America.