Montevideo

The best places to stay are Pocitos and Punta Carretas neighbourhoods; the closer to the sea the better.

1. Architecture

There are a lot of architectural gems in Montevideo. I enjoyed a guided tour of Palacio Salvo (cash only), a guided tour of Castillo Pittamiglio (if you like wacky architecture built by wacky people), and exploring Contemporary Art Space on my own. A tour of Palacio Legislativo is still on my wishlist.

2. Running along the waterfront Rambla

Run up to the Plaza del Carnaval del Uruguay for a nice view of the city.

3. Outside Montevideo

Still on my to-visit list: Museo de la Revolución Industrial, Cabo Polonio, Fundación Pablo Atchugarry sculpture park, Colonia del Sacramento.

Food and drink

• My favourite local speciality was licor de tannat, liqueur wine made from the most mature Tannat grapes and prepared like a great vintage port.
• My favourite meal was at La Fonda. Mushroom Bar is an ok vegan restaurant. All other restaurant meals were disappointing - I recommend you choose by reviews on Google Maps, not by blogs or travel guides.
• For deserts - Federación (Café y Panadería Urbana) makes spectacular pastries; at Escaramuza Libros you get to enjoy a cake in the bookshop’s inner garden.
• Devoto Fresh Market in Punta Carretas was my favourite supermarket.
• For fresh fruit and veggies: Mercado Agrícola de Montevideo, Feria De Los Domingos (on Sundays), Feria del Parque Rodó (on Sundays), etc. Feria de Tristán Narvaja (on Sundays) is the most fun market in Montevideo, but it’s way too crowded to attempt grocery shopping.

Notes

• The best time to visit Montevideo is on February 2nd - Día de Yemanjá (Day of the Goddess of the Sea).
• I was planning to buy Antel sim card, but I never did.
• You can buy a top-up card for buses, but they take cash (and give change) too.