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Two-day Sightseeing Itinerary for Montevideo


Museo del Carnaval (Carnival Museum)
Montevideo amazed me with all it has to offer its visitors. I was lucky to have met up with a good friend who was living in Uruguay for a few months and she had a lot of great ideas of what we should see and do. So off we went to explore the city starting at the Carnival museum which chronicles its beginnings in the 18th century and the huge influence of African culture in the longest carnival celebration in the world. More on this under a separate post.
Address: 218 25 de Agosto de 1825 Street across from Montevideo Port and next door to the Mercado del Puerto.

Itinerary
Day 1
Carnival Museum
Mercado del Puerto (Port Market)
Lunch at Es Mercat 
Dessert stop at Alfajores del Uruguay
Teatro Solis solo dance performance (free)
Coffee break at Solis Theater café
Teatro Solis evening modern dance performance
Day 2
Salvo Palace
Tango museum
Independence Square
Metropolitan Cathedral
Constitution Square
Lunch at Jacinto
Zabala Square

Mercado del Puerto (Port Market)
Beside the Carnival Museum, this market has traditional grill restaurants, as well as souvenir and boutique shops. It is not a big marketplace but a nice and cozy one. 

Grill cooking
In a country where a big chunk of the land is dedicated to livestock raising, grill cooking comes as no surprise. Gauchos have long since mastered the art of grilling and so have their urban cousins. It's quite an experience to taste parillada cuisine even if you're not a meat eater. Uruguay is on the Atlantic coast and there's usually a selection of fresh seafood on most menus.

Solis Theater
We went to pick up our tickets for the evening modern dance performance and were so lucky to watch for free that afternoon, a solo narrative dance performance in one of their smaller halls. It's always good to inquire about what's on the calendar for the week or days that you are visiting. Solis Theater offers a wealth of shows including plays, ballets, opera, concerts and performances by the Montevideo Philharmonic Orchestra. Here's the link to their website:  https://www.teatrosolis.org.uy/home .

A Modern Dance Performance
Solis Theater was designed by Carlo Zucchi, an Italian architect. The theater has similarities with Italian opera houses including the Teatro Carlo Felicia in Genoa and La Scala in Milan. The concert hall is beautiful as is the façade of the building with its classical columns. There are tours of the theater if you can't go to a show. And there's a nice café in the building as well.

Salvo Palace
Palacio Salvo is not a palace nor was it intended to be. It’s named after the Salvo brothers who owned the property. The Italian architect, Mario Palanti, designed the building which was meant to be a hotel. Instead, it became a mix-use space with offices and private residences. And if you search for Airbnb accommodations in Montevideo, you'll find some apartments available in the Palacio Salvo. There are tours of the building, for a fee, and it's well worth it. The tour includes entry to the Tango Museum on the ground floor.

View of Montevideo from Palacio Salvo
The tour of Palacio Salvo includes access to the tower with a bird's eye view of the greater Montevideo area. You will have to climb some stairs to reach the viewing platform. Please read my separate post about this iconic building from 1928.

View of Independence Square from the Salvo Palace

Jose Gervasio Artigas Mausoleum 
Artigas is the national hero of Uruguay. He led the war for independence between 1810-1811 against the Spanish troops. He is buried here on Plaza de la Independencia.

Tango Museum
The Museo del Tango is a recreation of the  Confiteria de la Giralda which stood on the site where the Palacio Salvo now stands. The museum is in the Salvo Palace. It traces the history of La Cumparsita and Uruguayan tango.

La Cumparsita by G. H. Matos Rodriguez
Rodriguez composed La Cumparsita, perhaps the best known tango music, in the Confiteria de la Giralda. You can listen to the music with accompanying vintage photos of Montevideo here:  https://youtu.be/LkfzK_nX-QM?feature=shared

Puerta de la Ciudadela (Gate of the Citadel)
This gate is a remnant of a wall that guarded the citadel, the oldest part of the city. It dates back to 1745 and was connected to a drawbridge.  

Yo amo mi barrio (I love my neighborhood/quarter) by Drope, Mokek, Min 8, Gioda
Uruguay has produced many famous artists including Pablo Atchugarry, Jose Gurvich, Joaquin Torres Garcia and Carlos Páez Vilaró. Some of these artists have launched museums like the MACA and Casapueblo in Uruguay which display artworks by both local and foreign artists. Urban/street art is another way for emerging artists to show their talent. “I love my neighborhood” mural is on Sarandi Street. 


These artworks are on Sarandi, a pedestrian only street. The stone carving is of Moses who has traditionally been depicted with horns (cornatum) on his head as written in Exodus 34,30. The horns represent shining light.

Diversity Square, Mural by Noe Cor and Ceciro
On this square off of Sarandi, Spanish architecture and street art hold court.

Colonial architecture on Sarandi Street
There are several well preserved colonial buildings on Sarandi Street. Note the intricately designed side door, the balustrade of the balcony and the pilasters with decorative sculptures.

Colonial architecture on Sarandi Street

Constitution Square (Matrix)
This is a lively square in front of the Cathedral. At the time of our visit, there was a crafts market here.

Metropolitan Cathedral of Montevideo
The neoclassical Metropolitan Cathedral was consecrated in 1804. It is the archdiocesan seat of the Roman Catholic Church of Montevideo. 

The Cathedral is dedicated to the Immaculate Conception and the patron saints of Montevideo, St. Philip and St. James.

Altar of the Metropolitan Cathedral

Zabala Square
This equestrian statue of Bruno Mauricio de Zabala is a monument to the founder of the city of Montevideo.

Taranco Palace, Museum of Decorative Arts, Zabala Square

Church tower of Saint Francis of Assisi
Where to stay
Holiday Inn
Colony 823, Montevideo
This hotel is a three-minute walk to Plaza de la Independencia. 

Where to eat
Es Mercat ,  Colon 1550 (near Montevideo Port)

Jacinto Restaurant , corner of Sarandi and Alzaibar near The Metropolitan Cathedral


Alfajores de Uruguay ,  corner of Rambla 25 del Agosto de 1825 and Perez Castellano near Montevideo Port. We stopped for dessert here to try their famous alfajores These are traditional South American sandwich cookies made from flour, honey and nuts. It is typically filled with dulce de leche. Here's the recipe:  https://prettysimplesweet.com/alfajores/#wprm-recipe-container-10708

Uruguay Essentials
Currency: Uruguayan peso (UYU). USD$1.00=UYU41.41 as of this writing.
Travel adapter: Type C, F, I or L. C is with round pins similar to what is used in most European countries. Standard voltage is 230V and frequency of 50 Hz.
Language: Spanish
Transportation from airport: Bus, Taxi or Uber. If you're going to other parts of Uruguay from the airport, take the bus to the main bus terminal. Please read my post on Casapueblo which has detailed information about taking a bus from Montevideo to other parts of the country. https://www.travelswithcharie.com/2024/01/casapueblo-and-carlos-paez-vilaro.html

Stay connected


*****

Images by TravelswithCharie 

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Location: Montevideo, Montevideo Department, Uruguay

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