Uruguay is located on the Río de la Plata adjacent to the Atlantic Ocean. This small territory was once part of Argentina but became an independent nation in 1830. Uruguay shares many cultural traditions with Argentina, speaking the same “Ríoplatense” Spanish, enjoying similar cuisine (mostly based on beef), and sharing a common musical legacy derived from the Tango and “musica folklore”.
The visitor could easily think that they are both part of the same country. Even so, their national identities and thus their self-images differ significantly, mostly due to the two countries’ difference in size, Argentina having a population of 37 million and Uruguay only 3.4 million. While Argentines tend to have the worldly outlook of a cosmopolitan society, Uruguayans tend to look more inwardly, content with their slower pace and simpler lifestyle. Visiting the two countries thus offers the visitor contrasting experiences.
Montevideo
Montevideo, city of 1.4 million people and capital of Uruguay, is a much-smaller version of Buenos Aires and has its own distinct character.
Montevideo is composed of various neighborhoods, including the Cíudad Vieja (original settlement and historic district), Centro (main business, arts, and shopping area), Pocitos (fashionable and upscale apartments on the beach), Carrasco (leafy affluent suburb) and Cerro (working-class neighborhood and home to the historic fort overlooking Montevideo harbor). Visiting the different “barrios”, the visitor begins to get a sense of what Uruguay is all about.
Colonia del Sacramento
Colonia del Sacramento is located in southwestern Uruguay, on the shores of the Río de la Plata, a one-hour ferry ride from Buenos Aires. This small city was founded in 1680 as a Portuguese colony and was a significant outpost of that empire in its rivalry with the then-Spanish colony based in Buenos Aires. Today, much of the picturesque original settlement of Colonia remains intact with centuries-old buildings gracing cobblestone streets.
Punta del Este
Generally considered the most sophisticated and picturesque summer resort in South America, Punta Del Este is a two-mile long peninsula at the confluence of the Rio de la Plata and the Atlantic Ocean, some ninety miles east of Montevideo. Best of all are Punta del Este’s beaches. The calm waters of the beaches on the “river” side of the peninsula and the rougher surf of the “ocean” side beaches offer swimming, surfing, fishing and snorkeling options.
URUGUAY MUSIC PROFILE:
Uruguay shares many cultural aspects with Argentina and music is not the exception. Tango is the most popular type of music for Uruguayans. It began in the late 19th century and grew in the following decades to become a mainstream form of music. This kind of music has an intense nostalgic connotation in its melodies usually delivered by the famous bandoneon (an accordion-like instrument that lends a very distinct sound to Tango music).
Other genres that Uruguayan culture includes are candombe, folklore, murga and cumbia. Candombe is the second most popular Uruguayan music and dance which was inherited from African slaves considered an important aspect of the country’s culture and recognized by UNESCO as a World Cultural Heritage of humanity.