Montevideo
Montevideo is the capital and largest city of Uruguay.
Montevideo is the capital and largest city of Uruguay. As of the 2023 census, the city proper has a population of 1,287,452, making up about 36.8% of the country's total population, in an area of 201 square kilometers (78 sq mi). Montevideo is situated on the southern coast of the country, on the northeastern bank of the Río de la Plata.
Adapted from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Worth seeing in and around Montevideo
10 places within 25 km that the world writes about, in the order of how widely: the ones a visitor has heard of first, then the ones only a local would name.
- 01Estadio Centenario
The Estadio Centenario is an association football stadium in Montevideo, Uruguay. Located in the Parque Batlle neighbourhood, it is owned by the Montevideo Department.
3.1 km · association football stadium in Montevideo, Uruguay · Wikipedia - 02Estadio Gran Parque Central
The Estadio Gran Parque Central is the stadium of Club Nacional de Football located in Montevideo, Uruguay, near Nacional headquarters, in the La Blanqueada neighbourhood. Due to various factors, it is considered a historical stadium.
3.3 km · football stadium in Montevideo, Uruguay · Wikipedia - 03Pocitos Stadium
Estadio Pocitos was a multi-use stadium located in the Pocitos district of Montevideo, Uruguay. The stadium, owned by C.A. Peñarol, was mainly used for football matches from 1921 to 1933.
2.6 km · football stadium in Montevideo, Uruguay · Wikipedia - 04National Library of Uruguay
The Biblioteca Nacional de Uruguay is the National Library of Uruguay, located in Montevideo. It was created in 1815 and is the legal deposit and copyright library for Uruguay.
700 m · national library of Uruguay · Wikipedia - 05Legislative Palace
The Legislative Palace of Uruguay is a monumental building, meeting place of the General Assembly of Uruguay, and the seat of the legislative branch of the Uruguayan government. It is located in the Aguada neighborhood of Montevideo.
1.6 km · parliament building of Uruguay · Wikipedia - 06Metropolitan Basilica Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception and San Felipe and Santiago
The Montevideo Metropolitan Cathedral is the main Roman Catholic church of Montevideo, and seat of its archdiocese. It is located right in front of the Cabildo across Constitution Square, in the neighbourhood of Ciudad Vieja.
1.8 km · Roman Catholic cathedral in Montevideo, Uruguay · Wikipedia - 07Palacio Salvo
The Palacio Salvo is an eclectic skyscraper at the intersection of 18 de Julio Avenue and Plaza Independencia in the Centro neighbourhood of Montevideo, Uruguay. Finished in 1928, It was built thanks to the initiative of the business brothers Ángel, José and Lorenzo Salvo, the 27-story Palacio Salvo stands 105 m high.
1.3 km · skyscraper in Montevideo, Uruguay · Wikipedia - 08Plaza Independencia
Plaza Independencia is the main public square of Montevideo, Uruguay. It was laid out in the 19th century on the site formerly occupied by the Citadel of Montevideo, marking the transition between the old fortified city and the modern urban expansion.
1.4 km · cultural heritage monument of Uruguay · Wikipedia - 09harwood 6417
Jardines del Hipódromo María Mincheff de Lazaroff Stadium, popularly known as Jardines del Hipódromo, is a stadium located in the Jardines del Hipódromo neighborhood in Montevideo, Uruguay. Owned by the Danubio F.C., it is used primarily for association football matches.
8.8 km · stadium in Uruguay · Wikipedia - 10Solis Theatre
Solís Theatre is Uruguay's most important and renowned theater. It opened in 1856.
1.6 km · theatre in Uruguay · Wikipedia
Ranked by the number of language editions of Wikipedia with an article on each, from Wikidata; the sentences are the openings of those articles, CC BY-SA 4.0.
What Wikivoyage says to see
The Independence square is a symbol of Montevideo and lined by several prominent landmarks.
From Wikivoyage: Montevideo, CC BY-SA 4.0. Not yet checked by us.
Things to do
There are practically no old movie theaters left in Montevideo: they have been rebuilt into churches. However there are good movie theaters with the newest movies in the shopping malls. All foreign movies are in the original language with Spanish subtitles. Take a boat trip in a small boat from the pier near Mercado del Puerto. Watch a football match at
- 01Estadio Centenario
The national stadium is where the first football (soccer) World Cup was held, won by the host nation.
- 02The Rambla
This waterside roadway has people biking, fishing, drinking mate, and enjoying the great views.
- 03Estadio Gran Parque Central
Carlos Anaya 2900 (in La Blanqueada neighbourhood).
From Wikivoyage: Montevideo, CC BY-SA 4.0. Not yet checked by us.
Where to eat
Potatoes, rice, salad and such is usually ordered separately. If you just order e.g. a steak as it is stated in the menu and you will literally only be served a steak. Portions are usually large. In areas frequented by tourist restaurants often offer menus with several courses. Cover charges (cubierto) are frequent in Montevideo's restaurants. They are usually around U$50.
From Wikivoyage: Montevideo, CC BY-SA 4.0. Not yet checked by us.
Getting to Montevideo
- Airports
- Carrasco General Cesáreo L. Berisso (MVD), 16 km · Aeroparque Jorge Newbery (AEP), 208 km · Ezeiza - Ministro Pistarini (EZE), 215 km
- Stations
- Port of Montevideo, 2.4 km
- Buenos Aires → Montevideo203 km · quickest by ferry, 8h 27m · AR$19,280–67,380
- Buenos Aires (Ezeiza) → Montevideo218 km · quickest by ferry, 10h 27m · AR$38,620–97,990
- Rosario → Montevideo465 km · quickest by air, 7h 44m · AR$116,500–180,660
- Plan a tripFrom anywhereThe planner compares every way there from wherever you are.
Road and air are today’s quick answer; timetabled trains, buses and ferries load on the results page from the operators’ feeds.
No local-transport research exists yet for Montevideo
Our researched notes are written from a sourced entry: every shared taxi, boat and village bus with its operator, its rule, its fare and the year we saw it, and what could not be confirmed. Nobody has done that work for Montevideo. What is above is what we hold from open sources; nothing here pretends to be more.
- Get inAnother possibility for travelers who are heading to Montevideo from nearby Buenos Aires is to take the high-speed ferry operated by Buquebus.
- Get inThe ferry arrives in the district of Montevideo, situated very close to downtown - a cab ride to a hotel in El Centro or Pocitos is much shorter and cheaper than from the airport.
- Get inFerry service from Buenos Aires is also available via the same company Buquebus via Colonia.
- Get inThe crossing from Buenos Aires to Colonia by fast ferry takes about one hour.
- Get aroundCar rental is cheaper if booked ahead but be aware that places like the airport and the ferry terminal charge higher rates then the same agencies in other locations around the city.
From Wikivoyage: Montevideo, CC BY-SA. Not yet checked by us; that article was last edited 2026-09.
- 011,750 km
- 021,763 km
- 031,771 km
- 041,915 km
- 052,107 km
If you know how people move in Montevideo – the stand, the rule, the fare – tell us, and the note gets an entry.
Next door to Montevideo
- Ciudad Viejaneighborhood in Montevideo, Uruguay2.2 km
- Pocitosneighborhood in Montevideo, Uruguay3.1 km
- Barrio Surneighborhood in Montevideo (Uruguay)800 m
- Centroneighbourhood in Montevideo, Uruguay400 m
- Buceoneighbourhood in Montevideo, Uruguay4.7 km
- Peñarolneighborhood in Montevideo (Uruguay)9 km