Montevideo

Cruise vessels berth at the Port of Montevideo, roughly a 5-minute taxi journey from the town centre. Metered cabs are normally waiting at the pier, although drivers often quote cruise passengers a fixed fare to popular destinations.

Sometimes ships anchor offshore and transfer passengers to land by tender.

The old town and central plaza are an easy walk of 1 mile from the pier, passing interesting shops that are particularly good for antiques.

Carry a printable map.

Videos of the port

With 1,362,000 residents, Montevideo contains almost half of Uruguay’s population. Although the compact capital is the country’s only major city, people do not visit for the bustle of a metropolis; Montevideanos themselves head to Buenos Aires and Sao Paulo for that kind of excitement. As Uruguay’s political, economic and cultural centre, Montevideo has numerous monuments, museums and striking buildings, as well as pavement cafés, quality restaurants, fashionable shops, casinos and miles of clean beach. For its small size, Uruguay has a remarkable literary and artistic…

For a broad panorama across Montevideo, visit the 11th-floor terrace at Palacio Municipal, the City Hall on Avenida 18 de Julio.

Guides with drivers can be found and hired directly on the dock.

Unlike in some other South American Countries, Uruguayan taxis are safe and fairly inexpensive, at about $2 USD per km. Every taxi uses a meter and follows fixed costs.

Within walking distance of the pier is Mercado de Puerto, a street fair that opens at weekends and in the afternoons and offers opportunities to try Uruguayan food. Pick up a map at the pier.

Restaurants and shops line Avenida 18 de Julio, Montevideo’s principal street. Recommended purchases include leather goods, hand-knitted sweaters and gemstones such as amethyst, topaz and agate.

Most stores trade Monday-Friday 0900-1900 and Saturday 0930-1300, while large malls open every day from 1000-2200. Some downtown shops shut at lunchtime.

Uruguay uses the peso. Its U$ price symbol is easily mistaken for US$, the US dollar sign. 1 U$ (peso) = US$ 0.050 (five cents); 1 U$ (peso) = Euro 0,033 (three cents).

The cards used most often are American Express, Diners Club, MasterCard and Visa. Some ATMs may decline European or US credit cards.

Spanish is spoken throughout the country, and English speakers are uncommon beyond Montevideo and Punta del Este.

There is an Internet café at the port itself, with many others in town.

Standard shopping hours are Mon-Fri 0900-1200 and 1400-1900, with Sat 0900-1230.