Discover 35 hidden attractions, cool sights, and unusual things to do in Montevideo (Uruguay). Don't miss out on these must-see attractions: Legislative Palace of Uruguay, Palacio Salvo, and Ciudad Vieja. Also, be sure to include Plaza Independencia in your itinerary.
Below, you can find the list of the most amazing places you should visit in Montevideo (Montevideo).
Table of Contents
Legislative Palace of Uruguay
Also known as: Palacio Legislativo del Uruguay
Building in Montevideo, Uruguay. 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 barrio of Aguada in the city of Montevideo.
Constructed between 1908 and 1925, the building was inaugurated on August 25, 1925, in commemoration of the centenary of the Declaration of Independence. It was declared a National Historic Monument in 1975 by the government of President Juan María Bordaberry.[1]
Address: Av. de las Leyes, 11800 Montevideo (Centro Comunal Zonal 1)
Palacio Salvo
Architecturally significant building. Palacio Salvo is a building in Montevideo, Uruguay, located at the intersection of 18 de Julio Avenue and Plaza Independencia. It was designed by the architect Mario Palanti, an Italian immigrant living in Buenos Aires, who used a similar design for his Palacio Barolo in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Finished in 1928, Palacio Salvo stands 100 m high with the antenna included. It was the tallest building in Latin America for a brief period.[2]
Address: Plaza Independencia 848, 11000 Montevideo (Centro Comunal Zonal 1)
Ciudad Vieja
Neighbourhood in Montevideo, Uruguay. Ciudad Vieja is a historic neighbourhood in Montevideo, the capital of Uruguay. Located in a peninsula at the entrance of the natural port of Montevideo it was founded in 1724 as a walled city by the Spanish Empire, after the independence of Uruguay the city rapidly grew outwards and the Ciudad Vieja remained as one of the central neighbourhoods, nowadays it serves as one of the main office districts of Montevideo, housing multiple banks and institutions, but also as one of main tourist attractions in Uruguay due to its historical significance and classical architecture.[3]
Plaza Independencia
Plaza Independence is the name of Montevideo's most important plaza. It separates Ciudad Vieja from downtown Montevideo, with the [ on one side and the beginning of 18 de Julio avenue on the other.
In the center, the Artigas Mausoleum dominates the perspective.
Many important buildings, such as the Solís Theatre and the workplaces of the President of Uruguay (both the Estévez Palace and the Executive Tower) are located by this square.
One of the characteristic buildings located by the square is Palacio Salvo. This square was designed in the 1830s by Carlo Zucchi, inspired in the Rue de Rivoli, Paris. Three decades later it was redesigned by Bernardo Poncini.[4]
Fortaleza General Artigas
Army museum in Montevideo, Uruguay. Fortaleza del Cerro, also known as Fortaleza General Artigas, is a fortress situated in Montevideo, Uruguay overlooking the Bay of Montevideo. It belongs to the barrio of Casabó, at the west of Villa del Cerro. It holds a dominant position on the highest hill of the department of Montevideo with an altitude of 134 meters above sea level, on the opposite side of the bay. Its function was to defend the population of Montevideo and its port, on the río de la Plata. Governor Francisco Javier de Elío ordered construction in 1809 and it was completed in 1839; this was the last Spanish fort built in Uruguay. It has housed the Military Museum since 1916.[5]
Address: Jose Batlle y Ordonez, s/n, 12802 Montevideo (Centro Comunal Zonal 17)
Parque Batlle
Park in Montevideo, Uruguay. Parque Batlle, formerly Parque de los Aliados, is a barrio and a major public central park in Montevideo, Uruguay. It is named in honour of José Batlle y Ordóñez, President of Uruguay from 1903-1907 and 1911–1915.[6]
Montevideo Metropolitan Cathedral
Also known as: Catedral metropolitana de Montevideo
Church in Montevideo, Uruguay. 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.[7]
Address: Plaza Constitución/Plaza Matriz, Montevideo (Centro Comunal Zonal 1)
Surveyor Germán Barbato Municipal Planetarium
The Planetario de Montevideo, is a planetarium in Montevideo, Uruguay.
Inaugurated on 11 February 1955, it was the first planetarium in Latin America and all of the southern hemisphere. It has a 18.3 m diameter dome and seats 157 people.
Historically, it used a Spitz Model B projector, which in 2016 was the oldest such projector still in working order. The planetarium was renovated in 2017–19, when the Spitz projector was replaced by a digital system; it reopened in December 2019.[8]
Address: Av.Gl. Rivera 3275, 11605 Montevideo (Centro Comunal Zonal 4)
Estadio Campeón del Siglo
Stadium in Montevideo, Uruguay. Estadio Campeón del Siglo is a football stadium located in Bañados de Carrasco, Montevideo, Uruguay, and the home ground of Peñarol, who plays in the First Division. It has a maximum capacity of 40,000.
The stadium is built with all FIFA standards taken into account, plus the possibility of a reform and an expansion in mind; thought of as possible host for a proposed 2030 FIFA World Cup by Uruguay.[9]
Address: Ruta 102 8, 12110 Montevideo (Centro Comunal Zonal 9)
Parque Lecocq
Zoo in Montevideo, Uruguay. Parque Lecocq is a nature reserve northwest of Montevideo, Uruguay, near the town of Santiago Vázquez. It houses mammals and birds and protects flora and pursues/supports breeding programs. It is adjacent to protected wetlands.
Its mandate is to be a "support centre for biodiversity conservation both nationally and internationally."
The zoo houses one of the largest communities of the Addax antelope (a critically endangered species) in the world.
Ana Olivera, the mayor of Montevideo, has announced plans to move the animals of Zoo de Villa Dolores (located in central Montevideo) to Parque Lecocq by the end of 2015.[10]
Address: Av. Parque Lecocq, 12600 Montevideo
Palacio Contador Gastón Guelfi
Sports arena in Montevideo, Uruguay. The Palacio Peñarol Contador Gastón Guelfi, commonly known as Palacio Peñarol, is an indoor sporting arena that is located in Montevideo, Uruguay. After the closure of the Cilindro Municipal in 2010, it is the main indoor arena in the country. It is mainly used to host basketball games. The arena's seating capacity for basketball games is 4,700.
It was one of the host arenas for the 2017 FIBA AmeriCup, the official Americas Basketball Championship.
The arena also contains the club museum and club offices for Club Atlético Peñarol.[11]
Address: Magallanes 1721, 11200 Montevideo (Centro Comunal Zonal 2)
Puerta de la Ciudadela
Historical landmark in Montevideo, Uruguay. Puerta de la Ciudadela, is one of the few remaining parts of the wall that surrounded the oldest part of the city of Montevideo, the citadel, which was torn down in 1829. It is located by Plaza Independencia, in Ciudad Vieja.[12]
Museo del Carnaval
Museum in Montevideo, Uruguay. The Carnival Museum is located on 25 de Mayo Street in the "Ciudad Vieja" in Montevideo, Uruguay
It was built in November, 2006.
The museum has galleries on Candombe, Carnival, Uruguayan Carnival and Murga.[13]
Address: Rambla 25 de Agosto de 1825 N 218, 11001 Montevideo (Centro Comunal Zonal 1)
El Cabildo
Also known as: Cabildo de Montevideo
1800s government house and archive museum. The Montevideo Cabildo is the public building in Montevideo that was used as the government house during the colonial times of the Viceroyalty of the River Plate. Today the building is used as a museum and houses the Historical Archive of the city. It is located on Constitution Square, in Ciudad Vieja.[14]
Address: Juan Carlos Gomez 1362, 11008 Montevideo (Centro Comunal Zonal 1)
The British Cemetery Montevideo
Also known as: Cementerio Británico de Montevideo
Cemetery in Montevideo, Uruguay. The British Cemetery of Montevideo is one of the oldest operating cemeteries in Uruguay.[15]
Address: Avenida Gral Rivera, 3868 Montevideo (Centro Comunal Zonal 5)
Torre Ejecutiva
Federal government office in Montevideo, Uruguay. The Executive Tower is the official workplace of the President of Uruguay. It is located in front of the Plaza Independencia, in Barrio Centro, Montevideo.[16]
National Auditorium of Sodre
The National Auditorium of Sodre Dr. Adela Reta is a venue located in Montevideo, Uruguay. It is named after the lawyer, former minister and president of the Official Service of Broadcasting, Television and Entertainment, Adela Reta.
On August 29, 2019, the Ministry of Education and Culture, through the National Cultural Heritage Commission, designated the Auditorio Nacional del Sodre as a Historical Monument of Uruguay.
It is located in the old Urquiza Theater building, which caught fire on September 18, 1971. In addition, it is the home of the National Ballet of Uruguay.[17]
Address: Calle Mercedes esquina Convencion, Montevideo (Centro Comunal Zonal 1)
Museo Torres García
Museum with native artist's paintings. The Museo Torres García is located in the historic Ciudad Vieja of Montevideo where unusual portraits of historical icons and cubist paintings akin to Picasso's paintings, painted by Joaquín Torres García are exhibited. The museum was established by Manolita Piña Torres, the widow of Torres Garcia after his death in 1949 who also set up the García Torres Foundation, a private non-profit organization which organizes the paintings, drawings, original writings, archives, objects and furniture designed by the painter as well as the photographs, magazines and publications related to him.
The museum attracts over 85,000 visitors a year, not only for its exhibits but also because it functions as a temporary library (on the ground floor) and as a theatre (in the basement) and attracts a significant number of art students, school children, and tourists with guided tours and educational workshops. The museum has seven floors, with the first three floors used as exhibition space and the upper floors for educational activities and art workshops.
In 2009, a retrospective of the work of the ceramicist Eva Díaz Torres' was held at the museum.[18]
Address: Sarandi 683, 11008 Montevideo (Centro Comunal Zonal 1)
Nuestra Señora del Rosario y Santo Domingo
The Church of Our Lady of the Rosary and Saint Dominic, popularly known as Iglesia de los Domínicos, is a Roman Catholic parish church in the neighbourhood of Cordón, Montevideo, Uruguay.
This church is unique in Uruguay as it is perhaps the only temple built in Neo-Mudéjar style in all the country; it also has a brick tower. Held by the Dominicans, it is dedicated to their patron saint Dominic and also to Our Lady of the Rosary. It was consecrated on 6 January 1947.
The parish was established on 18 May 1958.[19]
Address: 1337 Doctor Mario Cassinoni, Montevideo (Centro Comunal Zonal 2)
Estévez Palace
Also known as: Palacio Estévez
Historic government building and museum. The Estévez Palace is a building situated in Plaza Independencia, Montevideo, Uruguay, designed in a combination of Doric and Colonial styles by Manoel de Castel in 1873. It has served as the working place of the President of Uruguay and has been eventually converted to a museum, housing artifacts and mementos of the Uruguayan presidency and its office holders.
It was owned by don Francisco Estévez and his family until it was acquired by the Uruguayan government in 1880, when it was established as the working place of president Lorenzo Latorre in 1890.
After the restoration of democracy in 1985, president Julio María Sanguinetti moved the seat of the Executive Power to the Liberty Building, which had served before as the Ministry of Defence. During the government of Tabaré Vázquez the seat was moved to the Torre Ejecutiva, which is next to the Estévez Palace.[20]
Teatro Solís
Theatre in Montevideo, Uruguay. Solís Theatre is Uruguay's most important and renowned theatre. It opened in 1856 and the building was designed by the Italian architect Carlo Zucchi. It is located in Montevideo's Old Town, right next to the Plaza Independencia.
In 1998, the government of Montevideo started a major reconstruction of the theatre, which included two columns designed by Philippe Starck. The reconstruction was completed in 2004 with the re-opening taking place in August of that year. Acoustic studies of the rehabilitation project was entrusted to Jerome Falala of the French studio Avel Acoustique.
Tomás Giribaldi's La Parisina, considered the first Uruguayan national opera, was premiered at the Solís on September 14, 1878.[21]
Address: Montevideo, Buenos Aires 678
Parque Prado
Park in Montevideo, Uruguay. Parque Prado is the largest of Montevideo's six principal public parks. Established in 1873, it covers an area of 106 hectares and is located in the barrio of Prado. Located in the northern part of the city, the Miguelete Creek flows through the neighbourhood and park of the same name.
The Presidential Residence is located behind the Botanical Gardens. Surrounded by the avenues Agraciada, Lucas Obes, Joaquín Suárez, Luis Alberto de Herrera and Castro streets and José María Reyes is Rosedal, the rose garden. The garden contains four pergolas, eight domes, and a fountain, while the 12,000 roses were imported from France in 1910.
There are two museums in the Prado. Established in 1930, Juan Manuel Blanes Museum is situated in the Palladian villa, a National Historic Landmark since 1975 and includes a Japanese garden. The Professor Atilio Lombardo Museum and Botanical Gardens were established in 1902. The National Institute of Physical Climatology and its observatory are also in the Prado.
Across the Miguelete Creek from the Juan Manuel Blanes Museum, in the neighbourhood of Paso de las Duranas is a smaller park area which is called Prado Chico (Small Prado) and is considered as an extension of the Prado Park.[22]
Montevideo Cannabis Museum
Also known as: Museo del Cannabis de Montevideo
Museum. The Montevideo Cannabis Museum opened in December 2016, inspired by the legalization of cannabis in Uruguay in 2013. Some of the collection came from the Hash, Marihuana & Hemp Museum in Amsterdam.And some of it came from Hempstead Project Heart in San Rafael, California, an organization dedicated to the legalization of hemp in the United States.[23]
Address: Durazno 1784, 11300 Montevideo (Centro Comunal Zonal 2)
MNAV
Also known as: Museo Nacional de Artes Visuales
Museum in Montevideo, Uruguay. National Museum of Visual Arts a museum in Parque Rodó, Montevideo, Uruguay. It was inaugurated on December 10, 1911.
This museum has the largest collection of Uruguayan artworks. Among them are works by Olga Piria, Rafael Barradas, Joaquín Torres García, José Cúneo, Carlos Federico Sáez, Pedro Figari, Juan Manuel Blanes and artist Pablo Serrano who lived in Montevideo for twenty years.
The museum also hosts temporary shows, in many cases foreign artists' itinerant exhibitions.[24]
Address: Av.Tomas E. Giribaldi 2283, 11307 Montevideo (Centro Comunal Zonal 2)
Punta Brava Lighthouse
Also known as: Faro de Punta Brava
Lighthouse in Montevideo, Uruguay. Punta Brava Lighthouse, also known as Punta Carretas Lighthouse, is a lighthouse in Punta Carretas, Montevideo, Uruguay. It was erected in 1876. The lighthouse has a height of 21 metres and its light reaches 15 nautical miles away, with a flash every ten seconds. In 1962, the lighthouse became electric. The lighthouse is important for guiding boats into the Banco Inglés, Buceo Port or the entrance of the Santa Lucía River, west of Montevideo city.[25]
Vilamajó House Museum
Also known as: Museo Casa Vilamajó
Museum in Montevideo, Uruguay. The Vilamajó House Museum is located in the house that the architect Julio Vilamajó built for his family in 1930 in Montevideo, being the first modern dwelling to open its doors as a museum house in Uruguay. The Vilamajó House Museum is the materialization of an initiative of the School of Architecture at the University of the Republic which, in agreement with the Ministry of Education and Culture, owner of the property, opened its doors to the public in May 2012. The museum has been envisaged as a research and promotion center addressing the life and work of Vilamajó and of architecture and design as disciplines open to the society.[26]
Address: 743 Domingo Cullen, Montevideo (Centro Comunal Zonal 2)
Santuario Nacional del Corazón de Jesús
Also known as: Santuario Nacional del Cerrito de la Victoria
Parish church in Montevideo, Uruguay. The National Shrine of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, popularly known as Iglesia del Cerrito is a Roman Catholic parish church and national shrine in Montevideo, Uruguay.[27]
Address: Norberto Ortíz 3880, Montevideo (Centro Comunal Zonal 11)
Cementerio Central
Cemetery in Montevideo, Uruguay. The Central Cemetery of Barrio Sur, Montevideo, is one of the main cemeteries in Uruguay. It also ranks amongst the most popular in the country, given that most famous Uruguayan people are buried there.
It is located in the southern area of the city and it was founded in 1835. The entrance, designed and built up after the Uruguayan Civil War (1839–1852), is the work of the Italian sculptor Bernardo Poncini.
The cemetery was originally placed far away from the city, mainly because of the persistent risk of an epidemic. However, with the fast development and growth of Montevideo throughout the 20th century, the Central Cemetery is now surrounded by the metropolis.
It became quite popular after 1858. It was one of the first cemeteries in the country at a time when burials were still carried out by the Catholic Church. Some works and statues made by José Belloni and José Luis Zorrilla de San Martín can be found in the cemetery.[28]
Address: Av.Gonzalo Ramirez 1302, 11114 Montevideo (Centro Comunal Zonal 1)
Plaza Matriz
Quaint plaza amid neoclassical buildings. Plaza Constitución, also known as Plaza Matriz, is the oldest plaza in Montevideo. It is located in the first part of the city that was built: Ciudad Vieja.
The Montevideo Metropolitan Cathedral and the Montevideo Cabildo are located in front of this square.
It was named in honor of the Spanish Constitution of 1812.[29]
Holocaust Memorial
Also known as: Memorial del Holocausto del Pueblo Judío
Monument in Montevideo, Uruguay. The Memorial to the Holocaust of the Jewish People is an outdoor memorial dedicated to victims of the Holocaust.
The memorial is located at the junction of Rambla Presidente Wilson and Artigas Boulevard, in the Montevidean neighbourhood of Punta Carretas, on the shores of the River Plate, in Uruguay.
The memorial is around 120 metres long, and is mostly made of pink granite, with a central window looking out at the sea. A pair of railway rails are at the approach to the memorial, and the central part of the memorial has two wooden bridge crossings. It also includes several inscribed stele, including one signed by Elie Wiesel.
It was designed by Gastón Boero, Fernando Fabiano and Sylvia Perossio, with landscaping by Carlos Pellegrino. It opened in 1994.[30]
Address: Rambla Pte. Wilson, 11200 Montevideo (Centro Comunal Zonal 5)
Plaza Fabini
Green square with a landmark fountain. Plaza Fabini, or Plaza Ingeniero Juan Pedro Fabini, also known as Plaza del Entrevero, is a square of the Uruguayan capital, Montevideo. It is located on Montevideo's main avenue, 18 de Julio Avenue, in the barrio of Centro and on its north side starts Libertador Avenue.
Its main fountain has a bronze sculpture of José Belloni called 'El Entrevero', which acts as the monument to the unknown soldier. Under the square, there is a municipal exposition area called Subte Municipal.[31]
Japanese Garden
Also known as: Jardín Japonés de Montevideo
Botanical garden in Montevideo, Uruguay. The Japanese Garden of Montevideo is located in the Prado neighbourhood of Montevideo, behind the Juan Manuel Blanes Museum.
It was donated by Japan as a memorial to the 80th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between both countries, and inaugurated on 24 September 2001 by Princess Sayako.
A wooden plaque, with calligraphy by then Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, bears the inscription 平成苑 "Heisei Garden", being the year 13 of the Heisei Era (reign of Akihito) the moment of the inauguration.[32]
Address: Av. Millan 4015, 11714 Montevideo
Museo Andes 1972
Museum in Montevideo, Uruguay. The Andes Museum 1972 is located in The Old City in Montevideo, the capital city of Uruguay.
It is a museum on the story of the Uruguayan Air Force Flight 571 related to a plane accident that took place in the Andes in 1972 involving a group of Uruguayan high school rugby players, their friends and relatives that were traveling to Chile when the airplane crashed. Some of them belonged to the Old Christians rugby club. Their story on how they survived the tragedy was transmitted worldwide by means of books, documentaries, pictures and conferences and it has been an inspiration to the film Alive and many books.
The museum pays homage to the memory of the 29 people who died due to the plane accident in the Andes and to those who risked their lives to save the rest. It is a reminder of those 16 Uruguayans who came back to life after the 72 days in the Andes freezing weather conditions with no food and proper clothing. It is a private enterprise declared of cultural and turistic interest by the MEC and the Ministerio de Turismo y Deporte de Uruguay.[33]
Address: Rincon 619, 11000 Montevideo (Centro Comunal Zonal 1)
Palacio Taranco
Decorative arts museum in a 1900s palace. Palacio Taranco, located in front of the Plaza Zabala, in the heart of the Old City of Montevideo, Uruguay, is a palace erected in the early 20th century during a period in which the architectural style was influenced by French architecture. It was designed by French architects Charles Louis Girault and Jules Chifflot León, who also designed the Petit Palais and the Arc de Triomphe in Paris. This building contains European furniture and drapings and currently contains the Museum of Decorative Arts in Montevideo. The palace is often used as a meeting place by the Uruguayan government.
The palace was erected on the site of Montevideo's first theatre in the historical centre of the city which had been built in 1793. The Taranco Ortiz family commissioned the construction of the building in 1907 and it was completed in 1910. In 1943 the Uruguayan state purchased the residence and part of the furniture and gained access to its works of art, but it wasn't until 1972 that it became a museum, and it was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1975.
The Museum of Decorative Arts contains various paintings, sculptures, textiles, ornaments, and European furniture. On the ground floor and first floor of the building can be found some of the furniture of Louis XV and Louis XVI finely inlaid; the works of Ribera (1591–1652), Teniers (1610–1690), Mierevelt (1567–1641), Van der Helst (1613–1670), Appiani (1754–1817), Pradilla (1846–1921), Zuloaga (1870–1945), and Sorolla (1863–1923); Benlliure sculptures (1862–1947), Bouchard (1875–1969), Landowski (1875–1961), Vermare (1899–1919) etc. The Decorative Arts Museum has an important collection of Classical Art and Archaeology in the basement, consisting of artifacts of ceramics, glass, and bronzes and various items related to Greco-Roman and Near East art and archaeology. The museum also has collections of various textiles, from Persian curtains to Flemish tapestries, and has various ointments, oils, and perfumes.[34]
Address: Veinticinco de Mayo 379, 11002 Montevideo (Centro Comunal Zonal 1)
Plaza Zabala
Park in Montevideo, Uruguay. Plaza Zabala is a plaza in the Ciudad Vieja of Montevideo, Uruguay. In late 1878, during the dictatorship of Colonel Lorenzo Latorre, it was decided to demolish the old fort and build a public square in its place. But for 12 years this site remained a wasteland. The Plaza finally came to be established only on December 31, 1890 when the equestrian statue of Bruno Mauricio de Zabala was installed. It was sculpted by the Spanish sculptor Lorenzo Coullaut Valera in collaboration with the Basque architect Pedro Muguruza Otaño and inaugurated on December 27, 1931.
The Plaza also now takes its name from Bruno Mauricio de Zabala, founder of the city. The monument has an oblique plan. This layout is distinctly different in an area which has streets laid in a checkerboard pattern in the historic district, marked by the gardens designed by the landscape architect French Eduardo André. It is also one of the places where fences and gates of iron are still seen in the city. The street surrounding the square is named as Ring Durango, in honor of the town Vizcaya of Durango, where Zabala was born. On its south side, Palacio Taranco, once residence of the Ortiz Taranco brothers, is now the Museum of Decorative Arts, and on its west, the well-preserved ex-residence of Sáenz de Zumarán is now the seat of the Discount Bank.[35]