Montevideo
A capital on the estuary of the Plate, its colonial core on a point by the port and a promenade that follows the water for miles towards Carrasco.
- Arrival
- Carrasco International · MVD
- To the city
- About 19 km to the centre
- Private jets
- General aviation terminal at MVD
- Best time
- November to May · September
The city
Old town, open shore.
Montevideo begins in the Ciudad Vieja, the colonial grid on the headland near the port, with Plaza Zabala, restored townhouses and the Mercado del Puerto a few blocks apart. From there the Rambla runs east along the shore through Pocitos, where the newer hotels look straight onto the bay, all the way to Carrasco.
Carrasco is the city's garden suburb, laid out with curving streets by the landscape designer Charles Thays around a grand hotel that opened in January 1921. That hotel closed in 1997 and returned under the Sofitel name, and Manzanar, the one Uruguayan restaurant in the capital to make Latin America's 50 Best's extended list, is close by.
- Ciudad Vieja The old quarter on the point, a few streets of colonial buildings between the port and Plaza Zabala.
- La Rambla The promenade along the shore, running for miles from the old town past the beaches of Pocitos.
- Carrasco Villas and gardens on curving streets, centred on the restored hotel of 1921 facing the beach.
Arriving
Carrasco, close to its namesake.
Carrasco International lies on Route 101, about 19 kilometres east of the centre and a short drive from the hotels of Carrasco. Rafael Viñoly's terminal opened in 2009, and the main runway is 3,200 metres long.
- Buenos Aires 40 min
- Santiago 2 h 05
- Lima 4 h 35
- Miami 9 h 35 long-range jet
- Barcelona 13 h 40 long-range jet
When to go
November to May, and September.
The estuary keeps the seasons mild, and 60 to 90 mm of rain falls each month. Summer highs reach 26 to 28 °C from December to February, and the shoulder months stay in the low twenties; from June to August afternoons hold near 15 °C.
- 28° J 78
- 27° F 81
- 25° M 79
- 22° A 72
- 19° M 76
- 15° J 70
- 15° J 67
- 16° A 75
- 18° S 75
- 20° O 88
- 23° N 71
- 26° D 62
On the calendar
A date to plan around.
Dates as published by the organisers. Runways, hotels and slots fill early around these weeks: the sooner we know, the more choice you have.
-
28 Nov 2026
Football
Copa Libertadores Final
The single match final of South America's main club football competition, organised by CONMEBOL.
Estadio Centenario
In 4 weeks
Where to stay
On the Rambla, from Pocitos to Carrasco.
Shown for information. We have no arrangement with any of these hotels.
- Sofitel Montevideo Casino Carrasco & Spa The grand hotel of 1921, restored with its casino and a spa, ninety-three rooms facing the beach.
- Costanero Montevideo – MGallery Opened in 2021 on Pocitos Bay, with most of its ninety-two rooms facing the water.
- Hotel Montevideo Eighty rooms, each with a balcony, a heated pool above the skyline and one MICHELIN Key.
Where to dine
Two tables in Carrasco.
No MICHELIN guide covers Uruguay. Manzanar is ranked in Latin America’s 50 Best Restaurants (2025, extended list); 1921 is the fine-dining room of the Sofitel in Carrasco.
- Manzanar Latin America's 50 Best, No. 86 Modern regional Carrasco
- 1921 Restaurant Signature restaurant, Sofitel Montevideo Casino Carrasco Modern regional Sofitel Montevideo Casino Carrasco, Carrasco
Elsewhere in Uruguay
More reasons to come.
Flying to Montevideo?
Choose how you arrive.
A Business or First Class seat on a scheduled airline, or an aircraft of your own. Tell us the date and how many are travelling, and we reply with one final price, our margin included.