Aelfgifu Travels

Hi Aelf Crew,

Today I grace your inbox with my experience in Uruguay and any top tips I accumulated whilst there.

I took the BuqueBus ferry from Buenos Aires to Montevideo and as I understand it, there are 2 direct ferries a day on weekdays, one at 7:30am and another at 4pm.

The direct ferries are 2.5 hours and my ticket was $92,439 Argentine Pesos (equivalent to about £59 at time of writing). The direct ferry is significantly more expensive than the slower option, which is a 1h15m ferry to Colonia Del Sacramento followed by an approximate 2h bus transfer to Montevideo, totalling a 4h journey instead. So which option you choose really depends on your budget and how much time you have.

It was recommended to me to get to the BuqueBus terminal 2 hours before the departure, to allow time for immigration, luggage handling and check-in. For my 7:30am ferry, this did feel a little excessive (albeit this may have been due to it being a quieter time of the day). However on reflection, I would say 1.5 hours is sufficient at any times of the day or year.

I stayed in the Viajero Hostel in Montevideo – Viajero are a well-known hostel chain throughout South America. Having stayed in the very impressive Viajero in Buenos Aires, I was looking forward to this hostel. However, it didn’t match the same level of grandeur as BA. The building was clearly old, featuring a birdcage elevator with manual doors to open and close and a very narrow, steep stairwell – something to bear in mind if you’re travelling with a suitcase!

That said, the hostel did still live up to the Viajero brand with social events and a welcoming atmosphere. Perhaps it was just the time of year I went, but it seemed significantly quieter than the rest of the South American countries that I visited on this particular trip, with less gap-year travellers, despite the region’s popularity amongst backpackers.

Whilst in Montevideo, I went on a free walking tour which was excellent and extremely informative. Top tip from Aelfgifu: I recommend Guru Walks (https://www.guruwalk.com/) for free walking tours. I was able to find a range of different options, which include helpful reviews as well. The principle is you tip at the end what you believe the tour was worth. As they were usually around 2 hours, I would usually tip (in cash) the equivalent of £10 in the local currency, which I believe was fair (albeit the lower end of the scale).

I also took a day trip, booked via Viator, to Colonia del Sacramento. This is a beautiful and quiet coastal town, with cobbled streets, attractive hotels and restaurants. It did seem to cater more to an older or retired crowd, likely due to the higher-end hotels and quiet nature.

There are nearby beaches for swimming (such as Playa Oreja de Negro) but these are around a 10 minute drive from the centre.

I was recommended on the walking tour to visit the Montevideo Theatre – Teatro Solis – given it is Uruguay’s most prestigious and renowned theatre. Myself and a group of English travellers I had befriended on the tour went to see the Montevideo Philharmonic Orchestra with the pianist Barry Douglas. The interior was absolutely beautiful and this was a fairly cheap evening out at c£10, so I was definitely glad to have had the opportunity to do this.

One point that I did notice was walking around at night as a female on her own, there were a few areas where I certainly felt uncomfortable. It did seem gangs of men loitered on street corners, and although nothing directly happened, it did create a gut-feel of unease.

Top Tip from Aelfgifu: always trust your instincts and keep your wits about you: don’t be engrossed in your phone  or listening to loud music on your headphones. This is an applicable rule of thumb everywhere in the world, of course.

Tips to Learn from Aelfgifu:

1. Montevideo itself did seem fairly quiet compared to Buenos Aires where I had just come from, so if you like a more relaxed atmosphere, I would recommend a visit via the ferry.
2. Similarly, Colonia Del Sacramento was beautiful and ideal if you want a quiet day to reset by the sea. There are also ferries that go there directly, making it a convenient stop on your journey. 

Yabba dabba do,

Aelfgifu