Thank you for subscribing!
Got it! Thank you!

For an Off-the-Beaten Path South American Trip, Ur-a-going to Uruguay

Nestled between Brazil to the north and Argentina to the west, Uruguay remains less traveled by many Americans. Travel providers may bundle it into regional multi-city tours, but the country has much to offer the curious traveler on its own.

Nestled between Brazil to the north and Argentina to the west, Uruguay is one of those South American countries that remains less traveled by many Americans. Travel providers often bundle it into larger, multi-city tours of neighboring countries, but the country has much to offer the curious traveler -- a relatively undeveloped coastline and cultural centers to explore, for example. While nearly three quarters of the country consists of a rolling plateau, the country boasts a 120-mile coastline and a few destination cities, including its European-style capital, Montevideo, established by the Spanish, the coastal resort Punta del Este, popular in December with vacationing Portenos (Buenos Aires residents), and the city of Colonia del Sacramento, founded by the Portuguese and now a UNESCO-designated world heritage city.

Analie Tours (tel. 800/811-6027; www.analietours.com) has a Frommers.com exclusive package to Uruguay that includes six nights in Buenos Aires and six in Montevideo, priced from $1,399 plus taxes for the November 14 departure. The trip also includes a full day tour of Punta del Este, a half-day tour of Montevideo, transfer by hydrofoil from Buenos Aires to Montevideo, and airport transfers. Another tour takes you just to Montevideo. The November 14 departure for this trip is priced at $1,150 per person plus taxes, for departures from Miami. The package includes five nights in a double room at Balmoral Hotel, a half-day Montevideo city tour, full day tour to Punta del Este, and leisure time. An additional night in Montevideo is possible for $40 per person per night, along with a tour of Colonia.

If you're looking for that sweeping tour of several South American countries, Uruguay included, GAP Adventures (tel. 800/708-7761; www.gapadventures.com) has a long-term trip that includes Uruguay, along with Argentina and Brazil. Gap's 17-day "In Search of Iguassu: Buenos Aires to Rio," is priced from $895 for the October 27 departure, which has six spaces available at press time. Fourteen nights of hotel stays, a company leader, and transportation are included; meals and airfare are not. The trip has regular departures through the end of 2006 and into 2007; there are very few, if any, spaces left for November departures, but late December and early January show more openings.

Go-Today (tel. 800/227-3235; www.go-today.com) has a couple of offers for Montevideo, including the Montevideo Special, priced from $1,129 for five nights at a tourist class hotel and round-trip airfare from New York-JFK or Newark, New Jersey. Breakfast daily, hotel taxes and surcharges, airline fuel surcharges and airport transfers are all included, along with a half-day Montevideo city tour. The deal must be booked by October 26 and it is valid for travel through December 7. As with nearly all of Go-Today's offerings, you can upgrade your hotel category if desired, and other departure cities are available for an additional fee.

If you want to extend your stay and see another city, Go-Today also has a land-only, one-night offer for the old colonial Portuguese town Colonia del Sacramento, priced from $389. It's good for travel through December 30, with a purchase deadline of November 8.

Latin Destinations (tel. 866/645-2846; www.latindestinations.com) offers customizable trips to Uruguay. Currently, there are no specials, but the company's five-night minimum stay trip to Colonia and Montevideo is available; two six-night minimum trips one to Montevideo and Buenos Aires, and the other, Montevideo and Punta del Este, are also available. A search based on November 8 departure (mid-week) from Newark, New Jersey yielded a trip priced from $1,096 per person for five nights, with time split up between Colonia and Montevideo. The price includes roundtrip international flight on United, hotel taxes, air taxes and fees, hotel transportation to and from Montevideo and Colonia. It does not include tours or meals. There are also shorter stays offered, with a three night minimum, but if you're flying that far, you'll barely have time to recover from jet lag before it's time to leave again.

Latin Escapes (tel. 800/878-9986; www.victorytravel.com) has a land-only offer called "Highlights of Uruguay," priced from $229 for five days and four nights at a tourist-class hotel. The deal carries an October 31 booking deadline good for travel through December 10, with daily departures. You get daily breakfast, half-day guided city tour of Montevideo, full day guided tours of Punta del Este and Colonia del Sacramento, transfers throughout the trip and an English-speaking tour guide. You can bundle in airfare from Miami or New York or other cities, but you must call the company for a price. According to a company representative, the price for flights out of New York airports is $966 with taxes, good for travel through December 10. Flights out of Miami are priced at $805 with taxes included, for the same travel period. You can opt for the superior, or middle-grade options, priced from $349 for the Sheraton Montevideo, or the deluxe, which starts from $379 for the Radisson Victoria Plaza Hotel.

Luxury Link (tel. 888/297-3299; www.luxurylink.com) has what it terms a "buy now" offer for Hotel La Bluette in Punta del Este, good for travel through December 19. The four-night package is priced at $600, and carries a November 27 booking deadline. All the rooms overlook the beach and have ocean views and the deal includes welcome champagne upon arrival, fresh flowers, fruit and bottled water, continental breakfast for two every morning, English tea in the afternoon, newspaper, complimentary parking, taxes and service charges and outdoor activities such as swimming and bicycling. Blackout dates may apply during major holidays.

If you're going totally independent, or you've already been to this country and know a few things, Marnella Tours (tel. 866/993-0033; www.marnellatours.com) has some city hotel deals for Montevideo, with three-star hotels rates starting from $42 for double occupancy of a standard room at America Hotel, through December 31. You can also go up to five stars, for the Montevideo Radisson, for example, priced at an affordable $135 per night based on double occupancy in a superior room. All rates include daily breakfast unless otherwise noted and hotel taxes and service fees. There are fewer hotels listed for Punta del Este, such a the four-star Golden Beach Resort and Spa, priced at $115 for double occupancy through December 24, and $95 for a standard room and double occupancy at the Hotel Ajax for travel through December 25 -- prices go higher (nearly doubling) for travel during North America's winter months, through early February. To find these offers, click on destinations, and scroll down to choose the country and then the city.

United Vacations (tel. 800/328-6877; www.uv-latin.com) has a separate section for Latin American trips. You can price your own, such as a November 1 departure to Montevideo from Miami, for six nights' accommodations and airfare from $1,279 per person for the Melia Confort, with buffet breakfast daily, hotel and airline taxes included. The hotel is located near the Punta Carretas lighthouse.

Are you thinking about visiting Uruguay or have a trip report to share? Tell us on our Uruguay Message Boards today.


advertisement