Uruguay travels: Party in Punta Del Este, get culture in Montevideo and history in Colonia Del Sacramento

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Overview of Uruguay

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Uruguay is one of South America's hidden treasures. The most famous location is likely to be the capital, Montevideo. However, many South Americans will associate Uruguay with being a playground of the rich and famous. The coastal resorts of Punta Del Este are very exclusive and expensive, and during the summer months much of the wealthy in Argentina make their holiday here.

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Food in Uruguay - Decidely Argentinean

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The food and drinks in Uruguay is very similar to Argentina, you will find steaks, malbec wine, Argentinian style coffee and medialunas. The accent is very similar to the Porteno accent (Buenos Aires) and for a foreigner it is difficult to tell apart.



PUNTA DEL ESTE - Author Summ and Image courtesy of Wikipedia

 

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Places to see in Uruguay

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Key places to visit when in Uruguay; Punta Del Este, Colonia and Montevideo. Punta Del Este is a very tourist oriented summer beach town. Well heeled South Americans, particularly from Argentina, will often own summer houses here. It is surprisingly expensive in the peak season. Drinks and meals can often be at more European prices and the hotels can be more expensive, as well. The town is around 1 hour north of Montevideo, which ensures that the water is clear of the brown colour that the mouth of the Pirana river creates. If you are in South America in January and February, Punta Del Este, will be alive. There will be plenty of nightlife, meanwhile all the restaurants and bars will be busy.

Montevideo is Uruguay's capital, it is approximately 90 minutes from Colonia (the first stop in Uruguay from the Hovercraft from Buenos Aires). The City has a few modern indoor malls and some great eats around the town. The old town has some great nightlife and restaurants, culminating in mercado del puerto. The mercado del puerto is a feast for all the senses. It is an old covered market place full of fresh parrillas cooking a wide range of meats.

A Parrilla in Montevideo at the Mercado Del Puerto - Image courtesy of Wikipedia / Author Gonzalo Velasco.

Colonia is the first town from the Hovercraft from Buenos Aires, which takes 30-40 mins. It has a great river view, but is also quite an old and quaint town. The majority of the centre of the town is cobbled. It is an old Spanish colonial town and one of the oldest settlements in that part of the continent. The town is quite touristic due to its proximity to Buenos Aires, therefore there are lots of places to eat on the river, art and craft shops and the like. Altogether the town has a lovely atmosphere and somewhat of an old European feel.

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Summary

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All in all, Uruguay has much to offer and is easily accessible from Buenos Aires. Here 3 places have been highlighted but there is much more to see

Learning Spanish Language: Spain, Argentina and the rest of Latin America

One question that many people ask when they are about to learn Spanish, is where should I learn Spanish?

Firstly, we must dispel the concept that if you learn Spanish in one country you will not be understood elsewhere. Generally, if you gain a good level of Spanish you will understand all types of Spanish, bar the occasional regional slang word. Therefore, this question has no right or wrong answer, as there are positives and negatives within each country, region and city. You should choose the place that suits your personal needs, why do you need Spanish and where will you use it?

Nevertheless, there are certain centres in the Spanish speaking world that are popular.  

Spain

For Europeans, Spain is the most popular destination. If it is the case you need Spanish language in order to operate in Spain, the Spanish spoken in Spain will be most useful. It is possible to draw a distinction between Latin America and Spain, due to geography. Some slang will only be used in Spain and some words have a different meaning in Spain compared to Latin America. Spanish cities have numerous excellent Spanish Language Schools. Generally speaking you will be perfectly understood in Latin America, but don’t use the verb ‘coger’ outside of Spain. Things to be aware of in Spain are that the national language is from Castile (Castilian) and some other provinces speak another language as their first language. This can be confusing for Spanish Language learning, if you hear languages that are similar to Spanish. Also, the accent in some provinces is hard to understand, but this is an issue in most large countries.

Argentina

Argentina is hugely popular and has many great language schools in its major cities; Buenos Aires, Cordoba and Mendoza have numerous schools. The standard of education in Argentina is high, so people in general will use good grammar in speaking and writing. The country has a wonderful culture. However, you should be aware that the Porteno Spanish (in Eastern Argentina and Uruguay) has an unusual pronunciation, which is somewhat unique. Argentines also use ‘vos’ for you instead of ‘tu’, which again is unique to Argentina and Uruguay. Nevertheless, Argentinean Spanish is understood all over the Spanish speaking world and these issues should not be deterrents, just something to be aware of.

 

Summary  

We have selected two major countries which are popular with people learning Spanish. However, the majority of Spanish speaking countries offer language schools and each have their advantages and disadvantages. Just choose the place that you would like to visit and the type of Spanish that you will use the most. There is no correct place to learn the language, just ensure you choose the place that is relevant to yourself and will be interesting and enjoyable for your visit.