January 20, 2025. Montevideo, Uruguay.
A man once said, “Better to walk ten thousand miles than to read ten thousand books.” If this holds true, we only have 9,982 miles to go!
Today, we walked the city of Montevideo, Uruguay—or rather, we explored 18.5 miles of it on foot. Uruguay has a population of about three million people, most of whom live in Montevideo. The city is primarily divided into two sections: the old and the new.
We began in the old city, where Spanish colonial buildings lined the streets. These streets featured beautiful wooden doors and marble staircases that led to apartments and other structures. From there, we made our way to the ramblas, or Malecón, a long and wide promenade. On one side lies the Río de la Plata, and on the other, rows of four- to five-story buildings, where much of Montevideo’s dense population resides.
We found the city to be very safe, with a noticeable police presence, particularly around the banking, government, and commercial districts. During our walk, we visited the Punta Carretas Mall, a very upscale shopping center. There, we found a lightweight backpack we’d been searching for to help us carry groceries.
By this time, we were hungry, so we decided to eat at a restaurant in the mall called El Fogón. Our expectations were low—after all, it was mall food, right? But we couldn’t have been more wrong.
As soon as we were seated, the waiter brought complimentary appetizers: chicken wings, pâté, cheese, and bread. We ordered a 375ml bottle of Tannat, a local Uruguayan wine, alongside a melted cheese appetizer, steak with fries, dulce de leche crepes, and espresso. The entire meal came to just $62. What an incredible dining experience! Montevideo, Uruguay, truly left a lasting impression on us—a safe, walkable city with rich history, delicious food, and welcoming charm.
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