Uruguay: flat but far from flat

I didn't have so many expectations of Uruguay, this small South American country nestled between its giant neighbors, Argentina and Brazil. After a few weeks of riding there, it was nevertheless with a heavy heart that I left this welcoming and perfect country to learn about South American cycle tourism.

This article first appeared in the excellent magazine Vélo Mag, March 2020 edition.

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Uruguay is best known for… But for what exactly? It is true that this small country - the second smallest in South America - does not often come out on top. And yet! This republic, which takes its name from the Uruguay River, separating it from Argentina in the west, ranks first among Latin American countries, particularly in terms of democracy, peace and the absence of corruption.

Progressive, the socialist government became in 2013 the first country in the world to legalize the production, sale and consumption of cannabis. That same year, it became the first Latin American country to make same-sex marriage legal. And as in Quebec, electricity is produced here at 95% renewable energies, namely hydroelectricity and wind power.

Along the road, in the north of the country, I met the gaucho Washington Perez, wearing the traditional Uruguayan beret.

Entry through Argentina

It is in the old Portuguese fortress of Colonia del Sacramento that I disembark, after having taken one of the many ferries that arrive daily from Buenos Aires. The current country has long been disputed between these two European powers that were Spain and Portugal. Uruguayan, with its many "ch" sounds, is thus a Spanish fed by Portuguese sounds.

Colonia is historically interesting, but spending an afternoon touring the old town is enough for me. I then take the highway towards Montevideo, the capital, located 185 km to the east. This is where I understand that the country will be quiet. On Highway 1, I drive almost alone on a beautiful shoulder as soft as silk!

Montevideo

There is no official version concerning the origin of the name of the largest city in the country. Monte empty had ("I see a mountain") would have been pronounced by a Portuguese sailor at the sight of the hill located on the coast. The cartographic explanation - my favorite - says that the Spaniards following the coast would have marked the site under the name of "Monte VI DEO", the sixth mountain from east to west. 

The capital is home to almost half of the country's inhabitants. But as the latter contains only three and a half million, my entry is quite peaceful. It is possible to spend several pleasant days in the city, between the old historic quarters and the spectacular Rambla, a 22 km promenade along the sandy coast and where people stroll on skates, bicycles, or on foot with a mate in hand. .

Just in Uruguay

Mate is this traditional drink from Paraguay, now widely consumed throughout the southern half of the continent. And nowhere more than in Uruguay. I am surprised to see that the majority of people always have in one hand their Thermos of hot water used to renew the half-filled cup of herbs that it holds in the other.

In Antlántida, it is not uncommon to see these houses made from containers left empty by boats.

"You're not Uruguayan if you don't drink mate." “Reinaldo, met in a store between Colonia and Montevideo, will tell me. Outside the service stations, you can see vending machines everywhere that read "hot water for mate", as if that were the only possible use.

The country is full of these fun little discoveries for the traveler. As the explanation of the many houses made from containers. The port of Montevideo being one of the most important on the continent, many companies specialize in the sale or the fitting out of these thousands of metal boxes left empty on the spot when the boats leave. The owner of a house made up of 3 or 4 of these containers will tell me that these only cost the equivalent of $ 2600.

In Montevideo, I also meet the generous Canadian Ambassador to Uruguay, Joanne Frappier, who explains to me the absence of salt on the table. “The outgoing president was a doctor,” she tells me. In 2015, he banned salt and everything that contains it on restaurant tables. No mayonnaise, no ketchup either. If you want it, you have to ask for it. "

Small villages

After the capital, I take the peaceful and smooth Uruguayan road, this time in the direction of the small village of Montes. There I received an invitation from the local mountain biking group (see the full article here).

The highest "mountain" in the country barely exceeds 500 meters, but the sport is nevertheless very widespread there. The group even organizes a race welcoming 300 to 400 cyclists annually in this village of barely 2000 inhabitants.

And welcoming, they are! They even lend me a Specialized front suspension bike so I can go out with them. My legs are in good shape on my bike with no saddlebags, but the fact that the oil in my rear brake has drained completely in the first kilometers slows me down a bit! Fortunately, there are no great inclines and we cross more fields and forest paths.

In the Uruguayan countryside, in the company of Enrique and Richard, cyclists from Montes. It drives faster without saddlebags!

In the village word got around about my visit, and the teachers talked about me. Several children even recognize me in the street. I thus find myself agreeing to present my adventures in elementary school. Expecting to jabber in Spanish in front of a single class, I am greeted by over 200 students who enthusiastically shout my name! I'm doing well enough that questions come after the presentation. "How do you cope with the constant and rapid change of cultures?" One of them asks me, turned on. "How many countries do you travel through each day?" »Asks one of the little ones sitting in the front!

I have too many dinner and accommodation invitations to accept them all. After several days in the village, I have to hit the road again. I say goodbye to my new friends as I continue north.

In front of a thermos of mate, after the presentation at Montes primary school.

Coasts and lands

In my opinion, Uruguay is the best country in South America to learn about cycle tourism. Among other things because of its low drop, its welcoming population and its beautiful roads. The majority of these are covered with recent and good quality asphalt. And even when the shoulder is not wide, I never felt disturbed there. The few vehicles passing me left me ample room to move around.

I also embarked a few times on gravel paths, but even these were quite smooth. Enough that I sometimes pass large herds of cattle led by their gauchos mounted on their horses, these South American cowboys wearing a black beret. I also had good discussions and received nice invitations to sleep from them.

There is no shortage of beautiful wilderness camping spots in this relatively flat country.

In the north of the country, I meet Marine and Tony, a French couple who are cooking their dinner by the side of the road. This is just their first experience of a bicycle trip. “We didn't know the country at all,” Marine explains to me. But we told ourselves that we would not meet the wind and the great distances of the Argentinian pampas, nor the drop in the Andes. The couple finally loved the country so much that they spent two and a half months literally walking around it.

I take this opportunity to ask them how they found the coast, I who cut it short to enter the land. “It's completely different, there are a lot more beaches and fewer cows! They laugh. It's also more touristy and following the sea and the Uruguay River it's easy to find a hotel every night. Which is a little more difficult inland, where accommodation can sometimes be 150 to 200 km apart depending on the route taken. Note that their prices and availability also vary according to high or low season, especially in the few more popular places. 

But as Marine says, "if you really want to know the country, it seems essential to me to go inland".

Horses, sheep and cows are part of the everyday landscape. Cows, in particular, are so curious that they often climb on top of each other to get a better view.

Little country

After a few weeks of driving in Uruguay, I feel like I know a lot more about this small country. Certainly better than if I had just read the tourist guides or taken a bus ride. 

The landscape is not grandiose. But the rolling green horizon inhabited by cows, sheep, horses and gauchos curious had a calming effect on me. I certainly could have stayed four times as long here.

It is indeed easy to hold on to it with your feet. Whether it is in the sand of the many beaches, at the table of a café in the colonial districts, or in a field to learn more about the way of life of these cowboys drinkers of maté.

When traveling, our fondest memories are linked to people, more than to landscapes. And with the generosity of the Uruguayans, I leave the country with a head full of these new encounters.

As I continue my journey to Brazil, I turn to these new friends that I am leaving behind. Would I come back? I have little choice… I still have plenty of invitations to honor!

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Uruguay in brief

Geography:

Population of barely 3,5 million inhabitants in a territory almost 9 times smaller than Quebec.

Difficulty :

Relatively easy. Rather flat relief formed by small hills.

Cost :

Possibly the most expensive country in Latin America, with costs almost similar to Canada for food. Few organized campsites except for the coast. In smaller towns, hotels start at around $ 25 per person. Prices are higher on the coast and in high season.

Equipment:

Few bike shops outside of Montevideo, mostly for good quality. Better to arrive prepared with some spare parts.

Visa:

Canadians can stay in Uruguay as a tourist for 90 days without a visa

Other interesting places

1- Artigas (north-west)

Incredible mines of immense amethyst. Not very touristy place but really different.

2- Punta del Este (south-east)

Famous seaside town. The “Saint-Tropez of Latin America”. Perhaps the most famous tourist destination in the country.

3- Cabo Polonio (south-east)

The opposite of Punta del Este. There is no road or electricity. Only dunes and sea wolves.

4- Montevideo

The city has a lot to offer. Modern and peaceful, it also has several historic districts and beautiful viewpoints. Several free city tours are available.