If you are lucky enough to have your cruise stop in the capital of Uruguay, Montevideo, do not stay aboard the ship or you will miss one of the most charming cities in South America cradle of important poets and painters who showed us their light.
Also The port is located a few meters from the Old City, so you will not have to take any transport to get to the heart of the city. This is the place from which Montevideo was founded in 1726, and an ideal point to start your journey.
Montevideo was founded on the banks of the Río de la Plata to protect the region from the Portuguese invasion, and from its origins the city enjoyed a privileged commercial position.
As I was saying you can start your visit in the Old City, with its houses and cobbled streets, museums and art galleries, many of them free, and its bohemian atmosphere with nice cafes. The main point of interest in this area of the city is the Mercado del Puerto, where you do not think of ordering fish, and where you can taste the authentic Uruguayan meat made with firewood.
Then you can walk through its squares, that of the Cabildo, Zabala, until you reach Puerta de la Ciudadela, through which you will go to a more cosmopolitan and modern city with its wide Plaza de la Independencia. This square commemorates the constitution of Uruguay as a sovereign nation and in its center stands a statue and mausoleum of José Artigas.
From there, a wide avenue opens, avenida 18 de Julio, until the Intendencia, Ayuntamiento, with numerous shops where you can buy leather and typical Uruguayan crafts, in fact you will find more than one artisan market. And a tip, If you can walk and the wind leaves you, do it slowly through Montevideo, almost no other large city in Latin America will allow it.
As in other cities There is a tourist bus service that will make you a tour of this beautiful capital, and also sure that your shipping company proposes interesting excursions to nearby places.