Tourism in rural areas

URUGUAY

RURAL TOURISM AND ECOTOURISM “Where nature reigns.”

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Nature Uruguay offers a great variety of natural landscapes located just a few kilometers away from its towns and cities.

Its latitude, nearness to the ocean and the absence of natural barriers give it a temperate subtropical climate, with no extreme temperatures.

Uruguay is a freshwater paradise on a planet that is running out of water.

For all these reasons, Uruguay is a country to be enjoyed all year round.

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Proximity Uruguay’s network of highways, which cover the whole country, offer all the services needed to enjoy a problem-free vacation.

Thanks to its excellent roadways and the country’s small size, you can get from one place in Uruguay to another in a very short time.

In addition to its famous tourism centers, the whole country is dotted with small towns that grew up along the banks of rivers and streams, at major crossroads, and later along the railway lines.

The changes brought by modernization mean that many of these small towns are no longer located along major transportation routes, which has left them frozen in time.

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Birds Bird watching is easy and rewarding in Uruguay, because it is home to over 450 different species of birds.

Vast stretches of natural grasslands, diverse types of forest, and an abundance of rivers, streams, lakes and marshland create an enormous natural mosaic ideally suited to this pastime.

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Marine life Hundreds of kilometers of coastline, largely made up by white sand beaches, run uninterrupted along the Atlantic Ocean.

Six platforms strategically placed along the Atlantic coast for seabird and whale watching invite you to discover the country’s rich biodiversity.

Uruguay’s coasts are home to four of the seven existing sea turtle species, 35 species of marine mammals – including the Southern Right Whale, which visits us every year – and a colony of more than 320.000 sea lions.

In addition to observing this abundance of sea life from the land facilities, you can enjoy the unforgettable experience of a boat trip for a closer look.

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Protected areas Uruguay is in the process of establishing a National System of Protected Areas, with the aim of preserving areas that represent the country’s rich biodiversity, such as the Santa Lucía River Wetlands and Isla de Flores, located near Montevideo; the Farrapos Wetlands, on the Uruguay River, near the hot springs zone; the Quebrada del Norte and Quebrada de los Cuervos ravines, near the Brazilian border; Rocha Lagoon, Cabo Polonio and Cerro Verde, on the Atlantic Ocean coast; and Chamangá in the center of the country, with its ancient rock paintings.

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Protected areas Uruguay is creating a National System of Protected Areas to ensure the conservation of the country’s biodiversity and to create areas for scientific research.

These areas can be explored along hiking paths with different levels of difficulty, where you can enjoy the scenery, flora and fauna, and contact with the inhabitants of nearby towns and villages.

Located in different regions of the country, they make it possible to combine various types of tourism, and the only requirement to enjoy them is respect, to ensure that future generations will be able to enjoy them too.

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Countryside In Uruguay there are various different rural tourism options.

The world of the Gaucho encompasses a host of different offerings for every taste, ranging from guest houses, farms and ranches to countryside hotels, all of them offering the warm and personalized attention of their owners.

Most of these facilities maintain their centuries-old outer structures from the colonial era, and have been renovated and equipped inside with full respect for the original architecture.

You can participate in farm chores and relive old traditions, and savor the typical hot infusion called “mate” or an “asado” beef barbecue.

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Tradition The lifestyle and traditions of the gauchos are reflected in the objects they use in their daily lives.

In the heart of downtown Montevideo, the Gaucho and Currency Museum offers an insight into the way in which life in the countryside has evolved since the colonial era.

The pieces exhibited here are representative of the popular artistic traditions of our country, with a slight indigenous contribution to the traditions of the Spanish and Portuguese settlers.

The materials that are used to create these objects include leather, cow horn, wood and silver.

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Horseback riding Getting to know Uruguay on horseback accompanied by an expert guide is an incomparable adventure, which allows you to soak up breathtaking scenery in first-hand contact with nature.

The Criollo horse, descended from the Andalusian purebreds brought from Spain in the 17th century, has been closely linked with Uruguay’s history from its very beginnings.

Our country is also internationally renowned for the Quarter Horses and Arabians that are bred here, as well as the auctions where exceptional horses are bought and sold.

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Fishing Uruguay encompasses an area of 176.215 km2 and 137.567 km2 of jurisdictional waters.

Rivers, streams and lagoons form a dense hydrographic network divided by gentle undulations, which provides Uruguay with exceptionally abundant fish stocks and makes it an ideal place for sports fishing.

The inland rivers are home to species like boga, tararira, dorado and catfish, while other rivers and the Atlantic coast provide the opportunity to fish for corvina, brotola and pejerrey.

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Crafts Thanks to their exceptional quality, recognized by our visitors, Uruguayan crafts are now being marketed in many different parts of the world.

Some of the most popular of these creations are those made from wood, leather, bone, wool, and precious and semi-precious stones.

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REPÚBLICA ORIENTAL DEL URUGUAY Area

176.215 km2

Population

3.314.466 inhabitants

Capital

Montevideo

Official language

Spanish

Currency

Uruguayan Peso

Temperature

Winter 6º/17º C

Watch at Uruguay Natural Tv

Summer 21º/28º C

www.uruguaynatural.tv

Rambla 25 de Agosto de 1825 y Yacaré | Tel.: 00 (598 2) 1885100 Montevideo, Uruguay

www.uruguaynatural.com |

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For more information and downloadable maps visit: www.uruguaynatural.com Photographs: Archivo Fotográfico Ministerio de Turismo y Deporte, Aguaclara Fotostock Uruguay, Barceló, Indias Fílmica, Kromostock, Lares Estancias & Posadas, Leo Barizzoni, Martín Rodríguez, Nacho Guani, OCC, Ponce de León, Revista Gente, Revista Pesca y Turismo, Turap.

This material is to take away | October 2012