The first thing to say about Uruguay is that it's definitely not like many other Latin American countries β and that's a big positive. Uruguay is small by the standards of its big neighbours, about one-third larger than England. The nation is prosperous and stable, run by serious politicians who are not in the game to enrich themselves. The buses run on time, and hotels and restaurants are down-to-earth and friendly much like the Uruguayan people β except in the main beach resort of Punta del Este, which in season is essentially an Argentinian enclave.
Uruguay is squeezed between two giant neighbours, with Argentina to the south and Brazil to the north, and it has the same sort of relation to them as does Canada to the United States, or Ireland to Britain β a sense of being overshadowed by a larger, louder neighbour, while its inhabitants feel, deep inside, that they are the smarter, wittier ones.
Many European travellers pass through Uruguay only briefly en route between Argentina and Brazil, or pop over for a flying visit from Buenos Aires before returning to the big-city delights of the Argentinian capital. But Uruguay deserves attention in its own right β and is also the country that, more than any other in South America, could be classed as the ideal low-budget, low-stress introduction to the continent.
The Atlantic coast to the east of Montevideo is marked by a succession of rocky capes. Each has a calmer beach on its western side and a wilder beach, usually dominated with surfers, on its eastern side. The interior comprises mainly open grassland roamed by large herds of cattle, waiting to be converted into the world's finest beef.
There are still traditional estancias where you can stay and ride with the gauchos β such as the Estancia La Sirena, near Rio Negro in the Soriano department 00 99 ; lasirena.
