But me personally, I get off on traveling. Airbnb is like porn for me.

And when I see “travel porn” on Youtube or Instagram of an amazing place, it gets stuck in my head.

You add in the fact it’s in Latin America and my feelings of passion heat up.

When I saw footage of the Uyuni Salt Flats in January, I was stoked. Largest salt flat in the world, spanning thousands of miles and looks like you’re on the moon.

What else do you need to know?

Months later and actually here in the moment, it lived up to the hype.

Uyuni Salt Flats is one of the best day trips I’ve taken in my life.

Backstory

I arrived to Bolivia about a month ago and it’s been a great time getting to know La Paz, but I’ve been focused on getting to Uyuni and had a plan figured out.

I would fly into Sucre, Bolivia on Wednesday for some culture and history, then take an 8 hour bus from Sucre to Uyuni on Thursday night for a 3-day trip in the Salt Flats.

The moment I arrived to Sucre, I was told a protest was happening for all the buses in Bolivia due to government issues with the gasoline.

Ah shit.

The next day I walked to the bus terminal to investigate the rumors.

As I neared the bus station, massive buses were blocking the road.

The bus station was completely closed.

I was stuck in Sucre and my plan was fucked.

There is no flight between Sucre and Uyuni, so without the bus you’re not going anywhere.

Things get better

Late on Thursday night the buses and government reached an agreement, so things were back up for Friday night. (buses only go to Uyuni overnight)

The government here doesn't do anything without the people protesting and going on strikes, so that is how business gets done.

During my time in Bolivia, I’ve learned that the people here fight hard against the government if there is some bullshit so I respect Bolivianos 100% and was happy there was some type of resolution.

On Friday night I took the 7.5 hour bus to Uyuni to try to salvage whatever time was left.

Arriving to Uyuni

At around 5:30 am, after sleeping about 2 hours in the bus, we rolled into the station in Uyuni.

I had absolutely no plan and was planning to improvise the whole experience.

As I walked outside the bus into 0 degree (celcius) weather, I instantly realized how terrible of a decision that was as the cold wind violated me.

Clearly knowing the game, some seasoned hustlers posted up at the bus station lured me to their travel agency with promises of heat whispered into my ear.

Seeing that I was dying of hypothermia, had no plan, and it was so early that nothing was open, going to the suspect travel agency sounded amazing.

Getting hustled

2 seconds after sitting down in the travel agency, still freezing my ass off and barely awake, the travel agent started spamming tours at me.

In my head I knew I wanted to pick the best agency but I also didn’t want to be assaulted by the cold again.

So I started listening what she had to offer so I could keep staying warm.

Eventually I spent about $25 USD for the 1-day tour. I told myself the tours are all about the same.

Around 6am the travel agent took me to a cafe that opened up and told me the company would pick me up at 10:30am.

After an hour of warming up and drinking coffee, I decided to look at the rating of the agency I just booked with on Google.

I wasn’t ready for what I saw.

These guys had a 1/5 with about 50 terrible reviews.

Fuck.

No wonder they were hustling so hard in the bus terminal.

There were stories about the driver drinking so much he passed out. Some more about the car engine blowing out or tires busting and being stranded for hours.

Everything about this company seemed to be a red flag.

After sleeping 2 hours in a bus, dying of hypothermia, and having a terrible morning, I wasn’t about to gamble my entire day on a 1 star company with these types of reviews.

Figuring shit out

In the cafe, I booked a hotel for the night and was able to check in at 8:30am which is pretty incredible. The owners were super nice. This is the place I stayed at.

After getting settled into the hotel, I started looking up tour companies with about 2 hours before trips started for the day. I found a 5-star rated company with 400+ reviews a couple blocks away.

Walked over to the good company and the vibe was completely different. No rush to sell me on anything and the girl that runs the place was super cool.

I ended up buying the 1-day tour with her for $30 USD for a 9 hour tour (10:30am - 7:30pm).

At 10:30am, I went back to the office where I was supposed to get picked up and hopped in the SUV with some other foreigners to head to the Salt Flats.

The Salt Flats

After all the anticipation, we drove into El Salar de Uyuni.

Cruising in an SUV and seeing nothing but salt for miles is surreal.

It’s like you’ve entered another planet.

There’s an island miles into the salt flat covered with cactuses.

All types of crazy reflections with the water.

And the sunset is unreal.

“Travel porn” lived up to the hype.

After doing the day trip, I realized it wasn’t enough for me.

I’m already wanting to come back for 3 days to fully explore this place.

Due to my work schedule, I wasn’t able to be flexible after my original plan for the 3 days fell apart.

If you are on tight schedule or want to travel really fast, flight from La Paz is the way to go. It’s only 45 minutes and even if there is a protest you will be able to fly over it.

If your schedule is flexible or you are on a budget, bus is totally fine. But it’s about 8 hours. And can be cancelled if there is a protest which is common here.

You don’t need to pay for the tour online before going to Uyuni. It will be 4x-5x cheaper if you go to a good tour agency as soon as you arrive to the town.

I saw prices for $125 USD online and it was around $25 USD in person.

Just don’t be a dummy without a plan like me and buy an extra tour you don’t need.

Until the next time, I’m out.

Things are going in a more positive direction for me now and I’m ready to get back to creating content.

Many people are interested in Montevideo but there is not a lot of information out there.

After spending 8 months living here over the past couple of years, I’m here to share my experience and make your life a little easier.

I will explain everything you need to know about Montevideo from a foreigner’s perspective. How to get there, the good neighborhoods, what to eat, things to do, all that shit. I’ve got your back.

A little background

Montevideo is the coastal capital of Uruguay. While is it part of Latin America, it has a much more European feel, with many of the locals having Italian or Spanish heritage.

Historically, it’s been part of a neutral zone between Argentina and Brazil. Both countries tried to claim Uruguay as their own but it eventually became an independent country.

With that said, Montevideo really feels like a neutral place where people don’t publically express strong opinions in either direction.

In my opinion, this city is the most peaceful and quiet capital in Latin America.

When should you go

You should go after you travel to Argentina or Brazil and want to relax and chill out.

Or take a short trip while you are in Buenos Aires by ferry.

Montevideo is not a place I would travel across the world to visit unless you are thinking to live there or you have a personal connection to Uruguay.

But if you are already in the neighborhood, it’s worth checking out.

The weather is nice in most months but I did not like the winter. It can be very cold during those months with the wind from the sea and the city feels pretty dead. Winter is in June, July, and August.

I personally liked it the most in the summer months of January and February. It’s hot but not uncomfortable because of the ocean breeze. Perfect weather in my opinion.

How long should you go

You should go for 2 days.

There is not a lot to see in Montevideo as a tourist. It’s worth coming to check out the vibe though. See a few sights, walk on the rambla, and eat some Uruguayan asado.

It’s a better place to live than to visit as a tourist.

The beaches and pueblos are better for tourism purposes in Uruguay.

How to get there

Ferry from Buenos Aires

Traveling by ferry is a lot more comfortable than riding in a bus or airplane. You can stand up and walk around while the ferry is moving. Buy some snacks. Whatever you want.

I highly recommend taking a ferry if you are coming from Buenos Aires.

Buquebus and Colonia Express are the main companies. Buquebus is a little nicer but they are practically the same. I’ve used both and either one is fine.

Direct Ferry - 2.5 hours

This is the most comfortable way to get to Montevideo. The ferry goes directly from Buenos Aires to Montevideo without stopping.

The port in Montevideo is 5-15 minutes from most places tourists want to visit, depending on the zone. You can take an uber from here.

Ferry / Bus combination - 4 hours

This is the cheapest option. It’s about half the price of the direct ferry.

Buy the combination together from Buquebus / Colonia Express

You take a ferry to Colonia, Uruguay which is about 1 hour, 15 minutes from Buenos Aires. As soon as you exit the ferry, you go directly into a bus from the same company and go straight to Montevideo.

Buy the combination separately

If you want to spend some time in Colonia, which I recommend, you should buy the direct ferry to Colonia without the bus.

Buy a seperate bus ticket from Colonia to Montevideo using Urubus.

Flights - varies by country

There are direct flights from a few cities in the US and Europe. And many cities in Latin America. Time and cost varies by country but Montevideo is one of the easiest airports to deal with. It’s never really crowded.

The airport is about 40 minutes from the main area of Montevideo where most people visit. You can take uber or taxi from the airport.

Getting around

Uber is the easiest way to get around. Most rides will cost between $5 USD - $10 USD, depending how far you are going.

Most of the zones you are going to want to visit in Montevideo are close to each other. It rarely takes more than 10 minutes to get anywhere in uber.

The bus system also works well and is cheap. I don’t remember the exact amount but it was around $1 USD to get somewhere.

Another nice thing about Montevideo is that many of the desirable zones are close to the rambla, which is a long walkway that runs along the entire coast of Montevideo.

So you can easily walk or ride a bike on the coast and get to another part of the city in a very scenic way.

Money Situation

Credit card is widely accepted in Montevideo. You rarely need cash unless you are buying hot dogs in the street or going to small local businesses. Uber only accepts credit card here.

If you are going to Argentina after your trip to Uruguay, I recommend to withdraw USD from the ATMs so you can exchange the cash for the dolar blue (black market rate) in Argentina.

Neighborhoods

In Montevideo, all the neighborhoods you would want to visit are within 15 minutes of each other by uber.

I’m not going to include zones like Carrasco, which is mainly for rich Uruguayans. It is far from the center of the city and it’s not really interesting for foreigners.

I don’t think there is a perfect neighborhood in Montevideo, but there are definitely some that are better than others. The following zones are viable for a stay in Montevideo.

Ciudad Vieja

This is the historical zone of Montevideo, where the original city started. Because of this, it has a lot of older buildings.

It has potential to be cool but many of the buildings are poorly maintained and beat up, so the zone still looks run down in my opinion. You will see ugly graffiti and trash all over. Drug addicts and crazy people hang out here.

I never felt any real danger but there are definitely some sketchy people walking around.

Many of the offices in Montevideo are located in this zone, so Monday-Friday it is pretty active with many people that are working. But it’s a ghost town on the weekend.

On the positive side, there are a decent amount of restaurants, bars, and museums in this area. Teatro Solis and the Cinemateca are also here.

I personally stayed in Ciudad Vieja for 3 months the first time I was in Montevideo and I did not like it for long-term living purposes. Dude trying to sell me drugs as I walked out of my apartment building stopped being funny after awhile.

If you are in Montevideo for a short time and don’t have a problem with a few drug addicts, this is a good zone for touristic purposes and to get a taste of Uruguayan culture.

Centro

The Centro is more consistently alive than Ciudad Vieja. There are definitely more people walking around here on the weekend.

In my opinion, it’s the most sketchy of the zones I’m recommending, but danger is relative. I still consider Montevideo very safe compared to any other capital in Latin America. You should be fine in the Centro.

I didn’t spend a ton of time down here but a lot of larger events like the anniversary of the city happen in this zone. There is also a farmer’s market on Sundays.

This is my least favorite neighborhood from the zones I’m recommending, but it’s totally fine. It’s close to the Ciudad Vieja.

Parque Rodo

If there was a hipster neighborhood in Montevideo, which there isn’t, Parque Rodo would be the closest to it.

You will find the most “hipster” type coffee shops and bars in this neighborhood. In general, I think it’s the best place to stay if you want walkable options for food, bars, and coffee. There are some good options.

Parque Rodo is also an actual park and that is where the zone gets the name, because it’s near this park. It’s very close to the coastline (rambla) and I consider it the best park to hang out in the city.

If you want to have the combination of being close to the coastline, park, and near bars, restaurants, and coffee shops, I think Parque Rodo is the best zone to stay for both short-term and long-term stays.

Punta Carretas

During my last time in the city, I stayed for 5 months in Punta Carretas. In my opinion, it’s the best zone of Montevideo.

The houses and buildings are very nice in this neighborhood. I loved walking around and seeing the architecture. I also lived very close to the rambla so I was able to be on the coastline in a couple of minutes.

If you want to stay in the nicest zone in the city for walking around and being close to the coastline, stay in Punta Carretas. It’s the best place to stay in my opinion.

Pocitos

The main reason to stay in Pocitos is if you are interested in the beach. This neighborhood is located right in front of the beach.

As a California native, I’m not really impressed by the beach in Montevideo. The beaches in places like Punta del Este, Cabo Polonio, Punta del Diablo, etc are much nicer. The water in Montevideo is often brown because it mixes with the Rio Plata (river).

But I know that is not an issue for everyone and some people like to chill on the sand, so if that is your thing, Pocitos is definitely the best one for that. The coastline is definitely nice to walk on.

Other than the beach, I found this zone pretty boring. It’s a nice place for families though.

If you want to stay near the beach, Pocitos is cool. Otherwise, it’s pretty boring.

Accommodations

If you’re on a budget or want to be near the tourist attractions, I recommend to stay in the Ciudad Vieja or Centro.

If you are going to stay in Uruguay for awhile, Punta Carretas and Parque Rodo are much nicer for living purposes. The rambla is also nicer in these zones.

While Uruguay is expensive, hotel and Airbnb prices are not terrible in comparison to places like the US and Europe.

For short-term stays, just pick whatever fits your goals, based off what I described for each neighborhood. Airbnb and hotels are both fine.

For staying longer in Uruguay, it’s a little bit different. Leases can be a bitch, owners want a huge security deposit, so I don’t recommend that unless you are really set on living in Uruguay.

The 1st time I was in Montevideo, I stayed 3 months in an Airbnb in Ciudad Vieja for $1,100 USD/month.

The 2nd time, I stayed at Opta for 5 months, which is a hotel that operates as a co-living. Essentially, half the guests live there longer-term, and the other half are short-term. It has large shared kitchens, pool, co-working spaces, gym, etc. The cost was about $1,100 USD/month for a standard room. It’s also located 1 block from the rambla, which is a prime location.

Opta is a good place to stay if you want a flexible place that you can stay at for a couple of months. At some point, I got tired of not having my own kitchen and space, but I would go back for a 1-2 month stay in Montevideo.

Airbnb is also a good option, but there aren’t a ton of places to choose from.

Restaurants

Uruguayans have a similar culture to Argentinians in the fact that they eat pretty late.

Most people start showing up to restaurants around 9pm, so don’t be surprised if you go to dinner at 8pm and it’s a ghost town.

I think Uruguay has the best asado I’ve ever tried, better than Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay. Do yourself a favor and crush some asado while you’re in Montevideo.

Toledo Bar de Tapas - Tapas and cocktails spot. Went here multiple times and everything tasted good. They have some Peruvian dishes which I enjoyed. — Instagram - Google

Demorondanga - Tapas and cocktails spot. All the food we tried was solid. Cocktails were fire too. — Instagram - Google

La Milpa - Best tacos in Uruguay. To be honest, they are better than any tacos I ate in Buenos Aires. As a dude from Los Angeles that has lived in Mexico, these hit. The barbacoa tacos and a michelada were giving my mouth an orgasm every time I ate here. — Instagram - Google

Mushroom Bar - Vegan restaurant that uses mushrooms for all their dishes. Interesting concept and the food was great. I went several times and the mushroom tacos were definitely my favorite. — Instagram - Google

La Pulperia - My favorite Asado restaurant in Montevideo. It is not a very big place and there are only barstools inside of the restaurant. Definitely a family owned spot. Owners are friendly and make you feel at home. If you want a guaranteed seat without waiting, I recommend to arrive before 8pm because it’s a small place that fills up fast. — Instagram - Google

Parrilla Garcia - High-end steakhouse. It’s pricey but definitely worth it. We had the baby beef and lamb chops which were both fire. — Google

Mercado del Puerto - This is actually a mercado with many asado restaurants inside of it. The prices can be somewhat high because it attracts tourists but I felt it was worth it. The best steak I tried in Uruguay was here. — Instagram - Google

Coffee

Culto Cafe - Best overall coffee shop in Montevideo in my opinion as an addict.

They have coffee from all over Latin America and can serve it however you want. On top of that, they have some interesting events that they share in their instagram from time to time. There are multiple locations but I like the one near Parque Rodo the most. — Instagram - Google

The Lab Coffee Roasters - Another solid coffee shop with multiple locations. Every spot they have is in an old, restored house which is pretty cool. My favorite one is in Punta Carretas. It’s the most comfortable place to go if you want to knock out some work in my opinion. — Instagram - Google

Botanico - I’m giving these guys a shout out because they were directly in the building I was living in for several months. I spent the most time here of any coffee shop and always felt at home. — Instagram - Google

Che.co.ffee - Nice coffee shop in the Ciudad Vieja. Owners are Czech. They always had quality Colombian coffee whenever I went. Worth a visit. — Instagram - Google

Cafe La Farmacia - An old vintage pharmacy that has been restored and changed into a coffee shop. The coffee is solid here and it’s worth checking it out just for the atmosphere. — Instagram - Google

Cultural Alfabeta - This place is cool, but more for the atmosphere. It is a combination of coffee shop, bookstore, cinema, and restaurant all in one place. The food and coffee are decent but nothing special. It’s worth checking out for the variety of things and the cinema has some good movies. — Instagram - Google

Cheap Food

Cheap is a relative term in Uruguay. Nothing is truly cheap here and you rarely get a good deal.

While you can eat inexpensive street food in many Latin American countries, it’s not really part of the culture here.

Everything recommended in this category you can get for $5 USD-$10 USD, which I think is a good deal in Uruguay.

These are ones I’ve tried and think are pretty good.

You can find some cheaper hole-in-the-wall and “menu del dia” restaurants in Ciudad Vieja and Centro. Those won’t be on Google Maps though.

Hot dog, sausage, and hamburgers food trucks

Hamburguesas, Panchos, y Chorizos (Parque Rodo) — Google
Ta Mejor (Parque Rodo) — Google
Hamburgueseria El Condor (Pocitos) — Google

Pasta and Pizza

Meriggiare — Instagram - Google

Venezuelan

Con Sabor a Llano Guariqueño — Instagram - Google

Mexican

La Milpa — Instagram - Google

Shawarma

Ashot Shawarma — Google
El Palacio del Falafel — Google

Mercados

Mercado Williman — Google
Mercado Ferrando — Google

Fresh Market

This is a large grocery store chain that has several locations throughout Montevideo. You can find some reasonably priced food at many of their stores.

Large pepperoni pizza (cooked) - $12 USD
Pre-made pasta - $2.50 USD
Salad bowl - by weight

Nightlife

When I judge nightlife in a city, I judge it by the hangover test. Now that I’m 36, I’m picky about my hangovers because they hurt like a bitch.

Is the nightlife good enough where it’s worth getting a hangover?

In a place like Florianópolis, Brazil, a hangover is worth it 100% of the time because the parties are so good.

In Montevideo, it’s never really worth it. Nightlife is pretty uneventful. It’s worth having some drinks with friends, but not getting destroyed.

Apparently before Covid there was a specific street with many bars, but it died and never came back.

I didn’t go out a lot, but here are some ideas.

Night out to party

12am - Go to Montevideo Beer Company in Punta Carretas. Start pre-gaming.
1am - DJ starts playing, people get more active
3am - Go to Jackson Bar or Volve Mi Negra

Full disclosure, I hung out at Montevideo Beer Company but I never felt like staying out past 2am or so. So I didn’t personally check out the boliches (clubs). But this is what the younger Uruguayos in their 20s told me was good.

Beers with friends

Sumo Brew Pub - Google
Montevideo Beer Company - Google
Malafama - Google

Gyms

BIGG Gym - Great gym with nice equipment. It’s a group workout similar to Crossfit but you select your personal workout from many options in an app on your phone. It’s not completely flexible but enough to where you can focus on whatever goal you want (i.e. strength). I was able to do stuff like deadlifts, squats, etc every week without issues.

I spent 5 months training here and I loved it. The people are nice and they have a Whatsapp group with events like happy hour to chill with some other people from the gym. I highly recommend it. — Instagram - Google

City Fitness - If you’re looking for a more traditional gym, this is the best one I found in Montevideo. I had a membership here the first time I was in Montevideo and it was solid. — Google

Calisthenics gyms - There are some calisthenics gyms on the rambla, with pull up bars and other equipment. I will link some of the main locations. Parque Rodo - Pocitos - Punta Carretas

What to do in Montevideo

Smoke weed - Weed is legal in Uruguay so you will see a lot of people chilling in the park or at the beach getting high and hanging out. If you like to move at a slow pace, it’s a good option.

Drink mate - Uruguayans definitely appreciate mate more than anyone else in the world. Similar activity to the weed, chill in the park or on the beach for hours. But drinking mate instead of smoking weed.

Walk on the rambla - This is my favorite thing to do in Montevideo. The ocean view and breeze is nice and it’s a cool place to workout as well. A lot of people are running or on bikes here.

Watch the sunset - Watching the sunset is big here. Every place I visited in Uruguay, the locals are posted up with their folding chairs and mate at 6pm, ready to watch the sunset. In Montevideo, I think the best spot to see the sunset is near Playa Ramirez.

Cinemateca - This is a cinema that has foreign films from many different countries. Things like anime movies from Japan, films from the US, European films, etc. Cool place if you are into movies. — Instagram - Google

Teatro Solis - The main theater in Uruguay. If you are into plays and orchestras this is the place to be. I went to about 5 shows here and I enjoyed it, it’s a nice place. — Instagram - Google

Museo Andes 1972 - If you are not familiar with the story, an Uruguayan rugby team got in a plane crash in the middle of the Andes and were stranded there for several months. The museum adds a lot of depth to the story and it’s the most interesting museum in Uruguay in my opinion. It’s worth visiting. — Google

See a rock concert - People love rock here. Uruguayans don’t normally get that excited, but if you can see an Uruguayan band like Cuarteto in Uruguay, it’s a really cool experience. My best memory in Montevideo is being in el topo (moshpit) during the Cuarteto concert. That was the most hyped I’ve ever seen Uruguayans.

Plaza Independencia - This is the main plaza in Montevideo where you see the iconic building you always see in photos of the city. — Google

Play sports - On the rambla, more near to Pocitos, you will see a lot of people working out and playing sports. Running, biking, rugby, soccer, kitesurfing, volleyball, and swimming. I may have missed something there’s a lot of action happening with these sports.

Workout and work - Montevideo is a good city to be healthy in and stay relatively sober while focusing on some goals.

Mercado del Puerto - I mentioned this for food but it’s also a must-see of Montevideo. — Instagram - Google

Could I live here

As far as living here, I already tried it for 8 months and it wasn’t for me.

I really wanted to like living in Montevideo.

However, I just never really felt at home here like I have in other countries. The people are very polite but I found it more difficult to make friends than any other place I’ve been.

I’m not sure if my personality just doesn’t match up, but socializing felt harder than it needed to be.

I chilled with a good amount of acquaintances, but never really made a solid friend.

Even though I was in Montevideo with my girlfriend, I felt very lonely.

It’s hard to want to live somewhere where you feel like this. Especially when you know there are other places you can live and feel at home.

While the daily lifestyle is comfortable and safe, it felt boring to me. There is not much to do except chill.

I respect that Uruguayans are able to live such a peaceful, chill, slow, type of lifestyle drinking mate for hours. But I don’t want to live like that.

Montevideo is a nice place to stay for 1-2 months when you want to chill, work out, and focus on work. But it can be difficult when you have the desire for more action.

It wasn’t for me, but I think some people would like it, depending on personality type.

Uruguayans are very respectful of different types of people and do not cause problems for foreigners. Nobody ever treated me badly.

Infrastructure is good, internet is fast, there is very little traffic, and shit generally works in Uruguay.

I know a lot of people that would love to be in this situation.

Quality of life

Cost - 2.5 / 5 (Uruguay is expensive)
Internet - 5 / 5
Safety - 5 / 5
Restaurants - 2.5 / 5 (there are some good restaurants but the majority of places are not worth the price)
Grocery stores - 5 / 5 (you can find high quality groceries)
Sports - 5 / 5 (good city for doing sports, a lot of activity by the rambla)
Gym access - 2.5 / 5 (There are some quality gyms but not many)
Nightlife - 2.5 / 5

Out of all the places I have lived, I have the most love/hate relationship with Montevideo.

When I’m very tired, after being in Brazil or Argentina, Montevideo is incredible. It’s quiet, peaceful, and I sleep amazing here.

I’m able to get into a really healthy routine, working out and focusing on my work. Chilling comfortably in coffee shops, walking by the beach, and crushing some amazing asado.

On the other hand, I don’t really relate to people that much in Montevideo. I find it so much easier to find common interests and make friends with Brazilians or Argentinians.

Uruguayans are nice, which is great, but I never felt at home here like I did in Brazil, Argentina, or Mexico, some of my favorite countries.

I have no regrets about my time in Montevideo, but I was ready for a change.

In the US, Brazil, and Argentina, we love to make recommendations of spots to check out. You hear about desintations before you enter the country. Word of mouth is strong.

When it comes to Uruguay, you don’t hear a lot. I think part of that is the size of the country and also the fact that Uruguayans can be more reserved. They stay more chill and under the radar.

If you are not in the country, knowing which places to visit can be a mystery.

Punta del Este is a well known city but you rarely hear about places like Cabo Polonio.

This past December, my girlfriend and I were in Brazil for a month, partying and having some great times with one of my oldest travel bros, Wilson.

During one of the parties, we were talking with another friend Jose about Uruguay and that we were heading there next.

He started describing a past trip to Cabo Polonio; a town that was developed without the government’s knowledge, no electricity or running water, and being able to see the stars because of the lack of street lights.

The whole vibe of the place sounded incredible. By the end of the conversation we were hyped and had it on our radar.

A couple months later, we made the trip. Let’s get into what you need to know about this unique destination.

A little background

Cabo Polonio is an “off-the grid” hippy town that is hidden deep inside a national park and behind many sand dunes. All the buildings here are small houses or shacks.

It is a self-sustainable town without electricity or running water. Solar panels, generators, and wind are used for power. Water is collected from wells and rainwater.

From what I understand, the town was originally built without the knowledge of the Uruguayan government. This is part of the reason this place is so self-sustainable.

At this point, it’s a well known place that attracts many visitors. Despite that, it’s still a great place disconnect from the chaotic life of modern society and experience something unique.

When should you go

You should go from December-March.

January and February are the best months to go. The town is more alive and the weather is the best for going to the beach.

We went on March 1 and the town was still pretty active. We had one clear sunny day and one rainy day.

I talked with a bartender at one of the spots in town and he said that during the winter almost everyone disappears. You might only see 1-2 people per week during that time.

A funny thing I’ve noticed is that exactly on March 1 Uruguayans start disappearing from all the beach towns, many buses stop running, and tourist season basically ends.

So most of the action definitely revolves around the summer months.

How long should you go

You should go for at least 2 days.

It’s a very small town so you can see the whole place in a couple of hours. A couple of days hanging out by the beach, doing some surfing, checking out sea lions, and hanging around the bonfire at the hotel/hostel.

How to get there

There are several ways to get to get to Cabo Polonio, but I think bus is the best way to get there.

You can not drive a car directly into the town because it’s inside of a national park and surrounded by sand dunes, so it will just sit in the parking lot for for the entire time you’re in Cabo Polonio.

If you are road tripping around to several towns, it might be worth it. Otherwise, it’s not really worth the cost to rent a car to leave it in a parking lot.

Part 1 - Get to the national park

Bus from Montevideo - 4.5 hours

The most common place to take the bus is from Tres Cruces, which is the main bus station in Montevideo. You can also take a bus from Punta del Este or several other towns. Urubus is the easiest website to get bus tickets. A one-way ticket to/from Montevideo is about $25 USD.

Bus from Punta del Este - 2.5 hours

There is a direct bus line that runs between Punta del Este and Cabo Polonio during the summer months. It stops on March 1.

If you want to go between these cities outside the summer months, you will need to take the bus to/from San Carlos.

To get between San Carlos and Punta del Este, there is a city bus that you can hop on. It stops about 1 block from the bus station in San Carlos. We had to do this to get to Punta del Este from Cabo Polonio and it worked fine. It only costs a few dollars of USD.

You can use the Moovit app to check the city bus lines in Uruguay.

The direct bus line during the summer months will probably be an hour faster than the the route you need to take during the offseason.

Part 2 - Get to Cabo Polonio

Jeep from national park entrance to Cabo Polonio - 30 minutes

Cabo Polonio is not a normal town. It is deep inside of a national park and surrounded by sand dunes.

When you arrive at the entrance to the national park, you will need to buy your round trip tickets to ride a huge jeep. You can find the schedule here.

The jeep takes people through the sand dunes to/from the town. It’s basically a bus designed to drive through sand.

Riding on this thing was pretty cool, definitely an experience.

Once you arrive at the Cabo Polonio station you can walk directly into the town.

Getting around

Cabo Polonio is a very small town with dirt roads. Everything is dirt except for a wooden walkway that goes from the bus station to the center of town.

It’s such a small place that everyone just walks. You don’t need a vehicle.

Bring cash

Most places in Cabo Polonio do not accept credit cards. That includes the hotels and hostels.

Before you come to Cabo Polonio, get some Uruguayan pesos at the ATMs in Montevideo or Punta del Este.

You’re going to need to bring the right amount of cash for your accommodations, plus whatever you are going to spend on food, surf lessons, weed brownies, caipirinhas on the beach, jeep transport, etc.

There was one ATM at the national park entrance but I’m not sure if that’s seasonal or not. Either way, you don’t want to rely on this as these ATMs run out of cash often.

I personally brought whatever cash I needed for the accommodations plus about $200 USD in Uruguayan pesos for a 2 night stay with my girlfriend.

We obviously didn’t spend all the cash but it’s pretty much impossible to get cash once you’re inside the town. So it’s better to bring too much.

Food prices are very similar to everywhere else in Uruguay. Not cheap.

Accommodations

To be honest, I’m not really a budget traveler or hostel guy. I really like to be comfortable and have some space. Maybe ball out a little from time to time.

But seeing the vibe of the town, we decided to try one night in a hostel for the experience.

One thing to know about the accommodations in Cabo Polonio is that there is no electricity or running water. Most of the places use solar panels and allow you to charge your phone in certain spots of the hotel. You may or may not find a shower.

On the first night, we stayed at Narakan in a private room which was basically a beach shack. You could hear the sound of the waves and it was close to the water.

It had a private bathroom with a shower but no electricity in the room. There was a restaurant and breakfast included in the morning. It costed about $70 USD.

The second night we stayed at Viejo Lobo hostel, They have several hostel beds, a private room with no bathroom, and a private room with a bathroom. We stayed in the private room with a bathroom.

It had electricity in the room but no shower. There was a bonfire and pizza party at night so it was more social than staying at a hotel. It costed about $70 USD.

In general, hostel beds are about $30 USD per night and a private room is about $70 USD per night.

If you go during the peak months, I recommend booking early. The other months are pretty flexible but it’s a small town so booking early is always better.

Booking.com is the most convenient way to make a reservation but you may be able to negotiate a lower rate if you talk with the hotel directly.

Restaurants

We weren’t too focused on finding the best food for this trip but there are a decent amount of restaurants in town. I didn’t try anything special enough to recommend here.

You will find some seafood options like Chivipez (fish sandwich) and Miniaturas (bite-size fried fish). These are very typical Uruguayan dishes that are worth trying if you like fish.

There is also asado, burgers, pizza, etc. Food you would find in any town.

We ate at our hotel on the first night and they cooked homemade fresh fish with mashed potatoes. That was delicious.

On the second night, the hostel did a pizza party where they cooked pizza directly on the bonfire. The pizza was fire.

The homemade fish and pizza were better than any of the restaurants we tried in town.

Coffee

There are a few coffee shops in the center of town. I don’t have any specific recommendations but it was easy to find coffee.

Cheap food

There is one grocery store in the middle of town. This is where you can buy water and basic food items to cook.

Most of the guys from the hostel were cooking food they bought from this store. This is definitely cheaper than going to a restaurant.

What to do in Cabo Polonio

Hang out at the beach - There are 2 beaches here, Playa Norte and Playa Sur.

Playa Norte seemed more chill. There were only a few people on this beach. It’s good if you want to relax and have some space.

Playa Sur has a lot more people. There were some guys selling caipirinhas on the beach and people were drinking here. All the surfing was on this side as well. There’s more happening at this beach.

Surf - I saw one surf school and also saw a few surfers in the water. There are some places in town that have surfboard rentals as well. Surfing here could be cool if you have the time.

Sea lions - One of the largest populations of sea lions in South America is here. They hang out near the lighthouse. We chilled on a big rock for 30 minutes and watched them.

Eat weed brownies - When we were walking into the town there were some hippies chilling on the grass selling brownies. We walked around the town high and then passed out in the beach shack while listening to the waves. Good times.

Look at the stars - Because there are no street lights and the town is not really close to any roads, the visibility of the sky is excellent. On the first night we walked around on the beach and could see a ridiculous amount of stars. Very cool experience.

Hang out at the hostel - I think most hostels have some kind of bonfire going at night time. At the place we stayed at, they cooked pizza on the bonfire and played music. We hung out with some different foreigners who were passing through Cabo Polonio as well.

Could I live here

As far as living here, no I honestly couldn’t live here.

The town is too “off-the-grid”. All the stuff that makes it a cool place to disconnect also makes it a difficult place to live.

There is very little electricity other than a few solar panels. Running water does not exist. Wifi is slow. And the phone signal can completely disappear for hours at a time.

Unless you don’t need to work, it’s pretty hard to stay here for more than a few days.

If you’re someone who desires extreme peacefulness and disconnection from the busy world, you might love staying here for awhile.

Quality of life

Cost - 2.5 / 5 (it’s Uruguay)
Internet - 1 / 5
Safety - 5 / 5
Restaurants - 2 / 5
Grocery stores - 2 / 5 (there is a grocery store in the middle of town)
Sports - 2.5 / 5 (if you like surfing)
Gym access - 0 / 5
Nightlife - I didn’t try it (drinking at the hostel around the bonfire is cool)

After spending a couple of days in Cabo Polonio, I can confidently say it is one of the most unique spots I’ve ever been to, regardless of country.

I got the full experience, not using technology and going showerless throughout the trip. While I smelled terrible, my mind felt fresh.

This is the best disconnection I have felt in a long time. I wasn’t worried about anything going on in my day-to-day life. Just living in the moment.

If I ever need to disappear, I’m going to Cabo Polonio.

Until then, I’m off to the next destination. Talk to you guys soon.

Over the years, I’ve spent time living in cities like Mexico City, Buenos Aires, Lima, and Bogota. It’s fun being near some action.

But as I’ve been getting into my mid 30s, I’m going to be honest. The hangovers hurt more and I need more ibuprofen to get through life.

So I’ve been taking my foot off the gas a little and spending more months relaxing and enjoying that beach life I grew up around in California.

After asking Uruguayans about which beaches are cool, many locals recommended Punta del Diablo, so we decided to check it out.

The vibe is bright colored wooden houses, dirt roads, very few street lights, hanging out at the beach, and surfing.

It’s my favorite spot in Uruguay and one of the nicer pueblos I’ve visited in South America. I loved every minute of it.

It’s time to break down what you need to know about Punta del Diablo mixed in with some of my personal experiences.

A little background

Punta del Diablo is a small fishing town that is about 30 minutes from the Brazilian border. It’s part of the Rocha department which is a region in Uruguay with several small beach towns.

It’s not “off-the-grid” but it still has very little commercialization. The bohemian style is still going strong here with the dirt roads and wooden houses. You won’t see any big hotels.

You’ll see a mix of hippies, locals from the town, and some tourists. Mostly Uruguayans, Brazilians, and Argentinians.

There are about 1000 people that live here the entire year. But a lot more than that are in the town for the summer.

When should you go

You should go from December-March.

January and February are the best months to go. The town is more alive and the weather is the best for going to the beach. The first time we went was in February and I can confirm it was alive.

We went in the middle of March for our second trip and the town was already really quiet compared to February. There were some sunny days mixed in with some rain. Many of the restaurants start closing down after March.

The rest of the year it’s pretty much just the 1000 locals that live there year round.

I personally liked it more in February than in March.

How long should you go

You should go for at least 3 days.

Anything less than that feels a little too short in my opinion. It’s a little far from Montevideo and that should be enough time for you to explore the town, enjoy the beach, and relax without feeling like you’re in a rush.

How to get there

There are several ways to get to Punta del Diablo, but these are the easiest and most common. We tried both.

Bus from Montevideo - 4.5 hours

The most common place to take the bus is from Tres Cruces, which is the main bus station in Montevideo. You can also take a bus from Punta del Este or several other towns. Urubus is the easiest website to get bus tickets. A one-way ticket to/from Montevideo is about $25 USD.

Rental car from Montevideo - 4 hours

The drive is pretty straightforward. You just drive on the highway for 4 hours.

There are 4 toll booths along the way where the device in the rental car automatically pays the fare and opens the gate.

A lot of speeding cameras are near the towns along this route. They give out tickets so I recommend to drive with Waze. It will tell you whenever a speeding camera is coming up and what the speed limit is.

Getting around

The town is pretty small. It’s big enough that it has everything you need, but not too big. You can walk to all the beaches and restaurants without an issue if you’re staying in town.

What I like about it is that even though there are many nice houses, the town isn’t overdeveloped with big hotels or McDonalds. Everything is local owned. There are not many street lights or paved roads.

If you want to explore the Santa Teresa National Park and Laguna Negra, I recommend renting a car.

The first time we did not have a car and walking through the national park was kind of a bitch. You can definitely walk inside from Playa Grande but after about 5 hours of walking in the sun, we were pretty dead. We were glad we checked it out though.

The second time we rented a car and felt like we had a lot more freedom to explore both the inside and outside of the town. And also keep our energy.

There are a couple of taxis in town but not many. There was one that gave us a ride from the bus station.

You can also rent bicycles inside the town which is another way to get to the national park.

I noticed some ATV rentals around town so that looked like another interesting option to explore.

If you can afford it, rent a car. It’s still worth going without a car, but it will be harder to get to a couple of places outside of town.

Bring cash

Many restaurants and businesses in Punta del Diablo do not accept credit cards. I would say at least 50% of them do not.

Before you come to Punta del Diablo, get some Uruguayan pesos at the ATMs in Montevideo or Punta del Este.

I would check online to make sure your accommodations accept credit card. If not, make sure to bring the extra cash to pay for that.

There is supposedly one ATM in town during the summer months, but I never saw it. I wouldn’t expect it to be there or to have cash.

For both of my trips, I personally brought $300 USD in Uruguayan pesos for a 3 night stay with my girlfriend. I used credit card whenever possible and used the cash when I could not.

We ate at several nice restaurants on both trips and did not spend all the cash, but it’s better to bring too much than too little when there are no ATMs around.

Even if you are on a budget, I recommend bringing more than you are expecting to spend just to have it. You don’t need to spend it all.

Accommodations

My girlfriend and I went twice this past summer. She hooked us up with the Airbnb for my birthday and Christmas gifts.

In February we went to Sangha Yoga, which is a beautiful property owned by an Argentinian family. Yoga classes and breakfast were included. The hosts were very hospitable and I really enjoyed the experience. The property is surrounded by huge trees. This place costed $100 USD/night.

In March we went again and stayed in a nice cabaña. The host was a friendly Uruguayan man and his wife. This place costed $70 USD/night.

January and February are the hottest months with the best weather so the prices are higher during that time.

There are plenty of options for all cost levels. I would say a typical private Airbnb or hotel room will cost somewhere between $50 USD - $110 USD per night depending on the month and quality. Hostels will obviously be cheaper than that.

If money is not an issue, go in January or February. That is when the town is the most alive. If you’re on a little more of a budget, December and March should still have a lot of sun and will cost less.

If you go during the peak months I recommend booking early. The other months are pretty flexible but it’s a small town so booking early is always better.

Restaurants

To be honest, the food is pretty good here. Once we found some spots we liked we kept going to them. These are the ones I personally went to and enjoyed the most.

In the offseason, many of the restaurants shut down or change hours. Make sure to check their instagram or send them a whatsapp to make sure they are open.

Panes y Peces - This was our favorite restaurant in Punta del Diablo. We went several times. It’s one of the oldest restaurants in the town. They have many interesting dishes. Everything we tried here was delicious and the staff were very friendly. They accept credit card. — Instagram - Google

Cardamomo - Laid back restaurant with an outdoor atmosphere. We had some good fish here. I had a good conversation with the owner about the town and he was a great guy. From what I understand, they are one of the few restaurants open the entire year. Cash only. — Instagram - Google - Whatsapp

Restopub 70 - Italian restaurant that serves several several pasta dishes with seafood. I had a really solid lasagna dish with different types of seafood on the inside. Cash only. — Instagram - Google

Coffee

When it comes to coffee, I’m an addict. Every sip still tastes as good as the first time.

I think that qualifies me to make a recommendation.

Because of the close proximity to the Brazilian border, many restaurants in Punta del Diablo have that fire. When I say fire I mean that good shit from Brazil.

Many restaurants will have a solid espresso if you ask them for it.

However, I only found one true coffee shop in town. There may be others, but I didn’t see them.

La maison de cecil - The coffee and pastries are great here. Comfortable place with many tables. It’s next to a little mercado. I didn’t check the wifi but you could get some work done here if it’s decent. — Google

Cheaper food

If you go near the Playa de los Pescadores, you will find some cheaper options that are less obvious. Whether it’s empanadas, juices, or full meals.

You just need to roam the streets around the beach to find them. You will see many places once you are over there.

The juices in Punta del Diablo are great because of the close distance to Brazil. After only finding orange and grapefruit in most of the country, we were stoked to get some mango and pineapple.

What to do in Punta del Diablo

Hang out at the beach - Between the Playa Grande, Playa del Rivero, Playa de los Pescadores, and Playa de la Viuda, you’ve got multiple options.

Playa Grande had less people and seemed a little more peaceful. It is part of the national park but you can enter it from the town.

There were more people at Playa del Rivero and Playa de los Pescadores because they are next to the town. There are small shacks on the beach where you can rent surfboards for the day.

We didn’t get a chance to check out Playa de la Viuda but it’s supposed to be cool as well.

Surf - There are several surf schools and also the surfboard rentals that I mentioned earlier. I didn’t have time to surf but I want to do it the next time I’m in town. I did some bodysurfing in the water and the waves seemed pretty good for a newer surfer like me.

Kitesurf - I haven’t gotten into this yet but it looks cool. There are classes and rentals here.

Yoga - You can check out Sangha Yoga.

Santa Teresa National Park - There are a few spots in the national park you can drive to and check out.

One of them is the Fortaleza de Santa Teresa which was a military fortress at one point. It’s not incredible but cool if you’re into history. I enjoyed it.

Another spot worth checking out is the reserve in the middle of the park, where you can see Capybaras, which are giant guinea pigs from South America. There is also a nice botanical garden here.

Laguna Negra - Chill and quiet laguna on the other side of the road from Punta del Diablo. The route is not super obvious but if you follow the directions to this Google maps location, you will get there. The best time to go is for the sunset.

You can find some additional info about attractions on the government site.

Could I live here

As far as living here, 1 month could be interesting if you’re in the right mood for it.

If I stayed a month, my lifestyle would be surfing every day, hitting the gym, eating at my favorite restaurants, and working remotely. Maybe try to find a little nightlife.

There’s enough infrastructure in the town that it’s possible to live there, buy groceries, and eat at some nice restaurants. If you find a place with fiber internet, which is possible, it would be completely fine.

If I had a family and wanted to live in a small town, I could also see living here full-time.

The town seems pretty tight knit and the locals are easy to talk to, so if you stuck around and people saw you regularly, you could eventually become part of the community. I think it would get lonely if you don’t have a family or you are single.

Quality of life

Cost - 2.5 / 5 (it’s Uruguay)
Internet - 3 / 5 (fast internet exists here but many rentals do not have it)
Safety - 5 / 5
Restaurants - 4 / 5 (good quality and variety for the size of the town)
Grocery stores - 3 / 5 (there is enough stores here to find what you need)
Sports - 4 / 5 (if you like surfing and kitesurfing)
Gym access - 2 / 5 (There is a gym with weights and some yoga studios)
Nightlife - I didn’t try it

If you’re going to be in Uruguay during the summer months, Punta del Diablo is a spot you should definitely visit.

This would be a great place to stop and recover if you’ve been doing a lot of traveling in Argentina or Brazil and want to chill out for a bit.

I like the vibe a lot more than somewhere like Punta del Este. That is a nice city but it’s a lot more commercialized and expensive.

Let me know in the comments if there is any information I missed or can improve in future guides. Thanks for the support.

See you out here soon in Latin America. Safe travels.

After spending several months in Buenos Aires, we had become spoiled as fuck. Living a hedonistic life of pleasure where the same meal would have run us $30. Now we were back to the real world.

For the first couple of weeks in Uruguay, I felt a similar “fuck” reaction every time I paid for something at a grocery store, coffee shop, or restaurant.

Shit was so expensive compared to what I was accustomed to after spending years all over Latin America.

When I say expensive I mean 3x more than a country like Argentina (before 2024), Peru, or Colombia. And equally as expensive as some US, Canadian, Australian and European cities.

After spending 7 months here over the past couple of years, I can honestly say I’m used to it now. When I come to Uruguay, I know what’s up. There aren’t any surprises.

Paying higher prices isn’t fun but I obviously like the country, otherwise I wouldn’t pay the high cost to spend time here.

The short answer to why Uruguay is expensive is because of the lifestyle, safety, high import tax, high sales tax, strong currency, and price gouging.

The Uruguayan Lifestyle

To start with, Uruguayans have some good things going for them.

• Access to good public schools and affordable healthcare

• Free university education

• Large middle class. Not many people are living in poverty or in the streets.

• Cities and towns are nice and organized. In many places you feel like you could be in Europe.

• There is good quality food. Excellent beef, lamb, red wine, and olive oil that are all locally produced.

• Every city and town has access to high-speed internet

• Roads and highways are well maintained

• It is a very safe country. I’ve never felt any danger here. For the most part, you can walk around completely relaxed, without looking over your shoulder.

I haven’t been to a place in this country that I would consider a “3rd world shithole”, for lack of a better word.

There are some sketchy places in Montevideo. And some pueblos that are on the poor side within the country. But in comparison to the US and other Latin American countries, the danger feels minimal and it’s generally easy to avoid.

Don’t expect to pay 3rd world prices for a country with this type of safety and lifestyle.

Taxes in Uruguay

There’s no way around it. Taxes are high in Uruguay.

Locals deal with very high personal income taxes.

And because Uruguay is a small country that does not produce many products, most things need to be imported.

This adds a layer of import tax on most products before they even get to the customer, significantly raising the base price.

While import tax matters a lot, a foreigner visiting the country will most directly feel the effect of VAT (Value-added tax).

VAT is a 22% sales tax on all goods and services in the country.

Anything you pay for at the grocery store, pharmacy, or any other place costs 22% more. No matter how clever your spending is, you get hit with 22% repeatedly.

VAT adds a significant cost to every purchase for both locals and foreigners.

One way to deal with this is to use your foreign credit card at restaurants. This will automatically remove about 18% of the VAT from a purchase, which definitely helps.

This type of promotion tends to run from December-April, more or less. I think it’s more like 9% the rest of the year.

Unfortunately, it mainly applies to restaurants and nothing else. So you still get your ass kicked by VAT at the grocery store.

You can tell if the promotion worked if you see Descuento Ley 17.934 or something similar on your receipt after you pay. In this case, my bill with 10% tip was about $27 USD. With the discount applied, I got about $4.50 USD back.

The currency is strong

The Uruguayan peso is strong.

It’s not worth as much as a dollar or euro, but it’s consistent and is quite stable. The past couple of years it’s actually been gaining on the US dollar.

The reason you often get good deals in Latin America is because of the instability of the currency.

Prior to 2024, US Dollars were so powerful in Argentina that you were paying about 3x less for things like food, alcohol, coffee, and various forms of entertainment.

That kind of thing never happens in Uruguay. Things function too well here for opportunities like that to arise.

So there are no discounts based on currency.

Beach city price gouging

If you are staying in a city like Punta del Este or José Ignacio, prices can be even higher.

These places attract a lot of rich Uruguayans and foreigners.

Because of this, restaurants can be 20% more expensive than in Montevideo.

The grocery store also charges something like 20% more for groceries.

To use an example, the same product might cost $12 at Fresh Market in Montevideo but will cost $15 at Fresh Market in Punta del Este.

This isn’t the rule for every restaurant or grocery product, but you get the idea.

Pueblos aren’t cheaper

In almost any other country I’ve been to, going to a small town costs significantly less.

The prices are low in Argentinian, Peruvian, Mexican, and Colombian pueblos.

In Uruguayan pueblos, the deals are not that good. Restaurants cost very similar to what I pay in the capital of Montevideo. Groceries are about the same cost.

It’s very interesting to me that I often get better deals in the capital. I can’t think of another country where that happens.

Airbnbs and hotels might be slightly cheaper, but nothing that makes me feel like I’m really getting a great deal.

I’m sure there are some things I’m missing but I haven’t seen the 50% discount I see when I go to small towns in other countries.

Uruguayan towns are cool and I enjoy them. But I don’t find them cheap at all.

Like I said, if you’re coming from another country in Latin America, expect to pay 2x-3x more than what you have been paying, depending on the country you are coming from.

I’m originally from Los Angeles where the prices are insane, so Uruguay is still reasonable in cost for comparison. It’s a similar case for other large US and European cities.

Smaller US and European cities will be about the same cost.

I work a lot while I travel and make pretty decent money, so I’m able to afford the price of Uruguay.

If you’re on a tight budget, you may want to take a shorter trip or come another time.

This country is unique and different from the rest of Latin America. It’s definitely worth checking out.

Just be prepared for some shit to be expensive as fuck.

After living all over Latin America, I can honestly say no other country comes close as far as relaxation. I thought I was chill being from California but Uruguayans take it to another level.

It’s the quietest place I’ve ever been and has great beaches. The people are laid back and friendly.

I’ve been looking for a base I can spend time in for part of the year to focus on work and live a comfortable lifestyle, while being close to other countries I love to visit.

Seeing that Uruguay released a Digital Nomad visa in the past couple of years, I applied for the visa and spent 6 months in the country, to see if I would like it.

I will explain the step-by-step process of how I got the Uruguay Digital Nomad Visa and the cedula.

Everything here at Latam Spots comes directly from personal experience. You always get the real insights. No generic copy/paste or AI bullshit.

What is the Uruguay Digital Nomad Visa

It is a visa specifically created to allow remote workers to work legally inside the country.

The initial visa lasts 6 months and can be extended to 12 months.

It’s essentially a test drive that allows you to legally live in Uruguay for an extended period of time and see if it’s a place you want to live long-term.

Getting the nomad visa allows you to get a cedula and start getting integrated into the country. Permanent residency is an option after the nomad visa expires.

The visa application has no online payment options that work for foreigners outside of Uruguay. You will need to enter the country on a tourist visa to pay for the application in person. (unless you know an Uruguayan who can pay for you)

Learn more about the visa from the Live in Uruguay site, which is affiliated with the government.

Eligibility Requirements

To be honest, there are no difficult requirements. You just need to fill out the application and pay.

• No income requirements. I did not need to prove my income to receive the visa.

• No restriction for any country to apply, as far as I can see. However, because the application needs to be done inside of the country, you do need to be able to enter the country. These are the entry requirements for each country

• No criminal record or birth certificate required. These were not necessary to get the visa.

Costs

The costs were very reasonable.

• The application cost was about $8 USD

• The cost for the cedula was about $13 USD

How to apply for the nomad visa

1. Visit the application page for the digital nomad visa. It will look like this. Once you have looked over the page, click the button that says “Iniciar trámite en línea”.

2. Before you can apply for the visa, you need to create an account for the government website. Click the button that says “Usario Gub.uy”. On the next page, click the button that says “Crear mi identificación digital”. Fill out a simple form to create your account.

3. Follow the login process

   1. Go back to the application page and click “Iniciar trámite en línea”

   2. Click “Usario Gub.uy”

   3. Click the link that says “No tengo documento uruguayo” and start logging in by selecting your country, passport, and passport number

   4. Enter the password for the account you just created and you will enter the digital nomad application

4. Fill out the different sections of the application form

   1. Tipo de trámite - ND (Nómadas digitales)

   2. Datos personales - Date of birth, country of birth, and the office in Uruguay where you want to submit the visa application to. I stayed in the capital of Montevideo so I picked that.

   3. Domicilio - Whatever address you will be staying at in Uruguay

   4. Datos de contacto - Phone number and email. For the phone, you can’t use the + country code. But you can use 00. My number is from the USA so I used this format (001xxxxxxx)

   5. Adjuntos solicitados - This is the most important section. The dates you put here will be the dates you receive for the visa. So make sure you think about this carefully. The maximum period is 180 days. Dates can be in the future.

   6. Firmar Declaración Jurada - You need to download the affidavit, print it, sign it, and upload it. I recommend using the document scanner on your phone so the upload quality looks good. By signing the document, you are saying you won’t stay in Uruguay longer than 180 days, you have a clean criminal record, and you have sufficient funds to live in Uruguay.

5. Continue to the next page with payment options

   1. You will see a bunch of banks as payment options. None of these work for foreigners, which is strange for a visa focused on foreigners. This is the reason you can’t apply for the digital nomad visa outside of Uruguay unless you know an Uruguayan that can pay for you.

   2. There are some other options below that say “Pagar en redes de cobranza”. Each of these is a place you can go to pay in person for the application. I personally used Abitab and I consider it the best place to go for government payments in Uruguay. It is in cities all over the country.

   3. Select Abitab and you will be given a PDF slip to download with a barcode. The slip expires after 12 hours, so you should download the slip in the morning, so you have time to go pay at Abitab. The first time I tried this, I downloaded it the night before and the slip was already expired by the time I went to pay the next morning. It was very frustrating and I could not generate a new slip without creating an entirely new visa application.

   4. Print the slip and bring it to the Abitab to pay in person. The machine cannot scan the PDF from the phone, you need to print it out. I found out the hard way when I went without printing it out.

   5. After you pay at Abitab, the application will say that the payment went through. Do whatever else is required and you will be able to complete the application.

You will receive an email from Ministerio del Interior after submitting the application. The subject of the email will say “Confirmación de inicio del trámite Solicitud de Hoja de Identidad Provisoria”. This email will include the ID number and tracking number of your application so you should save this.

Wait for the visa approval

On average, it takes about 30 days for the Uruguay Digital Nomad visa to be approved.

I had no idea how long the process was supposed to take when I applied. So I waited for about 60 days, maybe a little less. And I never heard anything. The tracking number I had received in the confirmation email did not work.

Feeling like it was taking too long, I sent a chat here to the guys on the Live in Uruguay website. I explained the issue and they asked me for the ID number of my visa application. They told me they would speak with migration and within 24 hours I received my approved digital nomad visa in my email.

If you have already waited 30 days, I recommend reaching out to the Live in Uruguay team. They were responsive and helpful.

How to get the cedula

From the day the Digital Nomad visa is approved, you have 30 days to make an appointment at migration to get your cedula. These places are all over the country but I did mine in Montevideo. This is where I went for my appointment.

As a foreigner, you cannot make the appointment online, because of the payment issue. To make the appointment, you can either go to the office directly or visit any Abitab. I personally went to Abitab as they have locations everywhere and it was much more convenient.

Tell them it is your first time getting the cedula and they will tell you the appointment options. Once you select a date and time, you will need to pay about $13 USD (in Uruguayan pesos). They will give you a slip for your appointment that says you paid.

On the date of your appointment, bring your passport, the appointment slip, and a printed copy of your visa approval.

You will need those 3 things to check-in to the appointment.

Once it is your turn, you will need to present the documents again and answer some questions. Then they will fingerprint you into the system. And finally take the ID photo.

You will be told to go to the other side of migration and will be given a slip that says when your ID will be ready. In my case, the date was for the next week.

The next week I brought the slip and my passport back to the same office. And I received my ID.

How to extend the nomad visa

I personally did not stay past 6 months, as I had other places I wanted to visit for the rest of the year.

From my understanding, you need the following things in order to extend the visa:

• Uruguayan Cedula (you get this in the initial 6 month visa)

• Clean criminal record from your home country and any other country you lived for more than 6 months

• Vaccination certificate issued in Uruguay

Like I said, I did not personally extend my visa so I will not pretend that I know more. But it should be a fairly straightforward process. I would talk with the Live in Uruguay team and they should have the answer.

Things I learned during the process

• Whatever dates you put on the application will be the dates your visa is approved for. It’s not just automatically 6 months that can be used at any time. So think carefully about the dates you put on the application. You can select dates that are in the future.

• You cannot apply outside of the country due to fact there is no way for foreigners to pay for the application online. You need to apply inside the country and pay for the application in person.

• The Abitab payment slip only lasts for 12 hours, so you should do the payment portion of the application early in the day, so you will have time to go pay at Abitab. If you do this part at night, the slip will already be expired by the next morning. You will need to create a new application in order to generate another payment slip if you mess this up (it happened to me)

• You need to print the Abitab payment slip for the application. If you try to show the payment slip on your phone, the machine will not be able to scan the code (it happened to me)

• If your visa is not approved within 30 days, message the Live in Uruguay team for an update

• Once your visa is approved, you will receive a certificate. You need to schedule your cedula appointment within the 30 days before the certificate expires. There were appointments available within a week when I got mine.

• The easiest way for a foreigner to schedule the cedula appointment is at Abitab

• For the cedula appointment, bring your passport, appointment slip, and printed digital nomad certificate. You don’t need any other documents.

Going through the process was interesting for me.

The costs were minimal and there wasn’t a large barrier to entry as far as applying for the application. I didn’t need to show any proof of income or my criminal record.

For the most part, the application was short and straightforward. It wasn’t confusing and didn’t require a large time commitment.

I would say the biggest obstacle was not being able to pay for the application online with credit card. Needing to physically come to the country to pay for the application is something most people do not have time for.

If I had to guess, Uruguay only accepts payments from inside of Uruguay to filter for applicants who are serious about getting the visa.

The payment issues with Abitab were frustrating. You don’t know when the payment slip expires until you have already generated it and you have to physically print the slip instead of scanning off your phone. If you are a foreigner with no experience using Abitab, these issues can be irritating.

I had to make the application multiple times before I understood the correct way to make the payment at Abitab because of these unexpected problems.

As far as actually waiting for the confirmation, the fact that I waited about 60 days with no answer wasn’t great. The tracking number also did not work, so there was no way to check my application status.

After I talked to Live in Uruguay, I got an answer within 24 hours. So it seems like I could have received an answer much earlier.

But I give the team credit for being so helpful and good with communication. They helped me resolve the situation quickly.

Finally, getting the cedula was actually the easiest part of the process. Making the appointment at Abitab was easy and nothing unexpected happened when I went to get my ID.

Overall, I think the process of getting the digital nomad visa is pretty easy if you know what steps to follow.

Uruguayans are nice and helpful people and the migration process is not too bad. It’s much easier than the majority of Latin America.

If you want to spend an extended amount of time in Uruguay, it’s worth getting the visa.

I’m still considering Uruguay as a long-term place to live and it’s cool the government created this visa to allow foreigners to get a taste of what living in Uruguay feels like.

Leave a comment if you have questions. I’m here for you.

I was confused and asked why I would need a room, thinking this would be a normal security check like when you trigger the alarm in the metal detector.

He explained that since I had just arrived from Colombia (hours before), I was flagged for drugs. This was going to be an invasive search that involved tickling my balls and other nooks and crannies not normally touched in security.

This seemed pretty fucking weird to me, so I told him to do it front of all the other travelers. I figured if I had to do something this stupid, it should be in front of everyone.

As the search started, I had to pull down my pants while this guy felt around my nuts for cocaine in front of every person passing through security.

After the body search, every item in my bag was emptied onto the table and checked individually.

About 40 minutes after I was “detained”, it was determined I was cocaine free and I was told I could go.

Over the next several months, I had similar issues flying numerous times between the US and Mexico. This was getting annoying as fuck.

I was on some type of government shitlist, getting an SSSS code on my airline ticket every time, meaning I was searched automatically.

To get off the shitlist, I needed to apply for Global Entry.

What is Global Entry

Global Entry is a whitelist for the US government. It tells security you have a clean criminal record and not to bother with you. A VIP list if you will.

For domestic flights and international flights originating in the US, you are sent to TSA Precheck, which is a more relaxed airport security. You pretty much are never searched.

On international flights, you skip the normal immigration line when you re-enter the US. Instead, you go to a seperate short line that takes just a couple of minutes. It is very fast because you are already vetted.

Some foreigners, including Mexicans, Brazilians, Panamanians, Colombians, and Argentinians seem to be eligible as well. You can check if you are eligible.

If you travel often to Latin America, it’s a great investment.

If you’re a long haired, drug mule looking gringo like me, it’s a necessary investment.

How to apply for Global Entry

1. Create a Trusted Traveler Programs account.

2. Login and complete the Global Entry application which asks for things like previous addresses and employment. Don’t lie because the government will notice.

3. Pay a non-refundable $100 application fee.

4. Schedule an appointment, which typically takes place in an airport. You will bring your identification and have an interview with a government agent.

Once you’ve gone through these steps, it’s a waiting game of 4-6 months. The government will run background checks on you and make sure you have a clean criminal record.

Assuming everything comes up clean, you will be approved.

If you are someone who gets searched often or hates waiting in long security lines, the $100 is well worth it. Global Entry lasts for 4 years before the renewal, so it’s $25/year to not deal with bullshit in airports.

If you have a credit card like the Chase Sapphire Reserve, one of the perks is that the cost of Global Entry application will be fully refunded. All future renewals will be refunded as well.

Global Entry Renewal

When the 4th year of your Global Entry starts, you are eligible to renew it.

Log in to the Trusted Traveler Program website and select the option to renew.

Once you pay the renewal fee, you need to wait for several months until your application status changes. You may need to do another interview or follow other steps, based off the review of your renewal.

I’m currently in this phase and have been waiting for months with no update. The demand for Global Entry is high so they have been very slow on this front.

Because of the government lag, there is a grace period where your Global Entry will continue to work for an additional 2 years if you renew before it expires.

I can personally verify it’s still working for me in the grace period. (I filed the renewal before my Global Entry expired)

I have had Global Entry for almost the entire time I have been living in Latin America (6+ years) and I can honestly say it’s been worth every penny.

For $25/year, I no longer get searched in US airports after I visit Latin America.

It hasn’t happened one time since I was approved (around 2018).

I’m always in short security lines in US airports.

And I get through US immigration and exit the airport in a few minutes after long flights from Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Peru, etc.

Being able to skip a long immigration line after a 10 hour flight from South America is clutch.

To all my fellow Latam enthusiasts and drug mule, cokehead looking friends, I highly recommend Global Entry.

You’ve been on a long ass flight. You’re completely exhausted. And the second you exit the immigration part of the airport 5-6 dudes ambush you and start trying to get you to go in their taxi.

While I respect the hustle, I honestly need to take a piss. And I don’t want to make any split second moves. I’m not trying to jump in the car of random dude that hits me up in the airport.

After several years of living in Latin America and being in tons of airports, I can honestly say it’s not that hard to stay safe when it comes to taxis. However, you do need to think before you act.

Resist the urge to jump in a suspect taxi because you’re tired.

Airport situation

Depending on where you are landing, the taxi situation can vary at the airport.

To use Colombia as an example, in Bogota or Medellin, the “taxi amigo?” gets spammed in your face the second you get near the exit of the airport. In Cali and Cartagena, there is infrastructure for getting a “taxi oficial” (official taxi). These guys don’t seem to be allowed inside of the airport.

The first thing you want to pay attention to is which situation you are dealing with. It should be obvious fairly quickly but either way your goal is the same.

Ignore the guys who appear to be independent spamming “taxi amigo”, they are usually not official taxis. These are guys that park in the parking lot across the street and hustle to try to make some extra money. But they aren’t authorized at all.

I’m not gonna lie, I’ve gotten rides with these guys multiple times early in my time in Latam but I’ve completely stopped doing it. While the majority of the time you will probably be fine, it’s like playing Russian Roulette. You can get robbed or worse.

These are the same dudes who spam “stripclub amigo” or “cocaina amigo” while you’re riding toward your destination. Like I said, I respect the hustle but I think you get the vibe.

How to find a taxi

When you are getting near the exit, look for signs that say “taxi oficial” or “transporte autorizado”. You may just see the sign “Taxi” which is also fine.

This can look several different ways but you will see one of these scenarios:

• People waiting in a single line outside the airport waiting for official taxis with airport staff guiding it. You pay the driver cash directly. (Cartagena)

• People waiting to pay a cashier. You pay the cashier and they give you a ticket. You go to another line where you give the driver the ticket. (Bogota, Sao Paulo)

• There is no official line. But you see a bunch of taxis that look the same outside of the airport. There is a guy with a uniform on guiding you towards the taxis or the taxi drivers themselves come up to you. (Medellin)

• There are multiple taxi companies right before the exit of the airport. You can go to any of them. (Lima, Mexico City)

The color of the taxis varies. In Medellin the taxis are white, Cartagena they are yellow, etc. It’s more important that all the cars look the same.

If you’re dealing with a case like Medellin, ask the driver if it’s an official taxi and have him show you the car. If he is not parked directly in the front of the airport with the other cars that look the same, it’s not official.

Uber and other apps

If this taxi stuff seems overwhelming, grabbing an uber is a good option in many cities. There are other apps depending on which country you are going to, but uber is available in pretty much all countries.

While it’s been problematic at airports in places like Colombia because of beef with the taxis and legal gray areas, it’s pretty good in other countries.

In Mexico City, Panama City, and Buenos Aires, the infrastructure for getting an uber is great. There is an easy spot to get picked up outside the airport and it’s my preferred way to catch a ride. It’s nice to know the driver is vetted and you are being tracked by GPS. Make sure you have some phone data before you leave the airport.

I’ve never liked it in Colombia because of the legal issue. Drivers have to park in the parking lot at Bogota or Medellin airports to hide from the the taxis and police. Then you need to follow a GPS dot until you find the corner of the parking lot they are waiting in.

When you get to the car, the driver instructs you to sit in a certain part of the car and say you are his amigo for police purposes. I’ve been in multiple situations where we got pulled over (because I look gringo as fuck) and the driver needs to bribe the cop. It’s a lot of work compared to just getting a taxi.

Assuming you are riding with official taxis or uber, your chances of having issues are minimal. I’ve been doing this for almost 7 years and have never had an issue.

Being able to spot red flags and resist persistent sketchy drivers is important because airports in Latin America can be chaotic and overwhelming.

Knowing how to be patient and find official taxis is key because uber is not always there to hold your hand.

Get out there enjoy your trip. Safe travels.

Your stomach must be special.

One night you’re out with some friends crushing alcohol and you leave the club at 3am. You’re starving and craving food like a crackhead craves crack.

Then a golden opportunity arises.

There is a dirty truck in the street in front of the club selling sketchy looking hot dogs.

Since you are wasted, it seems fine. What’s the worst that can happen?

The next morning it feels like a demon is wreaking havoc to your body and an exorcism is being performed.

I’ve spent over 6 years in Latin America and have been through food poisoning at least 15 times between Mexico, Colombia, Peru, Argentina, and Brazil, so I’ve been to war and seen some shit.

When it comes to getting food poisoning, you can call me an expert.

While I love street food and these experiences have not stopped me from eating it, I follow a few basic rules to avoid food poisoning in Latin America.

Be careful with street food

Out of all the times I’ve been sick in Latin America, about 90% of the cases have been from eating street food.

In all of these situations, it’s incredibly obvious which thing got me sick.

Eating a hot dog from a dirty food truck at 4am in Mexico City after the club.

Destroying an empanada that had been laying outside for hours in the Andes.

Crushing a juice from a place on the outskirts of Buenos Aires using suspect water.

These are all real situations that left me feeling like shit.

In a few cases, my local friends also got sick, but in most situations I’m the only one.

While the locals are accustomed to the bacteria that is in these foods, you are not.

They may be completely fine while you are shitting your brains out.

How to avoid food poisoning

1. Eat freshly cooked food. Anything like barbecued meat or tacos is probably fine. If the food looks like it’s just been laying in the sun for hours, I don’t recommend it.

2. Go to the food stand where all the locals are at. They know what’s up. The food will be better and served fresh if a lot of people are in line. Tons of people aren’t going to line up for shitty food that makes them sick.

3. Skip the juice and drinks. These drinks are typically mixed with some type of local water. I’m going to be honest, I drink things from the street quite a bit and it’s typically fine, but it’s one of the easier ways to blow up your stomach if your body isn’t prepared for it.

4. Don’t eat shitty salads. These often get served on the side with your food. They don’t really taste good and are easily contaminated. Many people get the shits from these. Just eat the main food on the plate and ignore the salad.

5. Don’t eat street food before you travel. Nothing is worse than having stomach issues on an airplane. I dealt with this recently in Brazil. Worst flight ever.

Things like freshly cooked food, fresh fruit, alcoholic drinks, churros, and ice cream are typically fine. There aren’t many bacteria issues with things like these.

Use your common sense. If your observations are telling you something looks questionable, don’t put it in your body.

How to recover from food poisoning

Regardless of how careful you are, shit happens. You either get drunk and make bad decisions or you eat at a normal restaurant and still get sick.

What can you do once it happens?

My first line of defense is Pepto Bismol, which I learned from Mexicans early on in my travels.

Every time I got sick in Mexico, I recovered very quickly, within hours after taking these.

After years in Latin America, this is still the main treatment I follow today with great results.

I take the pills every couple of hours until the disaster is averted.

90% of the time, this will completely resolve your issues.

Pepto Bismol can go by different names, such as BisBacter in places like Colombia and Peru.

It’s not sold in places like Argentina so I recommend to stash some in your bag whenever you have the chance.

To complement the pills, I crush a lot of yogurt or kombucha, something with probiotics.

When I have small stomach aches or indigestion, this stuff usually resolves it.

If it’s a really bad case, I also buy Floratil, which is an anti-diarrheal probiotic you can get from many pharmacies in Latin America.

The way it’s been prescribed to me before was to take it twice per day with food.

It’s helped me in a couple of bad cases where I was having diarrhea for a week.

If you haven’t already done it, make sure you’re vaccinated for Hepatitis A and B.

Those are serious foodborne illnesses that are common in Latin America but can easily be prevented by a simple vaccine.

In the rare case none of this stuff works, go to the doctor. You need help.

I’m going to be honest.

After a 4-hour hike in the middle of nowhere or crushing alcohol for several hours, I’m eating that suspect taco or empanada.

That’s just the way it goes down in those circumstances.

And most of the time it’s completely fine, I don’t get sick. Most questionable decisions don’t bite me in the ass.

However, in normal circumstances where I’m not starving, I try to avoid eating any suspect food.

Worst case scenario, you do get sick.

And you take the stuff I’ve mentioned.

You should be feeling fine within hours to days.

Stay safe out there and safe travels.

The power of immersion was going to be unstoppable.

Spanish was going to be absorbed into my brain unconsciously. Without putting in any effort, I was going to be fluent and talking to all the locals.

I had crushed 2 levels of Duolingo and already knew how to say “gato” and “perro”. This shit was going to be easy.

The minute I got off the airplane, reality started to kick my ego in the balls.

As I entered Mexican immigration, I realized I couldn’t understand the form I needed to complete to enter the country. I spent several uncomfortable minutes translating all the fields and entering my information.

Once I was past immigration, I went to the ATM for cash, only to realize nothing on the screen made any sense. After repeated attempts with no luck, I gave up.

After trying to communicate unsuccessfully with several taxi companies, I eventually found an uber and made it to my Airbnb. Immersion hit hard on the first day.

The Next Several Months

As I entered my new life in Mexico City, the language issues continued.

While people understood I wanted to crush tacos and tequila, me understanding how much they wanted me to pay was a challenge.

I could only count up to 10, so anything that cost more than that was an adventure. My way of dealing with this was opening up the calculator on my phone and saying “cuanto?” (how much).

While I got better with numbers from all the practice, it was a struggle for awhile.

Socializing wasn’t any easier. “Hola” and “como estas” didn’t lead to deep, interesting conversations about cool shit. While people were friendly and engaging, there was an invisible wall of Spanish between us limiting our interactions.

I was learning a lot of vocabulary and phrases from daily life but I wasn’t getting much better with my conversational skills. I didn’t understand most things people were saying to me and people usually had no idea what I was saying.

The humble side of me kicked in, “shit I have so much respect for people who go to the US and learn English”.

After several months of this, I started to feel kind of sad. I felt very limited in the fact I could only hang out with people who knew English or slowly chat with people in Google Translate.

I desired the freedom to be able to communicate and handle all situations completely in Spanish. Being able to get those deeper connections with the locals.

And let’s not lie here, meeting more women was another source of inspiration.

My motivation was at an all time high.

The Turning Point

After 6 months of living in Mexico City, I moved to Guadalajara (Mexico’s 2nd largest city) for a new experience.

At this point in my Spanish journey, my numbers were pretty good, I knew Mexican slang, and ordering food and other basic tasks was pretty easy.

I knew enough phrases to follow a conversational “script” but if anything deviated from the script, I was fucked.

Within a few days of arriving was the point where I decided it was time to stop the pain and start proactively trying to get help.

I did some research and found a highly rated school not far from my Airbnb.

After taking a visit to the school, I got the breakdown. It was 5 days per week, 3 hours per day. Damn, this was a fucking commitment. I would basically be doing this course in the morning every day before work.

It was time to go all-in and figure out this Spanish thing.

Putting in the work

As I started putting in the work and learning the fundamentals of the language, cool shit started happening.

I was able to take what I learned from the class each day and immediately implement it into conversations when ordering food, going out for drinks, meeting girls, and doing my other social activities.

When people talked to me, I knew what they were saying. And pretty soon, I was having decent conversations about pretty much anything.

Working my ass off was really paying off.

After several more months of studying, it was time to leave Guadalajara. I was amazed by the progress.

Translating Spanish words in my head was no longer happening, I just thought in Spanish when I was speaking Spanish.

My conversations were organic and flowed naturally without a script.

I even caught myself from time to time reacting to things with Mexican slang by accident.

While I obviously wasn’t fluent or anywhere close to it, I had enough skills to connect with people and to handle all my daily activities. What else did I really need.

I’ve continued to improve my Spanish skills whenever I have the time and motivation. Between Peru, Colombia, and Uruguay I’ve done another 10 months of studying over several years.

While I have to make adjustments every time I go to a new country because of the new accents and slang, my skills are good enough that the learning curve is minimal for the new country. I no longer feel overwhelmed and stressed about the situation.

I haven’t needed to use my translator for years, other than for random words. If I don’t know what something means I just ask.

Overall, my Spanish is pretty good these days. While I have days where I can’t speak as smoothly as others, my floor is high enough that I’m able to communicate without much effort even on my bad days. I’m still not “fluent” but I’m ok with where I’m at.

While it’s true that immersion did help me learn Spanish, it wasn’t in the way I was expecting.

Once I stopped being a lazy fuck and started dedicating my time to learning the fundamentals of the language, my skills improved incredibly fast because I was in an environment where I could practice 24 hours a day and had the tools to actually practice with.

A couple months of dedication was all I really needed. It’s been a process but putting the work in has been completely worth it. Life is so much better when you can talk to people.

As you ride in your taxi, getting closer to your destination in Centro, you notice something. Gringos, a lot of gringos. Many of them wearing ponchos and dressing like the natives. Within a matter of days they have adopted the Inca identity.

Several of them are breathing hard and sucking canned oxygen as they struggle to fight through the altitude.

While this is funny, it’s not exactly what you had in mind for your trip to Peru. You’re looking for an authentic experience, not a gringo Disneyland.

This scenario happens all over Latin America in places like Medellin, Cusco, Mexican beach cities, etc

While it can be fun to chill with some other foreigners, it feels like a lot of the good spots in Latin America are already oversaturated.

Certain spots definitely have too many foreigners, but overall I would say this is somewhat overblown.

While some locals are understandably frustrated in neighborhoods like Poblado (Medellin) or Roma (Mexico City) where many have been priced out, the majority of neighborhoods and cities in Latin America don’t have many gringos at all.

There are some strategies that can be used if you want to avoid tourist traps in Latin America.

Stay in a different neighborhood

If you’re in a city that attracts people from all the over the world, don’t stay in the most popular neighborhood of said city. Examples would be Medellin (Poblado), Cusco (Centro/San Blas), Mexico City (Roma/Condesa), etc

While I enjoy all of these neighborhoods, on some trips I just want something lowkey and local. I don’t want to stay in the hood but I want to feel like I’m in another country.

Staying in the 3rd or 4th most popular zone of the city is usually enough. I see some other foreigners but nothing in comparison to the 1st zone.

The last time I was in Medellin, I stayed in Envigado (near the park) for a couple months. In my opinion, it’s the 3rd most popular zone for gringos after Poblado and Laureles. It’s a very Colombian neighborhood that is pretty much all small local businesses (juice shops, empanadas, bodegas, barber shops, etc.)

It obviously had less gringo amenities (fancy coffee shops, cool bars, expensive restaurants) but in return I got the local experience. I saw maybe 5 gringos in that neighborhood the entire time. So everyone I interacted with was Colombian.

What I found amusing was that nobody ever tried to scam me in Envigado. There are some sketchy ass people in Poblado that go to hustle gringos. But they don’t waste their time in other parts of the city.

Colombia can definitely be a country where certain individuals try to hustle the gringo. So whenever I find a chill neighborhood I really appreciate it. Most Colombians are good people.

Whenever I got the craving for gringo shit, I took a 20 minute uber to Poblado to get my fix. Then I would go back to my Colombian neighborhood to chill.

In most Latin American cities, the majority of gringo traffic is concentrated in 1-2 main neighborhoods, while the others are pretty much gringo free.

This strategy works pretty much every time if your goal is to be around more locals.

Stay outside the city

Let’s say that you’re in a place like Cusco where being in a neighborhood like Centro or San Blas just kind of makes sense logistics wise.

While there are some other zones to stay in, I don’t feel like there’s an obvious 3rd or 4th popular zone in another part of the city. The majority of the action is in these neighborhoods.

The last time I was in Cusco, I stayed about 15 minutes (walking) east of San Blas. There were a few gringos but it was pretty much all Peruvian locals. I was close to all the action in the city without all the tourist traps.

While this was cool for a base in Cusco, I discovered something I dug more.

After traveling around the Sacred Valley for several weeks by collectivo (white vans), the small towns impressed me.

While Cusco as a city is not very big, the surrounding area called the Sacred Valley gives you many options. These are essentially the 3rd and 4th zones you could find in a bigger city.

Cusco is very well connected by collectivos that go all day between these different towns. From Cusco you can spend a couple bucks and hop in one to Pisac. And from there continue on through the Sacred Valley.

I hopped in these collectivos in each town and paid a couple bucks to get to the next one. It was as simple as waving at a white van whenever it passed by.

Towns like Pisac, Calca, and Urabamba were pretty interesting and had enough wifi to base up in. Pisac had some foreigners but mostly hippies into taking shrooms. I didn’t see many foreigners in Urubamba or Calca.

Places like Chinchero and Maras were interesting and extremely Peruvian, but to the point where it would be almost impossible to get consistent wifi or access to ATMs. They were both dead around 5PM. This could be a good thing for you depending on what your goals are.

The next time I’m in Cusco I’ll probably stay in the pueblos again. I really enjoyed the local experience in these places. This is a good strategy for cities with some cool nearby towns.

Stay in another city

If you really just want something completely local, don’t go to the famous cities. Go to the less popular ones.

Bogota, Medellin, and Cartagena get all the love in Colombia. But Barranquilla and Cali don’t get much love. That makes them interesting places to visit if you want a more Colombian experience.

After spending a month in Cali the last time I was in Colombia, I honestly feel it’s the most authentic Colombian city.

Everywhere you go you hear Salsa music. Uber, restaurants, gym, barber shop, coffee shop, etc. You literally here salsa music everywhere in Cali.

The streets are filled with typical Colombian shops selling empanadas, bandeja paisa, and juices.

And you barely see any gringos.

Since it’s not a tourist destination, people were cool and relaxed. Nobody was trying to scam me or cause any other issue. This is common in cities where tourism isn’t the focus.

Cities like Cali are great to visit for this reason. It’s basically all locals.

While I’m cracking gringo jokes and sharing my strategies for avoiding tourists, I’m not really talking shit. I’m a gringo and love to grab drinks and have some foreign friends I can relate with in my travels. Everyone should travel how they want.

However, I also enjoy some adventure outside of the gringo safe space from time to time. Getting away from all the tourism spam can be relaxing. And I enjoy interacting with some of the locals.

If you’re looking for a similar vibe, try some of these strategies and I promise you’ll avoid most of the gringos.

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Growing up in the US, this seems to be the way Latin America has always been portrayed. Whether it’s the news, government, or random people, there is a stereotype that Latin America isn’t safe.

The irony is that the majority of these sources talking shit have never stepped foot in Latin America.

What I’ve noticed after living down here for several years is that the safety warnings are overblown. While there are dangerous cities and situations, they are relatively easy to avoid.

And while I tend to agree that Latin America on the whole is still more dangerous than the US, if you do your research and stick to the right neighborhoods, you can keep your risk levels to a minimum. It’s not hard to find safe places to visit in Latin America.

Neighborhoods matter more

When it comes to safety, the biggest indicator to me of whether someone will have problems is less about the country and more about the neighborhood. There are many neighborhoods in Latin America where very little crime happens.

This might sound obvious, but just to point it out let’s make an example.

If you’re staying in a nicer zone like Condesa in Mexico City, you’re going to be significantly safer than than a hood in Los Angeles, Chicago, Paris, London, etc. And if you’re staying in a hood in Mexico City, you’ll be in just as much danger.

The country is mostly irrelevant unless there is a nationwide revolution or complete failure of the entire government.

I hear a comment often from foreigners saying they feel safer in Latin America then the US. In my honest opinion, I think this is very personal based off the individual.

If you’re coming from the hood of the US and staying in a nice zone of a Latin American city, yeah it’s nicer. If you’re coming from a middle class neighborhood and staying in the nice zone, it’s about the same.

What I can say after several years down here is that the biggest difference between places like the US in comparison to Latin America is the amount of safe neighborhoods.

When I say safe I mean your chances of being robbed are minimal, you can walk around with your phone out, etc.

All countries have nice neighborhoods where you will be completely safe, they are just more abundant in places like the US.

How I stay safe

I’ve been down here for almost 7 years and have never been robbed, had a gun pointed at me, gotten stabbed, etc. I hear about these things happening but it hasn’t happened to me.

The Colombians say “no dar papaya” which basically means don’t give a reason for someone to take advantage of you. I tend to use this mindset all around Latin America.

I don’t walk around with expensive jewelry, big headphones, or other shiny objects that light up a criminal’s eyes.

Another thing I don’t do is stay in the hood to save a few bucks on accommodations. If you don’t live in the hood in the US, why would you go to a foreign country where you don’t know shit and do it. Don’t be cheap about your safety in Latin America.

If a weird person starts interacting with me in the street, I keep moving. If I realize I’ve walked too far into a sketchy ass neighborhood, I turn around or go into a restaurant to order an uber. If I’m out late in a neighborhood that seems suspect, I take an uber. I don’t linger in situations where my instincts tell me something is off.

And I would be irresponsible if I didn’t say this last thing. Hanging out with prostitutes or women with a million red flags significantly increases your chances of something bad happening. Especially in Colombia where there are so many stories of guys getting drugged. I don’t want this to happen to anyone.

To be completely honest, when I moved to Latin America, I never considered any of the safety. I was so driven by the excitement of adventure that I completely ignored all the warnings and just got on a plane.

While I still think the US is safer overall, if you stick to the nicer neighborhoods, most countries have safe places to visit in Latin America.

If you stay in a nice neighborhood, that will eliminate the majority of the safety risk.

Rather than relying on generic reports from the news and US government, created by people who have never left the US, do your own research and see what real people are doing out here in the world.

As I walked out of the Medellin airport for the first time, my nose was immediately filled with the refreshing aroma of Colombian smog. I had been smelling smog my entire life in Los Angeles, but this smog hit different.

I had been up all night flying from the US and running on no sleep, but I gave no fucks. I was finally in Latin America for the first time after months of watching travel porn.

Months before I had been binge watching Narcos with some bros, thinking how beautiful Colombia looked in between all the terrible things happening in the show.

Riding in my uber towards the city of Medellin, the novelty of my new environment was in full effect.

Motorcycles surrounded us and were weaving in and out of traffic. Advertisements and asado restaurants were everywhere with words that made no sense to my Google Translate level Spanish. Reggaeton was blasting from every car. And it seemed we were driving endlessly through some beautiful kind of valley.

Eventually I arrived to my shitty studio apartment, located above a fruit store. Home sweet home. It had all the basic essentials; a small bed, tiny kitchen, and a bathroom.

It also had wifi which was key, as I was going to spend the next 2 weeks here deciding if the nomad lifestyle was for me.

At this point I was already working remotely, so the wheels had been in motion for awhile.

Now it was time to explore and figure out if this lifestyle was for me.

First Day

I decided not to sleep at all so I could explore during the first day. For hours I wandered the streets, fascinated and a little bit anxious as I was in unfamiliar territory. This was one of the first countries I had ever been to. So everything was fascinating to me.

It was an interesting mix of people. Local Colombians doing their daily routine, hippy backpackers in the street selling jewelry, normal looking foreigners, and middle aged dudes who looked like they just got divorced that looked like they wanted to hit the reset button in Colombia.

Apparently from the lack of sleep, I looked and felt like shit. Like I was just walking home from a late night.

At some point, some policia stopped me and started harassing me.

I had no idea what they were saying and said “no habla espanol”. The cop pulled out his phone and started using Google Translate to talk to me.

He accused me of being high on “chemicos” and this continued for about 10 minutes. I repeatedly said “no” and tried to walk away but one of the cops kept blocking me. Finally I just walked away and they didn’t try to stop me again.

Now years later, I realize this was just typical Colombian police. I’ve been searched for drugs so many times in this country. The cops love trying to hustle a gringo and will search you without any reason to try and find drugs on you for extortion. Money is the only thing they care about.

To end the day, I decided to try some Aguardiente, the local Colombian liquor. I had heard stories of foreigners being drugged with Scopolamine so I was paranoid as fuck. I watched the bartender to see if they slipped anything into my drink. After all the suspense I tried it and it tasted like nasty black licorice. And I remembered everything

I love Colombia but Aguardiente is pretty disgusting, even though I’ve been drunk on it countless times. It’s great because it’s cheap, but that’s about it.

Meeting Some People

Throughout the trip, I went out near my apartment to interact with some locals. I was staying in Poblado, which is basically a gringo safe space.

Colombians were very friendly and I had some entertaining conversations with locals in neighborhood bars, crushing some beers and using Google Translate. People were pretty engaging and I enjoyed some good chats even with the language barrier.

I also ventured over to Laureles and did some co-working from various coffee shops and hostels.

Between these various co-working days, I met an interesting Brazilian couple who were traveling the world and funding all their travels with an online business.

I also talked with a chill Canadian dude who was roaming around Latin America, sleeping in hostels and doing some part time freelancing online.

One other dude I met was from Miami. He was basically just living off of savings and trying to stay in Medellin as long as possible.

It was inspiring to see a decent amount of people doing this, especially because at the time it was 2017 and pre-covid, so there were far less nomads at the time. Remote work was pretty scarce.

Networking with some other foreigners gave me the confidence that this was something I could definitely do. All I needed to do was make the move, as I already had remote income coming in.

Other Inspiration

I would be full of shit if I said I was only excited to eat arepas and do salsa dancing.

One of the other appealing things about Colombia is obviously the beautiful women.

Colombia is a beautiful country with fun people. But the tourism would be much lower if the women were ugly.

Clearly I wanted to enjoy this aspect as a single dude at the time.

I’m not going to go deep into the details but I had a great time.

At the time, I had only dated women I met in the US. So chilling with latinas from outside my country was a thrill for me.

It definitely made me more excited about my dating life.

I highly recommend chilling with some latinas from outside your country. You might never go back.

Sitting on my plane back to the US, whatever doubt or concern I had in my mind about being a nomad or living in Latin America had been completely eliminated.

It was like a switch had been flipped in my head.

I no longer had any desire to live in the US. After years of commuting and grinding at work, I was burned out and felt dead on the inside.

For the first time in years I felt alive.

I had been hustling for months to get to this point, working so hard to get remote work so I could stop watching travel porn and start making my own.

The adventure was just too appealing and the trip to Colombia had confirmed it.

When I got back home, my only focus was going back to Latin America. I sold my car and all the shit I didn’t need and I figured out all the tax benefits from living overseas.

Then I left to Mexico City a couple months later, right before the start of 2018.

I’m still here in Latin America today and I’m always thankful for that trip to Colombia that got me started.