NEED TO KNOW

Population: 3.6 million

Languages: Spanish; English widely spoken in Montevideo. African-uruguayans pepper their Spanish with Africaderived words.

Timezone: GMT-3

International dialling code: +598 2

Visas: Not required by UK nationals for up to 90 days.

Currency: Uruguayan peso ($U or UYU), currently around UYU61 to the UK£.

Highest viewpoint: Cerro de Montevideo (132m).

Health issues: There’s low to no risk of malaria in Uruguay. Dengue is present but the risk is low. The sun is strong.

Recommended guidebooks: Uruguay by Tim Burford and Sean Connolly (Bradt, 2017).

Web resources: turismo. gub.uy is the official website for tourist information.

Smartphone app descubrimontevideo.uy offers ideas on museums, cuisine and carnival culture. Climate: Montevideo is a year-round destination. Expect hot summers (about 25-30ºc) from December to March and mild, damp winters from June to August. Argentines descend on the beaches en masse after New Year; avoid the crowds by visiting in the shoulder months (Mar–may; Sept–nov).