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Find culture and nature on Uruguay’s Rice Route
Uruguay produces some of the best rice thanks to its excellent natural conditions for its cultivation. To get to know the secrets of its production, travel the Rice Route, in which visitors can enjoy beautiful landscapes full of different species of birds and find the facilities focused on the industrialization of Uruguayan rice, one of the gastronomic jewels of the South American country.
Uruguay’s climate is a critical factor in making rice production a success. Its geography has a humid subtropical climate with rains throughout the year. The influx of different rivers that allow constantly irrigated fertile lands also helps. These conditions allow a large number of birds to approach, which photographers can take advantage of all year long.
The Rice Route mainly covers the regions of Lascano and Cebollati of the Rocha Department, exhibiting wet grasslands and rivers inhabited by creole ducks, fishing eagles and swans, as well as migratory birds such as plovers. Visitors can also see iconic rheas and capuchin monkeys.
Departments 33, Rocha, Lavalleja, and the West of Cerro Largo are the main routes for rice cultivation because they are large plains that are irrigated with large basins. In Rocha, visitors can visit emblematic places such as the Church of Nuestra Señora de Los Remedios and the Teatro 25 de Mayo.
Another rice-growing area is Villa Velazquez, where visitors can hire expert guides to explore the city and its historic sites. Nearby is the Dead India Dam Lake, a water reservoir created to rinse the rice area and where tourists can see wild deer that inhabit the Sierra de Los Ajos, and enjoy the festivals that are celebrated in January and February.
Lascano is considered the Rice Capital, where the most important facilities in rice production in
Uruguay are located. In this city, everything about rice production is explained, from the production processes to the region’s characteristics.