Wine, Ferries, and Flexibility: A Quick Guide to Navigating Montevideo, Uruguay

As a self-proclaimed wine-o, I couldn’t miss Uruguay while traveling through South America. The country is known for Tannat, and I was determined to make time for some wine tasting. Getting there from Buenos Aires is super easy! There’s an express Buquebus ferry to Montevideo that takes just 2.5 hours.

The ferry itself? A delight. It’s super nice, with a bar and snacks available, and the seats are basically recliners. Picture a bright, peaceful ride with beautiful views—I thoroughly enjoyed the journey. Heads up, though: I have AT&T, and I struggled to get cell service during the entire ride and for a while after arriving in Montevideo. Something to keep in mind!

Once you dock, it’s just a 15-minute taxi ride to downtown Montevideo. There are plenty of taxis waiting, and they all took credit cards (major win).

Montevideo itself has a relaxed, coastal vibe. It’s a smaller city with some charming corners, but I quickly realized that the three days I had planned there were probably two days more than I needed. From Montevideo, you can book wine tours or other excursions outside the city, and I’d definitely recommend doing that to make the most of your time.

That said, Montevideo isn’t exactly a hot spot for tourists, so plan accordingly. Many tours on platforms like TripAdvisor or Viator aren’t consistently running, and it’s worth emailing to confirm before booking. Two of my tours got canceled—one on the day of and the other just a few days prior. Not ideal!

Thankfully, I managed to find some individual wineries offering tastings and just grabbed a cab to get there. It wasn’t the seamless wine-tasting experience I’d envisioned, but I made the best of it. If I could do it over, I’d absolutely rent a car and explore the wineries at my own pace. I’d read similar warnings from other bloggers but, of course, hoped I’d get lucky. Spoiler alert: I didn’t. Ha!

So, my advice? Enjoy the ferry ride, rent a car, and plan your winery visits independently. Uruguay is worth the stop if you love wine, but be ready to roll with the punches!