This guide is for you if you want the river side of Montevideo rather than its old streets: the promenade, the beaches and the quiet suburbs to the east. It helps you pick the season and the start time, decide whether to bring a swimsuit, plan around football and flights, and know what to expect at the stadium.
What the Rambla is
The Rambla is the road and promenade that follows Montevideo's shore of the River Plate for about 22 kilometres. It is less a single street than a chain of public spaces, joined by one road for cars and walkers, with the river on one side the whole way. Uruguay put it on its tentative list for UNESCO World Heritage in 2010.
That submission divides it into seven stretches: Rambla Sur, then Parque Rodó and Punta Carretas, then Punta Carretas, Trouville and Pocitos, then Buceo, Malvín, Punta Gorda and finally Carrasco. This tour joins it at Parque Rodó and follows it east to Carrasco, so you see most of its length in one afternoon or morning, with stops where it is worth getting out.
When to go
Summer changes this tour more than any other in the city. The warm season runs from early December to mid-March, with average highs above 24 °C. Through the summer, lifeguards are on duty at Montevideo's bathing beaches, Pocitos, Buceo, Malvín and Carrasco among them. The season and the hours are set each year, so check the city's announcement for your dates.
In summer you can swim at Pocitos. Bring a towel and tell your driver, and you get time on the beach.
Out of season the promenade is for walking. The cool months run from late May to late August, with highs below 17 °C, and July averages between 7 °C and 14 °C. Wind is the thing to plan for. From late August to late February the average wind is at its strongest, and November is the windiest month. On the open stretches of the Rambla you feel it, so pack a windproof jacket.
Check the football calendar before you pick a date. When there is a match at the Estadio Centenario, the roads around it close, and you see the stadium only from outside.
How the four hours are used
You start with a 07:00 or 13:00 pick-up. The stadium comes first, about twenty minutes after pick-up, and you have most of the first hour there. Parque Rodó and the lighthouse at Punta Carretas fill the next three quarters of an hour. Pocitos gets a full hour, the longest beach stop, with time to walk and photograph the big MONTEVIDEO letters. The last hour takes in the viewpoint at Punta Gorda and the streets of Carrasco.
Almost all of this is by car, with short walks at each stop. That makes it gentler than the old town tour, where you walk for more than an hour.
The morning start gets you onto the promenade early in the day. The afternoon start brings you to Pocitos and Carrasco later in the day, which suits a beach stop in summer.
The stadium
The Estadio Centenario was built for the first World Cup in 1930, held in the year Uruguay marked a century since its first constitution was sworn. Its tall Torre de los Homenajes was designed by the architect Juan A. Scasso and put up in nine months by immigrant workers. In 1983 FIFA declared the stadium a historic monument of world football.
The football museum is inside the Olympic stand. Entrance is not included in the tour, so pay for it on the day if you want to go in.
On your own or in a private car
You can walk sections of the Rambla yourself, and if you are staying in Pocitos the beach is at your door. The difficulty is distance. From the stadium to Carrasco is a long way to cover on foot in half a day, and the stops are spread out along the shore.
The car joins them up and waits while you walk. It also lets you finish somewhere useful: a café by the beach, your hotel, or the airport. The price depends on the size of your group; see it on the tour page.
Before a flight
The tour finishes close to Carrasco, and Carrasco is close to the airport, so it works as a last half day in the city. Tell us your flight time when you book and we will end the tour at the terminal. Leave yourself a sensible margin for check-in, and keep your luggage in the car.
What to bring
- A windproof layer in every season.
- Sun cream, sunglasses and a hat from December to March.
- A towel and swimwear if you want to swim at Pocitos in summer.
- A way to pay for the football museum and for a coffee by the beach.
Who it suits
Families, football fans, and anyone who prefers looking out of a window to walking for long stretches. It suits travellers with a flight to catch, and people who saw the old town on an earlier day.
If you only have one day and want both sides of the city, the full-day city tour covers the old town, the Cerro and the Rambla in eight hours. For the old centre in half a day, see the old city tour. Our guide to day trips from Montevideo sets all five side by side.
Questions people ask
Can we go into the stadium on a match day?
No. When there is a match, the roads around the stadium close and we see it from outside. Pick another day if the museum matters to you.
Is the sea at Pocitos the ocean?
No. Montevideo sits on the River Plate, and the beaches along the Rambla face the river.
Can we cancel?
Yes. Cancel up to 24 hours before pick-up and you get a full refund. See our cancellation page.
Booking the half day
Pick a summer date if you want to swim, check that there is no match at the Centenario, and tell us if you are ending at the airport. The stops, times and what is included are on the Rambla, Pocitos and Carrasco tour page, where you choose the size of your group and book.
