Montevideo - Full Day Private Tour

Next to the port, this breakwater is the continuation of the pedestrian walkway that bears the same name. A place with a privileged view of the Old City and the port and a meeting point for fishing enthusiasts. If we are lucky we will be able to see a ship or cruise ship entering the port from very close, we will stop for a few minutes to contemplate the view.

Throughout this tour of the coast that begins here, several stops are proposed but remember that this Tour is private and personalized, therefore you can omit and/or add stops to your liking.

Here we will stop at Plaza España Opposite the Rambla Sur, in this square is one of the few remnants of the old wall that surrounded the fortified city.

In front of the square is the Cubo del Sur, an emblematic place that preserves the wall that surrounded colonial Montevideo.

This place for military purposes and for the defense of the Spanish colony, located on the southern courts of the city, is also a place of memory for the cultural expressions of enslaved Africans, since it is there where the so-called dances, tangos and candombes were performed. meetings and gatherings that were accompanied by singing, dancing and percussion, acts of resistance against the slave regime.

Here is also the English Temple, which was built at the request of the US, Swedish and British consuls in 1844, and then rebuilt in 1934.

Built in 1876 and Originally Punta Brava Lighthouse, it is located at the southernmost point of Montevideo and Uruguay.

Since 1948 every ten seconds inserts a red flash to differentiate itself from other lighthouses and buoys. It has a height of twenty-one meters and a luminous range of fifteen miles, it is still a reference for fishing boats that go to the English Bank, the Diving Port or the entrance of the Santa Lucía River. From its coast a panoramic view can be appreciated.

When they finish lunch we will begin our tour of the old city.

We can do it on foot or by car, that is your choice.

One of the first places we will visit is the Zabala Square, it´s origin dates from the demolition of the colonial Casa del Gobernador at the end of the 19th century, seeking to generate green spaces as urban lungs.

It has its own urban characteristics such as being a block turned with respect to the classic checkerboard of the colonial city, it is also the only Montevidean square that preserves its gate -in the French and English style-, although it is no longer the original one, and it is the only square that the traffic around you is in a clockwise direction.

Its implementation was based on a "Belle Epoque" spirit, which aspired to resemble Montevideo to Paris, in 1889, the project was commissioned to the French landscaper André.

The design, picturesque in nature, consists of an undulating walkway bordering large grass beds with flower beds and various species of trees. The Gothic-style equipment, with lanterns, a drinking fountain and the octagonal gate with small gates, contributes to its special character.

From 1726 it was the Plaza Mayor of the Fortress City of San Felipe and Santiago de Montevideo.

Since its creation, this square constituted the civic and social center of the city, first with the construction of the Iglesia Matriz and later with that of the Cabildo (seat of the colonial government), to which were later added large shops, buildings of a social nature and hotels.

After the demolition of the fortifications of the colonial city, and the independence affirmed, the walled city gave way to an open city. The Plaza constitutes the link that unites the Old City with the New City. It also marks the beginning of the country's main avenue, 18 de Julio.

Around it are some of the most outstanding buildings in the city, such as the Solís Theater, the Salvo Palace, the Puerta de la Ciudadela, the Estévez Palace and the Executive Tower of the national government.

The monument to the hero José Gervasio Artigas rises above the center of the square.

Below it descend some stairs that lead to the mausoleum where his remains rest.

The Legislative Palace is the seat of the Legislative Branch of Uruguay.

The General Assembly works there, which is made up of two chambers that meet separately or jointly depending on the circumstances: the House of Representatives and the Chamber of Senators. The building was built between 1908 and 1925 in the city of Montevideo, it was inaugurated on August 25, 1925 in commemoration of the centenary of the Declaration of Independence.

Headquarters of the government of Montevideo, the building began to be built in 1935 and was fitted out in 1944. Subsequently, it underwent several extensions and modifications, culminating in the 70s where it obtained its current appearance.

At the base is the Museum of Art History and at the top the Municipal Viewpoint. Admission is free and (depending on how we come from time) if you wish to visit it you will be able to appreciate a great panoramic view of the city and various points of the tours today.

Old warehouse that was inaugurated in 1868 for this purpose, and is now a National Historic Monument. Within it there is a wide variety of restaurants whose specialty is the "parrilla" or "Uruguayan barbecue".

In the pedestrian streets that surround it, there are artisans and artists offering their products. In front of it is the Customs building that is approximately 100 years old.

If you wish, we will stop here for lunch. I will wait for you in the car and then continue with the tour.