21 Photos That Prove Uruguay Is Completely Not What You Expect

“When you’re good at something, you’ll tell everyone. When you’re great at something, they’ll tell you.”: this is a quote by Walter Payton that adequately describes the country of Uruguay and its humble people who rarely boast about their country or their triumphs, yet whom the world knows so little of. We’ve gathered some images that will shine a little light on the gorgeous Uruguay.

Though modest, Uruguayans are fiercely proud and consider themselves a formidable football nation with as many World Cup trophies as their neighbours in Argentina.

Uruguay is one of the most modern, safest, cleanest and most stable countries in all of South America.

Yet it remains a country filled with history, like one of the oldest settlements, Colonia del Sacramento.

And it’s never short on unique, sometimes unusual, artistic expressions.

Most famous of which is the emerging hand in Punta del Este.

Casapueblo in Punta Ballena is a complex of buildings built by Carlos Páez Vilaró, a Uruguayan artist, to be used as his own workshop. It now functions as an art gallery, museum, hotel and restaurant to showcase his country’s talent.

From its border with Argentina to its border with Brazil, Uruguay is lined with a stunning coast.

Uruguayans also like to celebrate Carnival in style.

Something Uruguay also does extremely well: it creates delicious wines and has emerged as one of the premier producers of the Tannat grape.

As the second smallest country in South America, you might think Uruguay is a busy, cramped metropolis, but you would be utterly mistaken.

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.