Motorcycle trip

Uruguay

Uruguay’s geography

When you set off for a motorcycle tour in Uruguay, you'll discover a small, unique South American country. Around the same size as the United Kingdom , Uruguay is surrounded by two giants: Brazil to the north and Argentina to the west. The country is not short of water, as the Atlantic Ocean and two large rivers, Uruguay and Plate, border it. The south of the country opens up onto the River Plate, an immense estuary that separates Buenos Aires on its western bank and Montevideo on its northern bank. To the east of Montevideo are several beautiful beaches with translucent waters and seaside towns, such as Punta del Este, Paloma or Priapolis. Uruguay's topography represents a transition between the mountains of southern Brazil and northern Argentina's vast plains. Further inland are extensive grassy plains, dotted with typical "estancias", or ranches. Uruguay's tallest peak, Cerro Catedral, shyly stands in the southeast of the country, amidst the Cuchilla Grande range (at a modest 513 m).

Uruguay's history and culture

During a motorcycle tour of Uruguay, you'll discover the history of this small Latin American country, a subject of dispute between Spain and Portugal for many years. In 1516, Spanish conquerors tried to disembark in Uruguay but the Amerindian population, the Charrúa, resisted the Spanish explorer Juan Diaz de Solís and his men. From the 17th century, trading relations were established with the Spanish, who built Buenos Aires in Argentina. The Portuguese then founded a port in Colonia del Sacramento on the River Plate estuary to compete and impede their expansion. In response, the Spanish set up a stronghold in Montevideo. Uruguay eventually became free and independent in 1828 thanks to the revolutionary group the "Thirty-Three Orientals" and support from Buenos Aires. Sandwiched between Brazil and Argentina and coveted by the British, Uruguay walked the tightrope between industrialisation and political crisis during the 19th century, leading to civil war and later dictatorship. At the start of the 20th century, Uruguay was one of the first Latin American countries to make important social reforms before political crisis resurfaced and the military usurped power. Democracy was renewed for good in 1984.