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Uruguay occupies a slender wedge of land between Brazil and Argentina, its character shaped by the Río de la Plata estuary and the Atlantic breakers that pound its eastern shores. Montevideo's Ciudad Vieja preserves art deco facades and candombe drumming traditions, while the Rambla—a 22-kilometer waterfront promenade—defines the city's unhurried rhythm. Inland, the rolling gaucho country around Tacuarembó and the thermal springs of Salto offer quieter counterpoints to the coastal scene.
José Ignacio transformed from a fishing hamlet into South America's most discreet summer address, its lighthouse standing sentinel over a village where unpaved streets lead to Francis Mallmann's beachside fires. Punta del Este divides opinion: the high-rise peninsula attracts yacht crowds, yet La Barra and Manantiales retain a bohemian edge with converted warehouse restaurants and galleries. The wine country around Carmelo produces tannat alongside small-batch olive oils, its colonial-era calm a deliberate contrast to the Atlantic energy further east.