Pearls of Uruguay

Colonia del Sacramento guards on the shore of the Río de la Plata the oldest urban settlement in Uruguay, founded by the Portuguese in 1680 and long disputed with the Spanish crown. Its Barrio Histórico, inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list, is a maze of cobbled lanes where the two colonial styles intertwine: the Calle de los Suspiros, paved with a central spine, slopes down to the water between low, tile-roofed houses. The 19th-century lighthouse, a few steps up, offers a sweeping view over the Citadel Gate, the shaded Plaza Mayor and the remnants of the walls. At sunset the café tables fill and golden light catches the whitewashed walls. Easily reached by ferry from Buenos Aires, Colonia invites a slow pause of strolls, antique shops and bicycle rides along the shore.

Carmelo lies on the banks of the Río de la Plata, where the Arroyo de las Vacas meets it, amid a countryside of vineyards and orchards that has earned it a reputation as a small capital of Uruguayan wine. The surrounding wineries, many open for visits and tastings, produce above all Tannat, the country's signature grape. The river and its wooded islands invite boat trips and sunsets over the water, while the town centre keeps a quiet provincial air, with its old swing bridge as a curiosity. It is a rural, relaxed stop, ideal for those seeking good wine and a slow pace away from the seaside crowds.

Montevideo stretches along the northern shore of the Río de la Plata and is the capital and beating heart of Uruguayan life. The Ciudad Vieja preserves its colonial layout around Plaza Matriz, with the metropolitan cathedral and eclectic early-20th-century palaces; just beyond, Plaza Independencia is dominated by the mausoleum of José Artigas and the Palacio Salvo, an art-déco skyscraper long the tallest in South America. The Mercado del Puerto gathers beneath its iron framework the parrillas where asado is enjoyed, while the Teatro Solís remains the temple of music and theatre. Yet the city is lived above all along its Rambla, a waterfront of more than twenty kilometres skirting urban beaches such as Pocitos and Ramírez, walked each afternoon by joggers, anglers and those sipping mate from a flask tucked under the arm. The candombe drums, an Afro-Uruguayan legacy, set the rhythm of evenings in the Sur and Palermo districts. Montevideo thus blends 19th-century elegance, the culture of tango and football, and an unhurried pace of life, facing the silvery water of the great estuary.

José Ignacio is a small fishing village turned into the most sought-after retreat on Uruguay's Atlantic coast, some thirty kilometres from Punta del Este. Around its red-and-white lighthouse cluster low houses, broad wind-swept beaches and a handful of restaurants that have made open-fire cooking, in the wake of celebrated chef Francis Mallmann, an international draw. Playa Mansa and Playa Brava offer calm sea or surf waves depending on the side, while the Garzón lagoon, crossed by a circular bridge, separates the village from the wilder dunes. Here luxury is dressed in simplicity: sunsets over the water, horses on the sand and a stillness that nearby glamour has not disturbed.