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Montevideo landmark sign with city skyline and beach view, capturing Uruguay's iconic coastal urban setting.

South America

Backpacking Uruguay

Uruguay is a small, relaxed country where backpackers combine the capital, Montevideo, with Atlantic beach towns such as Punta del Diablo.

Photo: Fabricio Rivera / Pexels

Hostel destinations in Uruguay

Montevideo landmark sign with city skyline and beach view, capturing Uruguay's iconic coastal urban setting.

Montevideo

A relaxed riverside capital of old-town streets, markets and a long waterfrontA picturesque coastal view of Punta del Diablo, Uruguay with vibrant blue skies and waves.

Punta del Diablo

A small fishing village of wide beaches, surf and a summer crowd on the Rocha coast

Hostels and backpacking in Uruguay

Uruguay is compact and easy to travel, tucked between Argentina and Brazil on the Río de la Plata and the Atlantic. Montevideo is a low-key capital of markets, a long waterfront promenade and art-deco architecture, while the east coast has beach towns that range from busy resorts to quiet fishing villages like Punta del Diablo.

Hostels are fewest in number compared with its neighbours, but they are friendly and often found in historic houses in Montevideo or close to the sea on the coast. Many travellers pass through on the way between Buenos Aires and Brazil. The beach towns are much busier in the southern summer, so book ahead in January and February.