Carmelo is a city in the Rio de la Plata region of Uruguay, popular for its wineries, golf, and coastline.

Understand

In addition to wineries, golf courses, and access to the river, Carmelo probably has the highest density of gyms per inhabitant all over Uruguay. It might well be due to the fact that not much else but wine is happening in Carmelo.

Get in

Buses are available from Colonia, Montevideo, and other cities in Uruguay.

Ferries are available from Tigre, Argentina. Check out the comprehensive country article for more information.

Get around

The city of Carmelo is compact enough to walk around, but some of the attractions are in the surrounding area, so a car or motorcycle is helpful.

See

• 1 Capilla San Roque. A chapel built in 1869. (updated Oct 2017)
• 2 Puente de Carmelo (Carmelo Bridge). A swing bridge (puente giratorio) built in 1912. An example of German engineering, but considering the fixed power cables at its exterior, it is probably not operated very often. (updated Oct 2017)
• 3 Teatro Uamá. A theater whose name means "friend" in the extinct Chaná language that was once spoken in Uruguay. (updated Oct 2017)
• 4 Templo Histórico del Carmen. Built in 1830. It is being renovated. (updated Feb 2018)
• 5 Teatro de Verano "Román Iturburúa". (updated Feb 2018)

Do

Carmelo has a yacht club, beaches, and wineries.

• 1 Sunset at the beach. Watch the supposedly best sunset at the river side of Carmelo with Argentina on the other side. (updated Feb 2018)
• Canteras. Ever fancied a 20 or 10 m jump? This is where you can do it. It is a kind of natural pool of former quarries. There are three to four northeast of Carmelo. (updated Feb 2018)

• 2 Several smaller pools (4.5 km northeast of the centre of Carmelo). Behind the one on the western side of the road another on can be found through the bushes. (updated Feb 2018)
• 3 Large pool (south of Cerro Carmelo). (updated Feb 2018)

• 4 Bodega El Legado, ☏ +598 98 307 193. Winery offering free visits, excellent bottles of wine for sale, and dégustation. (updated Oct 2017)
• Wine Tasting. This seems to be more a touristy immitation instead of the real deal where in the end you would also buy some bottles which would compensate for the tasting. US$25-30. (updated Feb 2018)
• Bicycle. Carmelo Hostel rents bicycles. U$250 morning to evening. (updated Feb 2018)

Buy

• 1 Ta-Ta Supermarket. closes 22:00. Large selection and not expensive beyond the ordinary. (updated Feb 2018)

Drink

Surprisingly there are many bars in town.

Go next

Nearby places are the picturesque Colonia, historic Fray Bentos, and the spa towns of Paysandú and Salto, the latter of which can be quite hot in summer.

Heading inland, consider Grutas del Palacio as a destination.

If driving to Argentina, your first stop can be Gualeguaychú, which is famous for its carnival and hot springs. If you cross the river by ferry, you'll probably find yourself in the metropolis of Buenos Aires or the town of Tigre (known for tours of the Paraná Delta).