Río de la Plata

Buenos Aires and Montevideo face each other across the river; add the colonial town of Colonia del Sacramento and the beaches of Punta del Este for a two-country trip linked by boat.

The Río de la Plata is the broad estuary formed where the Paraná and Uruguay rivers meet. Uruguay lies on the north shore and Argentina on the south, and the two banks share tango, grilled meat, mate and gaucho culture, so they are often visited as one. On the south shore, Buenos Aires (Plaza de Mayo, Recoleta Cemetery, the colorful Caminito street in La Boca, the San Telmo antiques market and tango, and Palermo) is South America's most European metropolis, and the Tigre Delta to the north is a good boat trip. The north shore has the World Heritage colonial town of Colonia del Sacramento (cobbled streets and a lighthouse left by alternating Portuguese and Spanish rule), Uruguay's capital Montevideo (the old town, Plaza Independencia, the 22 km Rambla waterfront promenade, and grilled meat at the port market), and, on the Atlantic coast to the east, the resort of Punta del Este (the Hand in the Sand sculpture and the white Casapueblo) and the hippie-style villages of José Ignacio and Cabo Polonio. A classic combination: 3–4 days in Buenos Aires, 1 day in Colonia del Sacramento by ferry such as Buquebus (about 1–2.5 hours), then 2 days in Montevideo by bus, adding Punta del Este in summer, for 7–10 days in all. Argentina and Uruguay have separate entry and visa requirements. Argentina's exchange rates fluctuate widely, and using a foreign credit card can get you a better rate.

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