For couples · Montevideo · Uruguay
Romantic things to do in Montevideo
Ideas for a couples' trip, from small moments to a special day out.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Felipe Restrepo Acosta, CC BY-SA 4.0
Quick answer
Montevideo suits couples who like slow travel: sunsets on the Rambla, long dinners with Tannat, a concert at the Teatro Solís and a night in Colonia or Punta del Este. Couples tend to stay in Ciudad Vieja.
Key facts
- Romantic ideas
- 5
- Couple-friendly sights
- 4
- Area for couples
- Ciudad Vieja
- Best months
- March and November
Romantic ideas
1.Sunset at Punta Carretas
Watch the sun set over the river from the rocks below the lighthouse, then walk the Rambla to Pocitos.
2.Evening at the Teatro Solís
See an opera, ballet or concert in the 1856 auditorium.
3.Tannat lunch in Canelones
Spend an afternoon at a family winery with a tasting and a long lunch.
4.Night in Colonia del Sacramento
Stay overnight to have the cobbled streets to yourselves after the day-trippers leave.
5.Casapueblo sunset
Join the sunset ceremony on the terrace of Páez Vilaró's cliffside house at Punta Ballena.
Sights couples love
Waterfront · Pocitos
The Rambla
Walk or cycle the stretch from Punta Carretas lighthouse to Pocitos at sunset, when the whole city seems to be out.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Iconic
- Free
- Outdoors
- Couples
- Kids
- Active
Architecture · Ciudad Vieja
Teatro Solís
Check the programme for a concert by the Montevideo Philharmonic, often the best way to see the hall.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Low cost
- Architecture
- History
- After dark
- Rainy day
- Couples
Viewpoint · Punta Carretas
Punta Carretas lighthouse
Visit late afternoon and stay on the rocks for sunset over the river.
- Time needed
- 45 minutes
- Cost
- Low cost
- Views
- Couples
- Photo spot
- Outdoors
Garden · Prado
Prado: Rosedal and Jardín Botánico
Visit in November, when the roses are at their peak, and add the Museo Blanes garden.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Outdoors
- Nature
- Couples
Where couples should stay
$$$ · Best for first-timers, culture and couples
Ciudad Vieja
The historic peninsula west of Plaza Independencia holds the Mercado del Puerto, the Cabildo, the cathedral and most of the city's museums, linked by the pedestrian Peatonal Sarandí. Boutique hotels occupy restored 19th-century buildings, and the Buquebus ferry terminal to Buenos Aires is at its edge.
- Good
- Walk to the historic sights; Atmospheric architecture; Close to the ferry port
- Watch out
- Many streets are quiet after dark and on Sundays; Few beaches nearby
- Nearby
- Mercado del Puerto, Plaza Matriz, Museo Torres García, Teatro Solís
Romantic day trips
- Colonia del Sacramento (About 2.5–3 hours by bus) — A UNESCO-listed Portuguese colonial town on the river, with cobbled lanes such as the Calle de los Suspiros, a lighthouse with a view over the old quarter, and riverside sunsets.
- Punta del Este (About 2 hours by bus) — Uruguay's best-known beach resort on a peninsula between the river and the Atlantic, with the 'La Mano' hand sculpture on Playa Brava, a yacht harbour with sea lions and long beaches.
- Casapueblo (About 2 hours by road) — Artist Carlos Páez Vilaró's white, Mediterranean-style house and studio sprawls down the cliffs at Punta Ballena, with a museum of his work and a terrace famous for its sunset ceremony.
- Canelones wine country (About 30–45 minutes by car) — Most of Uruguay's wine comes from family estates in Canelones department, just north of Montevideo.
For dinner
Share local specialities such as Chivito and Asado. Many restaurants close on Sunday evenings or Mondays, especially in the Ciudad Vieja.
Questions travellers ask
+Is Montevideo romantic?
Montevideo suits couples who like slow travel: sunsets on the Rambla, long dinners with Tannat, a concert at the Teatro Solís and a night in Colonia or Punta del Este.
+What is the most romantic thing to do in Montevideo?
Sunset at Punta Carretas: Watch the sun set over the river from the rocks below the lighthouse, then walk the Rambla to Pocitos.
+Where should couples stay in Montevideo?
Ciudad Vieja: The old port peninsula of colonial and art deco streets, museums and parrillas.