Uruguay Multi-Day Route: Colonia to Rocha
The route in one line
Montevideo, Colonia, Punta del Este and José Ignacio, Cabo Polonio, then Punta del Diablo and Santa Teresa: that is the shape of a week in Uruguay, and it follows the river and then the Atlantic. Allow at least six or seven days, and more if you want beach time. Winter, June to August, closes many coastal restaurants and inns, while summer, December to February, needs advance booking for rooms and Cabo Polonio trucks.
Days 1 to 3: Montevideo
Spend two or three days in the capital. Walk Ciudad Vieja and the Rambla, see Teatro Solís (guided tours are free on Wednesdays), and eat at Mercado del Puerto. All long-distance coaches leave from Terminal Tres Cruces, and tickets are sold through Urubus .
Day 4: Colonia overnight
Coaches take about 2h45 from Montevideo. If you arrive from Buenos Aires instead, Colonia Express takes about an hour and Buquebus or Seacat about 1h15, with tiered fares set by class and date. Check Buquebus for sailings. Stay overnight in the Barrio Histórico, UNESCO-listed in 1995, to see the lanes after the day-trippers leave.
Days 5 and 6: Punta del Este and José Ignacio
Head east along the coast. Punta del Este has La Mano on Playa Brava and the port, and nearby Casapueblo at Punta Ballena opens until sunset (UYU 600). José Ignacio is a low-rise beach village, and many inns there run reduced hours in winter. Compare coastal stays on Booking.com before you commit.
Day 7 onward: Rocha
Take a coach to the Cabo Polonio terminal on Ruta 10, km 264.5, then ride a 4x4 truck (UYU 470 round trip). Private cars cannot enter the village, there is no mains power, and tents and pets are not allowed. Continue to Santa Teresa, where the national park is free and the fortress costs UYU 50, and to Punta del Diablo for Atlantic surf breaks. Whales pass the coast from July to October.
Interior add-on
Salto, in the northwest, has thermal baths at Daymán, with an adult non-resident ticket reported near UYU 200. Allow more than six hours by coach from Montevideo, so this suits a longer trip.
Getting around
Intercity coaches are the practical backbone, because passenger rail is limited to the Tacuarembó to Rivera line on some days. If you hire a car, tolls are cashless, and the Pase Turista covers foreign plates. Restaurant VAT falls from 22% to about 13% for card payments until April 2027.
Verdict
Keep Colonia and Cabo Polonio as the two overnight anchors and fill the rest around them. For a shorter version, use the Uruguay 4-day itinerary .