Safety in Uruguay

Overall: This is one of the calmest countries in the region, though that is not a reason to switch off. Apply the same habits you would in any big city and petty theft will not find you.

At night: In Montevideo, avoid the empty central streets after dark. The coastal districts and the Rambla are well lit and patrolled, and walking there in the evening is genuinely fine.

Basic precautions: Do not carry your original passport or large amounts of cash. A photocopy is enough for identification and the hotel safe handles the rest.

Things in the car: With a hire car, never leave bags or jackets on the seats. Even an empty carrier bag can be enough to get a window broken, especially in unattended beach car parks.

Locals will help: Uruguayans are friendly and often approach a visitor who looks lost. They will tell you if you have wandered into a rough block and point you towards a better route.

Withdrawing cash: Use ATMs inside bank branches during the day, and skip the street machines in quiet places. It is also worth reading your own government's travel advisory before the trip.

Uruguay is one of Latin America's calmest and most predictable countries, though street crime in Montevideo has risen in recent years.

Montevideo. Pickpockets and phone snatching in Ciudad Vieja and around the port. The old town is busy and safe by day and empties in the evening once the offices close. Casavalle and Cuenca del Ceso are not places a tourist needs.

Taxis. Meters run honestly. Uber and Cabify cover the capital.

ATMs. Skimming is rare, but withdrawing inside banks is better.

Punta del Este. An upmarket resort with high prices and no deception. In January it fills with Argentine and Brazilian holidaymakers and prices to match.

Currency exchange. Use a casa de cambio at honest rates. Dollars are accepted directly in many places.

Car hire. Roads are good and claims on return are rare.

Cannabis is legal, and Uruguay was the first country in the world to legalise it fully, in 2013. But the key detail for a tourist: only citizens and residents registered on the state list may buy from pharmacies. There is nowhere for a foreigner to buy legally, and street purchase remains unlawful. Public consumption is regulated like tobacco.

Zero alcohol at the wheel. Absolute, with dense enforcement.

Drugs other than cannabis. The law is strict.

Drones. Registration is required.

Beaches. Flags and lifeguards operate in season. The Atlantic coast has strong currents.

Documents. Carry a passport copy.

Driving. Dipped headlights are compulsory at all times. Speeding fines arrive automatically.

Vaccinations. None mandatory.

Water. Tap water is drinkable nationwide. Uruguay went through a drought with water supply problems in Montevideo — check local news for that.

Healthcare. Among the best systems in Latin America. Public care is provided to everyone, and private clinics in Montevideo are good and inexpensive. Insurance is needed, but the situation here is calmer than among its neighbours.

Sun. The southern hemisphere's ozone layer is thinner, and summer UV (December to February) is high. People burn quickly.

The sea. The Atlantic coast from Punta del Este to La Pedrera has strong rip currents. Lifeguards work only in season and only on patrolled beaches.

Ticks and animals. No particular risks.

Mate. The national drink, shared through a single straw. Passing the bombilla is part of the culture, and declining politely is fine.

Emergency numbers: 911 unified, 105 ambulance.

Uruguay consistently ranks first in Latin America on the Corruption Perceptions Index. Bribes are not taken from tourists and institutions function.

Police. Correct, though few speak English. Spanish will serve you well.

Reporting theft. Reports are taken and certificates for insurers issued, with online filing available.

What has changed. Uruguay remains the region's safest country, but street crime in Montevideo has risen and locals discuss it. Urban caution at the level of a southern European city, not Switzerland.

At night. In Ciudad Vieja after the restaurants close, and around the port, take a taxi.

Punta del Este and Colonia. Calm, with functioning tourism infrastructure.

What actually matters. Uruguay is the place in Latin America where you can relax more than anywhere else. The main risks are ocean currents and the sun.

Emergency number is 911.