A small country nestled between the giants of Argentina and Brazil on the Atlantic coast, Uruguay is a fun South American destination where you can head to the beach by day and hit up a club at night. For excellent restaurants, a handful of museums, and lively nightlife, head to the capital, Montevideo. For something a little quieter, consider checking out a small hotel in a river town further inland. If the beach is your ultimate motivation, there are many resort towns to choose from. Spanish is the primary language of Uruguay, but many young people learn English in school so many can get by with only a few words of Spanish.

Uruguay is one of the most gay friendly destinations in Latin America. It was the first country in the region to legalize same-sex marriage and gives homosexual couples all the same rights as heterosexual ones. In the capital, Montevideo, pick up a “Friendly Map,” a map of the city that highlights gay friendly cafes, shops, restaurants, hotels, and more. You can also check out the monument to sexual diversity near the Plaza Independencia.

If you’re looking for a beach vacation, the resort town of Punta del Este is one of the friendliest in the country. Many high-end and all-inclusive resorts line the white sandy beaches where you can openly take long walks with someone special or just kick back and get a tan. In the evening, you can hit up you choice of a number of glamorous nightclubs.

Sports fans love Uruguay because there are many teams to watch and the national teams in many sports have made a respectable, if not stellar, showing in worldwide competitions. Soccer is the most popular of these sports. There are a large number of regional teams, so you can find games in many destinations. The Uruguayan national team brings pride to the country as the first ever World Cup winner and with a recent fourth place finish in the World Cup competition.

Rugby and basketball are also quite popular. The national rugby team, Los Teros, have played well this century and qualified for the Rugby World Cup in 2003. They remain an interesting team at home. Uruguayan rugby is also known for the tragic crash of Uruguayan Air Force Flight 571 in the Andes, which had the 1972 Uruguayan rugby team aboard. The crash was held in the media spotlight for a long time, highlighting the tragedy and horrors the survivors endured.

The Uruguayan basketball team is also loved by their home country. In their first few years as a national team, the Uruguayan basketball team took home many Olympic medals. They haven’t been as successful in recent years, but games are still fun to watch and are well-attended.

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