Many travellers experience mild stomach complaints when visiting South American countries. This is mainly to do with the change in climate and diet, but to minimise risk you should try to avoid drinking water direct from the tap. Although Uruguayan water is not considered harmful to health, it can contain impurities that will cause mild illness among people unused to it. For the same reason, avoid ice in drinks and only eat fruit and vegetables that have been peeled and/or boiled.
Take care with seafood , especially shellfish. Only eat it if you are sure it is fresh. Of course the same goes for any meat, especially chicken, although beef steak is usualy safe to be eaten rare.
There are few dangerous or harmful insects in Uruguay - malaria is not present - but mosquitoes can be very irritating. Make sure that you take insect repellent with you.
By the standards of South America the healthcare facilities in Uruguay are second to none. On an international scale they may not be as extensive as those in the US or Japan say, but they are still adequate to deal with any emergency treatment you may require.
There is a public healthcare system but travellers from outside South America will be required to pay for any treatment they receive. It is heavily advised that you obtain insurance covering medical costs for any treatment you may need during your stay. This will also usually cover treatment in a private rather than public hospital.
The small size of Uruguay means that there aren't the same problems of accessibility to medical care that you find elsewhere in South America. Resorts may keep a doctor on call for guests and major cities have basic facilities, but for major treatment you will most likely be taken to Montevideo. Insurance should cover any transportation costs you may incur as a result of requiring medical treatment.
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Uruguay is a perfectly safe country to travel in, probably the safest in South America in many ways. In Montevideo you should take precautions to safeguard your personal belongings particularly around the popular tourist areas such as Plaza Independencia and the old port.
In the suburbs of the city try to avoid the more obviously run-down and poor areas if alone, and if in doubt take a licensed cab. At night some areas of the city centre can be quite deserted, even relatively early on in the evening, and this can be disconcerting. Some suburbs such as the Carrasco areas are considered a higher risk, and you should take advice from your hotel on where is safe to roam if you are staying outside the city centre. Car crime is a growing problem and you should take care to always lock a vehicle when you leave it, and ensure all valuables are out of sight. That said, even Montevideo is a safer location than many comparably sized cities around the world.
Elsewhere in the nation, all tourist resorts are considered safe and the likelihood of experiencing any problems is even more slender than in the capital. Basic precautions such as not carrying all your cash in one pocket, leaving valuable documents in hotel safes and using the straps on cameras and handbags still apply as good practice regardless. You should carry some form of ID with you and the phone number of your embassy in case you need them for official purposes, but do not give your genuine passport to anyone until you are sure of their credentials. If an official approaches you and you are not sure of their authority, then ask to be taken to the nearest police station.
Although there is a machismo culture among the gauchos this normally limits itself to posturing and posing rather than anything that can be considered overtly offensive to women travellers. Indeed you are more likely to find yourself on the receiving end of excessive polite attention as you are to experience bum-pinching, wolf-whistling or any of the myriad other activities that many Latin American males seem to think women appreciate.
WHEN TO GO
Halfway down the South American landmass Uruguay doesn't enjoy (or endure) the sweltering temperatures of countries further north. But nor is it far enough south to experience the cold winters of the southern reaches of the Argentinian coast. The result is an almost perfect temperate climate of hot summers and warm winters.
The beaches are the main attraction in Uruguay, and there is little to recommend a beach without sun, so, as you might expect, the summer months of December to February are the most popular times to visit. However, there is a long tourist season along both the River Plate and Atlantic coasts which lasts from late-October all the way through to March. Uruguay doesn't have a rainy season as such, but you should be prepared for showers in summer and through autumn, although completely dry high seasons have been recorded.
The plains can be subject to a fierce winter wind , known as the pampero , which gusts in from the south over the Argentinean Pampas through June and July. A corresponding prevailing warm wind that blows through the high summer months is known as the zonda , and comes over the Brazilian land mass.
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