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montevideo: parque rodó

Uruguay, Montevideo, Parque Rodó map

From the city center, two pleasant options exist for arriving to Parque Rodó, one of the larger green areas of Montevideo: taking the first half of Boulevard España or wandering along the coast. Both offer fantastic views & interesting architecture.

Boulevard España tempted me with its architecture from the comfort of the D1 bus, so I had to return to walk the entire avenue… the second half closer to Pocitos may be a bit more grand, but this section nearer downtown has lots of variety.

Uruguay, Montevideo, Boulevard España, architecture, arquitectura
Uruguay, Montevideo, Boulevard España, architecture, arquitectura
Uruguay, Montevideo, Boulevard España, architecture, arquitectura
Uruguay, Montevideo, Boulevard España, architecture, arquitectura
Uruguay, Montevideo, Boulevard España, architecture, arquitectura
Uruguay, Montevideo, Boulevard España, architecture, arquitectura

Another option would be to leave the Cementerio Central & walk along Rambla República Argentina, eventually changing names to Rambla Presidente Wilson. Naturally, the US Embassy is nearby with a statue of George Washington:

Uruguay, Montevideo, Rambla República Argentina
Uruguay, Montevideo, Rambla Presidente Wilson, George Washington statue

Parque Rodó merits the walk, especially for a picnic. Initially developed in the 1880s by French landscape designers Carlos Thays & Carlos Racine, the park expanded to occupy 42 hectares complete with amusement park rides for kids, an artificial lake, a miniature castle (now a children’s library), fountains & several sculptures. Look for the José Belloni statue of the park’s namesake, writer José Enrique Rodó:

Uruguay, Montevideo, Parque Rodó, José Belloni
Uruguay, Montevideo, Parque Rodó
Uruguay, Montevideo, Parque Rodó

Adjacent to Parque Rodó sits a unique, semicircular housing development known as Barrio Jardín. Construction took place in the 1920s & 1930s… & it shows. Incorporating the hillside into the street plan, houses curve at corners & the entire complex looks like a giant ship at sea. What a wonderful example of racionalismo for architecture fans like myself:

Uruguay, Montevideo, Barrio Jardín, Racionalismo
Uruguay, Montevideo, Barrio Jardín, Racionalismo
Uruguay, Montevideo, Barrio Jardín, Racionalismo
Uruguay, Montevideo, Barrio Jardín, Racionalismo

Still not tired? Good. Wander down to Punta Carretas via 21 de Setiembre to see a castle, an Art Deco archer (or is that archess?) & find the exuberant Castillo Pittamiglio on the rambla. The view toward Pocitos is quite nice from here, & the gigantic Edificio El Mastil sits at the end of Avenida Brasil. It really is a ship out of water…

Uruguay, Montevideo, Punta Carretas, 21 de Setiembre
Uruguay, Montevideo, Punta Carretas, 21 de Setiembre
Uruguay, Montevideo, Punta Carretas, Castillo Pittamiglia
Uruguay, Montevideo, Pocitos
Uruguay, Montevideo, Edificio El Mastil
Uruguay, Montevideo, Edificio El Mastil

Believe it or not, there’s still more of Montevideo to explore…


Montevideo series: First impressions Ciudad Vieja Avenida 18 de Julio Pocitos Cementerio Central Palacio Legislativo La Aguada Parque Rodó El Prado Final thoughts

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