What to do in Montevideo with kids? Montevideo is the capital of Uruguay and is visited by most families with kids while touring Uruguay. This city is a lot less visited than other major cities in South America such as Rio de Janeiro and Buenos Aires, but you can still have a great time there for several days. In this blog, we list the best children’s activities in Montevideo.
Best travel time Montevideo with kids
The best travel time to visit Montevideo with kids is from October through March. Then it is summer in Uruguay and temperatures rise above 20 degrees. The busiest months during this period are the months of December and January, when it is high season in Montevideo. Prices of accommodations, among other things, go up during this period and are higher than in the other months of the year.
You don’t really have to deal with a rainy season and a dry season in Montevideo. There is about the same amount of rainfall during different months in Montevideo, so you don’t need to specifically take that into account when visiting the city.
Transportation in and to Montevideo
Most families with kids start in Montevideo when touring Uruguay. They then arrive at the city’s airport. The airport is just over 20 kilometers from the city, and by cab you can get from the airport to the city center in about 40 minutes. Small buses also run from the airport to the center.
Public transportation in Montevideo consists mainly of buses. Most of the city’s residents travel this way on public transportation. You can also explore the city by cab. Cabs run from the app UBER. If you want to take advantage of this, it is smart to purchase a local SIM card at the airport so that you can have coverage everywhere in Montevideo and thus order a cab that way.
If you want to explore the rest of the country as well, you can easily rent a car at the airport. Uruguay is one of the best countries in South America to explore by car. Especially with kids, this mode of transportation is ideal.
You can very easily rent a car through the organization Sunny Cars. We are fans of Sunny Cars because of its good rental conditions. We always rent our cars abroad through Sunny Cars for this reason. So be sure to check online for car rentals at the Montevideo airport.
Children’s activities Montevideo
#1 Old Center
Visiting the old city center is fun! One of the most important squares in the old town is Plaza de Independencia. You have at this square many historic buildings and in the middle of the square is a large statue. In the old town you have many narrow streets and there is plenty to see with kids. You will see street vendors, as well as musicians.
The main street in the center is Avenida 18 de Julio. There are also many historic buildings on this street. If you visit Montevideo on a Sunday, you can visit the market in the old town, where they sell all kinds of things.
Now if you want some more background on the city, you can always book a Free Walking Tour of the city with the family. These guided walking tours are offered by various parties and the principle is the same everywhere. You go out with a guide for a couple of hours and afterwards pay a monetary amount to the guide how much you thought it was worth. This is a good way to get a lot of information about the city.
#2 Organized bicycle tour
Another way to discover Montevideo with kids is through an organized bike tour. Baja Bikes organizes bike tours of Montevideo, where you will explore the city in 3.5 hours with a Dutch-speaking or English-speaking guide. You then visit the highlights of the city.
We have booked tours through Baja Bikes a few times in different cities and we always find it to be a nice introduction to the city. We would therefore recommend booking this bike tour in the first few days of your stay in Montevideo. This tour is also suitable for families with kids. In fact, kids can ride their own bikes, as they have children’s bikes available.
If the children are too young to ride their own bikes, the kids can sit on a child seat on the back of the bike with one of the parents. We would recommend letting the kids ride their own bikes only if they are really good cyclists. Check online for this organized guided bike tour of Montevideo.
#3 Parque Rodó
You have several city parks in Montevideo that are worth visiting. For example, you have Parque Rodó where there are all kinds of things to do for kids. For example, on weekends here you can go to a kind of amusement park with various attractions. You have a section in this amusement park with rides for young children and a section with rides for older kids. You have several roller coasters here, the bumper cars and a carousel.
The park also has a lake in the park, where you can take a boat out on the water. Here you also have several restaurants where you can go for a snack and a drink. It is also possible to go for a nice walk in this park and escape the hustle and bustle of the city. Therefore, you can have a great time here for half a day in this park.
#4 Beaches
If you visit Montevideo with kids during the hot summer months, then visiting the beach is a fun activity. Several beaches surround Montevideo, and Montevideo’s promenade is a whopping 22 kilometers long! Therefore, it is great to rent bikes with the family and take a tour of the city’s various beaches.
Around Montevideo there are about 10 different types of beaches you can visit. Playa Ramírez is one of the city’s most famous beaches and is also near Parque Rodó. Therefore, these two children’s activities in Montevideo can also be easily combined. The water of the sea here is also shallow, making it also a very family-friendly beach to visit in Montevideo. If you visit this beach towards the end of the day, you can also enjoy a beautiful sunset here with kids.
Another beach you can visit with the family in Montevideo is Playa de los Pocitos. This is a white beach which is quite wide, making it slightly quieter than Playa Ramirez. If you enjoy watching kitesurfers then you should be at Playa Malvin beach. Here you can see kitesurfers at work. Venture out for a day and bike from one beach to another. That way you can have a very fun and varied day at the beach with kids.
#5 Colonia del Sacramento
From Montevideo you can also take several day trips, including to the destination of Colonia del Sacramento. This is also considered one of the most beautiful destinations in Uruguay. You can book an organized tour to this village. We ourselves visited this village from the city of Buenos Aires by boat.
You will find colorful colonial houses and you have nice stores, restaurants and cafes in the city center. It is definitely a nice place to visit with kids, but we can imagine that from Montevideo with young kids it is quite a journey. You travel from Montevideo to Colonia del Sacramento in just over 2 hours.
Another organized day trip from Montevideo is to Punta del Este. This is a lovely seaside resort with beautiful beaches. Here you can visit the beaches, shop or have a drink at one of the catering establishments in Punta del Este. You can book online this organized tour to Colonia del Sacramento and to Punta del Este .
Family-friendly restaurant Montevideo
Montevideo is a big city, which is why the city is great for eating with kids. If you are lovers of meat then Montevideo is the city to visit. Then visit Mercado del Puerto where you can see the meat being fried everywhere. Of course, there are plenty of other restaurants you can visit with the family.
We list below some of the family-friendly restaurants in Montevideo, where you can also eat something other than the country’s typical dishes.
Fellini: You can eat pasta and pizza at this Italian restaurant. Fellini is located in the center near the beach. The restaurant also has several desserts that will delight kids.
La Chingada Cantina: this is a Mexican restaurant, serving Mexican cuisine. This restaurant is attractively decorated with lots of street art, and you can also find a variety of vegetarian options at this family-friendly restaurant in Montevideo.
Pizzeria Venecia: If you are looking for a place to get a quick bite to eat in Montevideo with kids, this pizza restaurant is a good option. The pizzas are quite large, often allowing the kids to eat along with the parents.
Family-friendly hotel Montevideo
You can stay in Montevideo with kids just fine. You have plenty of family-friendly hotels you can book. We list below only the top rated family-friendly accommodations in Montevideo. Click on the blue link for more information.
Budget accommodation: Sur Hotel
Mid-range accommodations: Holiday Inn Montevideo, an IHG Hotel
Luxury Accommodation: Regency Golf – Hotel Urbano
Also check out the entire list of family-friendly accommodations in Montevideo.
