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That modern Uruguay was built with the dreams of Europeans seeking a land to feed their families is evident in Carmelo , a beautiful town located in the course of the Río de la Plata and described by The New York Times as the « Tuscany in miniature ».
So far, in the western part of the country, many Italians arrived and planted their vines, but also Spanish families such as the Ururtia and the Zubizarreta, who put Carmelo on the wine map of Uruguay, whose national strain is the tannat.
Original and extinct from France, specifically from the French Basque Country, it was introduced in the 19th century by Pascual Arriague. Other strains are growing today and Carmelo has wineries to enjoy wine tourism like Finca Narbona, a five-room Relais & Châteaux that also produces cheese, olive oil and honey grappa; Cordano and its Chapel Store; as well as the Campotinto winery, which has an inn and offers picnics in the vineyards, yoga or horseback riding or cycling.
NEXT STOP: COLOGNE
Carmelo is located in the department of Colonia, whose capital is Colonia del Sacramento , from which it is 75 kilometers away. Its historic center is a magnet for Argentine neighbors, who have a ferry from Buenos Aires. In addition to being charming, the old town is unique in that it combines the different colonial styles of Spain and Portugal, a fact that earned it the title of World Heritage by Unesco .
Walk its cobbled streets , sit on the terraces of its squares, visit its church, as well as artisan workshops are the most recommended activities to let life pass by the River Plate.
The same could be said if one looks out on the Rambla of Montevideo , those 22 kilometers that exert a boundary between land and water, in which you look at this frank city. It is essential a walk through the Old City, full of secrets: the Most Pure Verse bookstore, the Brazilian coffee (the favorite of Mario Benedetti, Eduardo Galeano and Juan Carlos Onetti) or the art deco facades that take us to the Mercado del Puerto. The waters of the Río de la Plata flow into the port, which will continue to Punta del Este. But that's another story.
PRACTICAL GUIDE
Drop down
How to get. Iberia flies daily from Madrid to Montevideo from 567 euros.
Where to sleep In Carmelo, Posada Campotinto , rooms from 145 euros per night. In Montevideo, the hotel Cottage Puerto Buceo, from 77 euros per night.
More information. On the Uruguay Natural website, the division of the Ministry of Tourism for the promotion of the country: www.turismo.gub.uy
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