Border runs from Argentina to Uruguay

Argentina is big. Really fucking big.

Deserts in the north, mountains in the west, endless coastlines and copious wildlife. Three months would barely scratch the surface for a diligent traveller who visits the home of the recently crowned football world champions. That or, like me, you just want a semi-long-term base and don’t want to pay extortionate fees for the visas that Argentina offers.

The cheaper and more interesting option is to simply leave the country and re-enter with a fresh 90 day tourist visa stamped into your passport. Various possibilities exist, with Brazil and Chile relatively close; however, based purely on convenience, Uruguay is the obvious choice of destination.

Only an hour by ferry separates Buenos Aires from the small, historic town of Colonia del Sacramento across the Rio de la Plata. Given the vast size of Buenos Aires itself, depending on where you are staying it is entirely possible that the journey to the port takes longer than the river crossing itself.

Having made the journey twice now the outward journey is simple. Check-in consists of a glance of your passport before being handed your tickets with little more than a polite exchange of pleasantries. Passing through migrations is little more than that, an Argentinian official quickly checks you have not overstayed, makes a note in the system and passes the document on to the Uruguayan official sitting in the next chair along. On neither occasion did the whole process, from entrance to boarding gate, including queues, take more than 15 minutes.

I have heard of plenty of people who simply take the boat in the morning and return later the same day, with the intention to complete the process as quickly as possible. However, if one has the option, taking advantage of the situation to explore a little of Uruguay is definitely worth it.

The small town of Colonia where the boat deposits its passengers is a tranquil and picturesque place, although more than a day would be difficult to fill for those looking for adventure. For me, whilst still working remotely, it offers a wonderful place to walk around in the evenings and coastlines to admire the sunset from.

Beyond that my adventures only extended as far as the capital city, Montevideo. Before visiting myself many had told me the same thing, and my own experience proved them correct: whilst there is not a huge amount to do in the city, it has a wonderful vibe to it. Simply to walk around, either in the old town or the path that runs for many kilometres along the coast, one feels a sense of peace rare for a large city. Tranquility dominates in a place where rushing and stress seems to be a foreign concept. Uncrowded and clean beaches (at least when I visited in November) provide another place to soak in both sunshine and the atmosphere.

One thing worth noting on the subject of Uruguay: it is really expensive. Even by European standards the prices are high. For example, to grab some supplies for a basic breakfast from a supermarket (bread, fruit, cheese, juice for two people) can set you back the equivalent of £10. When coming from Argentina like myself, these prices take on a whole other astronomical level in comparison.

Then, the return trip. Many, myself included, will always stress about this until through immigration control and back in Buenos Aires. What if there is a grumpy border control officer? What if there is some rule I missed? Etc. etc. That being said in my two visits and the many I have heard of, no one has ever had any problems re-entering the country.

And so, I have just successfully reentered Argentina for the second time and my third and final 90 day stint of this stay. In April a life on the road beckons as I work my way north from Santiago to Bogota over fifty days or so and I am sure plenty of serendipitous moments will occur along the way.

Written by: Tom Taylor (@tomtayloor)

Posted: 27/01/2023