San Jose, Uruguay

San Jose de Mayo is between Montevideo, Uruguay, and Colonia, an old Portuguese town that is a favorite day trip destination for Buenos Aires residents. The town of 36,000 is a regional and commercial center, and is a microcosm of Uruguay: industry such as chemicals and paper are represented, as are dairy, packing houses, and cattle ranching.

The surrounding area is gorgeous for its peacefulness and simplicity. The romanticism of the gaucho may be long gone, but residents of the San Jose de Mayo are still very close to the earth. We happened to traipse through along Uruguay’s Route 1, and enjoyed the farms, ranches, and forests.