If you want to know a destination, ask a local — or someone who’s lived there for a while. Buenos Aires native Emanuel Castelli moved to Montevideo in 2010 for work, love and education; he’s currently studying marketing at the Instituto Metodista Universitario Crandon and working as a credit analyst at República Microfinanzas S.A. Castelli recently set up a page called Vivamos el Marketing en Montevideo, which focuses on the local marketing scene.
Here, Castelli shares some of his favorite experiences and best travel tips for Montevideo.
LatinFlyer.com: How similar is Montevideo to Buenos Aires?
Castelli: The most important aspects they have in common are that they’re both national capitals, they’re commercial cities, cities for opportunities and fun, and obviously traveling between the two is very easy, since they’re located close to each other.
And how are they different?
What’s different is that Montevideo has the sea; that’s the biggest difference. In addition, the population is very different; Uruguay has a very marked Spanish culture that’s very noticeable, compared to the Italian culture that is present in Buenos Aires. In Montevideo, the people live more calmly in every sense of the word.
What’s your idea of a perfect day in Montevideo?
When I don’t have to work or study, my perfect day would be going to Playa Pocitos in the morning, have a good lunch at mid-day in the old city [check out the LatinFlyer.com report and photos about downtown Montevideo here], and in the afternoon go running or walking along the city’s many avenues.
What are some of your favorite restaurants?
The restaurants I like most include La Perdíz, in the Punta Carretas neighborhood; the signature dish there, without a doubt, is the carre de cerdo (pork) with French fries. Another resto is KFE, in the Parque Rodo neighborhood, where the winning dish is goat meat with caramelized onions, accompanied by some delicious mojitos. Finally, at the port in the Buceo neighborhood is El Italiano, [for] the best seafood with rice.
What do you like best in Montevideo after dark?
For nightlife, without a doubt the best place is Lotus, a disco located in the World Trade Center that has the most chic people and the best music. Another that’s in the same neighborhood is Asia de Cuba, which has the best bar and decor.
What do you like best about living in Montevideo?
What I like most about living in this city is the quality of the people, the good manners and sense of humor that they have — also living close to the sea and being able to enjoy a rather long summer!
MORE ABOUT URUGUAY TRAVEL:
• Punta del Este & Beyond: 7 Interesting Hotels in Uruguay
• Montevideo’s Architectural Treasures
• VIDEO: Giant Robots Destroy Montevideo; Man Gets Six-Figure Deal
• Shopping and Sleeping in Colonia, Uruguay