I have driven the entire coast of Uruguay more times than I can count. Montevideo to Punta del Este. Punta to La Paloma. All the way to Chuy. And back. Every single time, something went sideways that could have been avoided. Here are three lessons I learned the hard way ( so you don’t have to ).

green grass field under blue sky during daytime
Photo by Karan Chaudhari / Unsplash

1. Fuel Is Not Guaranteed

The first time I drove to La Paloma, I figured there would be gas stations along Route 10. There are. Exactly two. One was closed. The other had no premium fuel. I rolled into La Paloma with the fuel light on and half a prayer.

Now I fill up in Montevideo. Always. Even if the tank is at half. The ANCAP stations outside the city are unreliable, especially outside tourist season. Sundays and holidays? Forget it.

Also, carry a jerrycan. Not a suggestion. A rule.

2. The Scenic Route Is a Trap

Person’s feet on car dashboard with scenic view
This looks romantic until you realize the GPS has no signal

Route 10 along the coast is stunning. I won’t lie. But it is also a dirt road for large stretches, and after rain it turns into a mud pit. My first scenic drive from José Ignacio to Punta del Este added 45 minutes because I had to slow to 30 km/h on a washboard road. In a rental. With no spare tire.

Now I take Route 9. It is paved, fast, and boring. Exactly what you want when you have 300 km ahead of you. The coast road is for day trips, not transit. Save it for when you are not trying to get somewhere.

3. Paperwork Will Ruin Your Day If You Let It

Cars parked along a tree-lined street in sunlight.
Photo by Nikolai Kolosov / Unsplash

If you are driving into Uruguay from Brazil, bring every document you own. Passport. Driver’s license ( international, not just your home one ). Vehicle registration. Proof of insurance. The border agents at Chuy are thorough, and they do not care that you are just visiting.

I watched a guy get turned around at the border because his insurance paperwork was a PDF on his phone. They want paper. Physical paper. Uruguay runs on papel, not pixels. Accept it, print everything, and move on.

What I Pack Now

After years of getting it wrong, this is what goes in the car every time:

  • Full tank + 5L jerrycan
  • Paper copies of every document ( passport, license, insurance, registration )
  • Offline maps on the phone ( Google Maps offline + Maps.me as backup )
  • Water ( at least 2L, more in summer )
  • Mate kit ( thermos, mate, bombilla, yerba — non-negotiable )
  • Phone charger ( 12V car adapter, not just a power bank )

That’s it. Not complicated. The complicated part was learning the hard way that none of this is obvious when you are used to European roads where you can find a gas station every 10 km and cell coverage is universal. Uruguay is different. Better in some ways ( fewer cars, zero traffic ), worse in others ( infrastructure, paperwork ). Adapt, prepare, and the coast is all yours.

:)