Is Montevideo Safe?

United States: Level 2

The US State Department rates Uruguay Level 2, Exercise Increased Caution, due to crime. The State Department notes that crime is most common in the Montevideo, Canelones, Maldonado and Rivera departments, and Montevideo is the one most visitors stay in. Its practical advice: criminals commonly travel in pairs on motorcycles, do not resist a robbery, be vigilant at cash machines outside daylight, leave nothing valuable in parked cars, and call 911 in an emergency.

The US Embassy in Montevideo is at Lauro Muller 1776, telephone +598 1770-2000.

Canada and the United Kingdom

Canada rates Uruguay overall at 'take normal security precautions', while Montevideo gets 'exercise a high degree of caution' because of crime. The UK Foreign Office describes street crime in Montevideo as bag-snatching, pickpocketing, mugging and robbery, sometimes armed, and says crime is lower outside Montevideo. It adds that Uruguay has no recent history of terrorism.

Demonstrations occur regularly in Montevideo and are generally peaceful. The pattern across all three governments is the same: the named risk is street crime, concentrated in the capital, and worst after dark in specific central areas.

Ciudad Vieja, the Port and 18 de Julio

Canada says petty crime, muggings and armed robbery are more common on 18 de Julio, in Ciudad Vieja, at Plaza Independencia and around the port. The UK adds its own rule: avoid walking downtown or in the port area alone, especially at night and at weekends. That is the awkward part for visitors, because this cluster is exactly where ferry and cruise passengers land and where the Ciudad Vieja walking tour, Plaza Independencia and the old city sit.

The fix is timing, not avoidance. Do Ciudad Vieja on a weekday in daylight, when the tourist police patrol in summer, and move through it after dark by taxi or app car.

Neighbourhoods Canada Flags

Canada lists twelve neighbourhoods to approach with high caution: 40 Semanas, Barrio Borro, Bella Italia, Casabó, Casavalle, Hipódromo, La Teja, Malvín Norte, Marconi, Tres Ombúes, Villa del Cerro and Villa Española. Plan routes that do not pass through them. The barrios this guide covers for a stay are different ones, such as Pocitos and Punta Carretas, both on the waterfront east of the centre.

The Montevideo attractions worth your time sit in the old town and along the Rambla.

Summer and Holidays

Canada notes that in summer criminals move to tourist destinations, so the beach barrios need the same street sense as the centre in the high season. Canada also warns that road accidents increase on main highways in summer, during Carnaval and during Easter week, which matters if you drive out of the city at those times. If you travel in the carnival in Uruguay season, enjoy the shows but keep bags closed and phones away in dense crowds, the same rule as any festival city.

Motorcycle Pairs and Bag Snatching

The US and Canada both describe thieves working in pairs on motorcycles, striking at traffic lights, parking lots, cash machines and hotels. The UK lists bag-snatching, pickpocketing, mugging and robbery, sometimes armed. The countermeasures are behavioural.

Keep your phone off the kerb and out of sight while you wait to cross, since a rider can take it at a traffic light and be gone. Carry your bag on the side away from the road with the strap across your body. The State Department adds one rule that outranks all the others: do not resist a robbery.

Hand over the phone or bag. Nothing in a pocket is worth an injury.

ATMs and Cash

Both Canada and the UK advise the same thing about cash machines: use the ones inside banks, businesses or shopping centres. The US adds that you should be vigilant at ATMs outside daylight, so make withdrawals during the day and count the money out of sight. The motorcycle pairs Canada describes often wait near street machines and hotels, so an indoor machine is the safer choice.

Carry a day's cash and leave the rest behind the hotel safe. Our Uruguay currency guide covers when you need cash at all.

Cars and Break-Ins

The UK says criminals regularly break into parked cars, and thieves also smash windows at traffic lights. The US gives the matching rule: do not leave valuables in parked cars. Practically, that means an empty cabin.

Take bags, cameras and luggage with you or lock them in the boot before you drive, not at the spot where you park, because a person watching a boot close knows what is inside. If you are considering renting a car, plan for street parking by choosing guarded lots where you can, and keep nothing visible on seats. The same rule covers the window-smashing habit at lights: keep windows up in slow traffic and bags off the seat beside you.

Taxis, Apps and Buses

Canada reports that ride-hailing services are monitored to meet standards equivalent to taxis, and that taxis carry a glass partition between driver and passengers, so both options are settled ways to move after dark. Canada also calls bus travel safe and reliable. The UK notes that the Tres Cruces bus terminal has visible security patrols, which helps if you arrive late on a long-distance bus.

Keep a normal eye on your bag in any crowd, as on any bus system. Landing at Carrasco late at night? Our Carrasco International Airport guide covers the airport, and the private transfer gives you a name-sign pickup at the airport, port or bus terminal for groups of 4 to 12.

A Guided Way Through the Old Town

A guide solves most of the safety question in the old town, because you walk it in a small group at daylight hours with someone who knows which streets to use. The Ciudad Vieja walking tour costs $20 per person, runs 2.5 hours with a maximum of 10 guests and starts at Plaza Independencia. The private walk costs $129 per group and meets by the Mercado del Puerto, one block from the port terminal, so it suits ferry and cruise arrivals. The half-day city tour with hotel pickup costs $25 and covers the wider city, and the hop-on hop-off pass at $25 lets you see the city from a double-decker without walking unfamiliar blocks. Compare all of them in our Montevideo tours guide.

Canada warns that coastal waters can be dangerous, riptides occur, and rescue services may not meet international standards, so treat the sea with more respect than the calm look of the Río de la Plata suggests. Swim where lifeguards are on duty and read the flags. Green means good conditions, yellow means caution, red means danger, red with a green cross marks unsanitary water, and black means thunderstorms.

Lifeguards usually work December to March, and the last Montevideo season ran from mid-November to the end of March on 19 beaches, from 8:00-20:00 daily, so a shoulder-season swim is unguarded. Check our Montevideo beaches guide for which beaches are guarded, and our Montevideo weather guide for when the water is warm enough to bother.

Canada advises that women travelling alone should be cautious, particularly in the critical neighbourhoods listed above. A practical routine: keep to busy, lit streets after dark, take a taxi or app car across neighbourhoods rather than walking them alone, and hold your bag closed in markets and bus stops. Choosing a base helps too, so pick a hotel on a main avenue or the waterfront rather than a quiet side street.

Our Montevideo hotels guide compares the central and waterfront barrios.

Call 911 for police and general emergencies. The same number reaches the fire brigade, so there is no separate fire number to remember. For US citizens, the US Embassy in Montevideo is at Lauro Muller 1776, telephone +598 1770-2000.

For face-to-face help with practical problems, the city's tourist information office in Ciudad Vieja is at Piedras 257, corner of Yacaré, open daily 9:00-17:00. Staff there can tell you where to go next.