Main hall
Gilded boxes.
Ermell — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Fatima Cáneba — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Ypsilon from Finland — CC0 · Felipe Restrepo Acosta — CC BY-SA 4.0
Uruguay's leading theatre and one of South America's oldest, opened in 1856, with a neoclassical façade of white columns, named after the Spanish explorer Juan Díaz de Solís, who reached the Río de la Plata in the sixteenth century. Inside is a horseshoe-shaped hall with tiers of gilded boxes, a huge chandelier and a painted ceiling, fully restored in the early twenty-first century, hosting opera, ballet, concerts and plays. The best way to see it is a guided tour through the main hall, backstage and side rooms, telling stories of the artists who performed here. Catching an evening show is even better, at prices modest by European standards. Check the programme and tour times before going. Montevideo is fairly calm, but watch your belongings in the old town at night and in crowded spots.
Gilded boxes.
On the tour.
Opera and music.
Near Plaza Independencia, at the entrance to the Ciudad Vieja
Puerta de la CiudadelaA massive stone gateway, the last surviving piece of the Spanish citadel that gu2 minutes walk4.5
Plaza IndependenciaMontevideo's most important square, dividing the old town from the modern centre2 minutes walk
Palacio SalvoMontevideo's emblem, a huge ornate tower about a hundred metres tall on Plaza In3 minutes walk4.4
Ciudad Vieja (Old Town)Montevideo's oldest district, on a small peninsula between the bay and the wide 6 minutes walk
Palacio Taranco (Museum of Decorative Arts)An elegant French-style palace in the old town, built between 1908 and 1910 for 8 minutes walk4.8Tuesday to Sunday at set times, free on Wednesdays; check the website before going.