New York Times Spotlights Montevideo’s Rambla: A Gateway to Relaxed Living

The Rambla in Montevideo, stretching over 14 miles along the Rio de la Plata, is a symbol of the social and cultural life of the Uruguayan capital. In a recent article entitled “50,000 steps in a city where the sidewalk never ends”, the New York Times praised this coastal promenade and compared it to other iconic promenades around the world, such as the banks of the Seine in Paris, the Charles River Esplanade in Boston and Avenida Atlântica in Rio de Janeiro.

The article describes the Rambla as “one of the longest sidewalks in the world” and details its route between beaches, bars, and flowering jacaranda trees. It highlights that it is a place where you can see “statues and sculptures, soccer matches and friends engrossed in conversations over cups of yerba mate.” Regarding this infusion, typical of Uruguay, the journalist Mya Guarnieri highlights how people share it in the same container and with the same straw, a traditional gesture of the sense of community on the Rambla.

The promenade was also described as a “true open-air museum. “La Rambla strings together neighborhoods with distinct architectural styles as well as heritage sites and parks. With dozens of statues and other works of art, it is a tentative candidate for UNESCO’s list of World Heritage sites,” the publication explains.

The route proposed by the article runs from the Old City to the more residential neighborhoods of Pocitos and Punta Carretas and highlights the vibrant culture and city life: tango, candombe, and craft fairs.

The article also dedicates a space to the country’s gastronomic tradition, highlighting the identity-defining Tannat wine and steakhouses throughout the city. “You can’t go far in Montevideo without smelling smoke from the city’s many steakhouses or parrillas, grilling meat over wood fires.”

The article concludes with an image of a Sunday on the Rambla, where the journalist joins the crowd enjoying the sun by the Río de la Plata, describing it as “the open-air living room of Montevideo,” a postcard that sums up the spirit of the city and the warmth of its people.

Read the full articule here.