Tripping Down South America’s Coast to Argentina, Uruguay

Days 19-21, 2026 Grand World Voyage

Thursday to Saturday, Jan. 22-24, 2026; Buenos Aires, Argentina; and Punta del Este and Montevideo, Uruguay.

A triad of popular cruise ports lines the Río de la Plata, the broad river and estuary that divides Argentina and Uruguay. And when I say broad, I mean it. Some consider it more a gulf or even a small sea, as at 140 miles wide at the mouth it is the world’s widest river.

Cruise ships sailing around the southern tip of South America frequently stop in all three ports, particularly when the Falkland Islands are on the itinerary. Argentina does not recognize the Falkland Islands as a British Overseas Territory, and famously fought – and lost – a war in 1982 with the United Kingdom over the territory. So Argentina has historically opposed cruises between the two. We avoid the issue by scheduling our Buenos Aires stop in between stops in Montevideo and Punta del Estes, Uruguay, as we cruise the river.

If Rio de Janeiro is known for the samba, Buenos Aires is just as famous for its tango. Having toured much of the city on previous cruises (2020 and 2023), this time I opted for an afternoon tango show. Several Holland America tours converged on the Madero Tango theater in the city’s old harbor.

Just like in Rio, the performance told the story of Argentina’s history and culture through music and dance. Constant costume and set changes added to the energy, from street scenes to a stirring
“Don’t Cry for Me, Argentina” solo. Live musicians performed from a side balcony.

A day earlier, Elaine and I explored the port area of Punta del Este on foot. On previous visits we’ve toured olive groves out of town, so this time we wanted to experience this cosmopolitan resort town known as the St. Tropez or Monaco of Uruguay. Ship tenders dropped us at the large marina, where sea lions compete for scraps from the fish vendor shacks. A nearby island sports the largest sea lion colony in the western hemisphere.

I shocked myself by recognizing bird chatter as parakeets in a city park (confirmed by my Merlin app). It was nearly impossible to see the small green birds hidden in the palm trees. (See if you can find the pair.)

Our goal was La Mano, a beach sculpture about a mile away. The tips of four gigantic fingers and a thumb emerge from the sand. Guide books suggest the best time to photograph it is at sunset, but as usual we would be long gone by then, so settled for midday. I later painted the scene.

Our final stop on South America’s Atlantic coast was Montevideo, the capital of Uruguay. Like Buenos Aires, colonial architecture and narrow streets dominate the central city. We found wonderful local jewelry and crafts at the Mercado de Puerto near the pier – including a wooden miniature nativity for my small collection. Restaurants were preparing for their grilled lunch, known as parrilla cuisine, but we were a bit early.

At Constitution Square we saw a just a fraction of the antique booths we had seen in early 2020. But the highlight of our visit was at the far side of the square – the Andes Crash Museum.

This small museum is a memorial to the 29 people who died in the crash of Uruguayan Air Force Flight 571 in the Andes in 1972. Some perished in the crash; others of injuries or the elements, and more in an avalanche that buried the damaged fuselage. Just 16 survived the 72 days until their rescue, after two set off through the mountains for 10 days seeking help. Their stories are told through video, artifacts and a fascinating timeline of the 72 days. I came away knowing that I do not have the grit or drive to have been among the survivors.

A few days ago, we put on our finest for the Great Gatsby formal night. Last fall I ordered some cheap costume accessories for some of the theme nights, including a headband, elbow-length black gloves and a long cigarette holder. Elaine found a long blonde wig, and we joined friends Tom and Monika for dinner and drinks in the “speakeasy.”

The next night was a Cellar Master dinner in the Pinnacle Grill. It’s always more food than I can eat, especially when each course has a new glass of wine. I’m amazed that I can still get up at 6 a.m. and be the only person in the Crow’s Nest for an hour.

We had a slight panic – we had reached the end of the ship’s supply of 13 Celsius, our favorite sauvignon blanc. Thank goodness more came with our provisions in Montevideo. We celebrated when a case arrived in the Crow’s Nest.