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From Carnival to coastal rides to flame-cooked meals, Uruguay comes alive through its people. It’s why Stephanie Gulledge, our Experience Designer for South America, created our newest Limited Edition adventure through a cultural lens. Along with cycling and hikes, travellers on this uniquely crafted trip will spend time with the musicians, artists and chefs—including famed chef Francis Mallmann—to truly understand what makes this South American country so vibrant. Here, Stephanie takes us behind the scenes of how this trip was planned and what she's most excited for travellers to discover.

Uruguay is under the radar for many travellers. Why is this the right time to explore the country?

Uruguay is an underrated destination that comes alive and surprises our Bespoke travellers often, and I'm excited to get it on the radar of our Small Group travellers. We have a unique opportunity to showcase some really interesting artists and bring all these different characters into one trip. There's an active component to the itinerary, too, but we dive a little deeper into the artistic side and the culinary side and take a different approach to show off some of the unique elements of the country.

This itinerary is a little different than other B&R trips in that it is so culturally based. Is that something Uruguay does especially well?

I would say it's alive and well in South America, and this Limited Edition platform gives us the opportunity to really explore it here. For instance, the group will spend the first few days in Montevideo, where we dive into the customs and traditions of Uruguay’s take on Carnival. We’ll meet Lobo Nunez—they call him the godfather of Candombe, which is a Uruguayan drumming tradition. It has African roots and is soulful and powerful. We go into a workshop with him and really feel that rhythm and set the tone for the rest of the trip. I think it will be quite unexpected for a lot of people.

Who are some of the other personalities that travellers will meet?

There really is an emphasis on this trip of the arts, everything from sculpture to paintings, music to cooking, In the middle of the trip, we’ll visit Pablo Atchugarry, who is known for his monumental sculptures. He has this incredible sculpture park that we'll be biking to. The group will have lunch there and then get to walk through the park and see his workshop. And we’ll spend a day with Francis Mallmann enjoying his famed Seven Fires experience—fires made in the morning and cooking all day. He makes this dome, a wired structure, then hangs pineapples and whole chickens and all these things over top of the fire. He is an eccentric character, and he has so much soul when he speaks. Along with these personalities, throughout the trip, the group will dine with local winemakers and olive growers who share the essence of Uruguay. We will also taste exceptional meals from some of the country’s up-and-coming chefs. 

Can you share details on the cycling and hiking routes?

This is a Level 2 trip, with light hiking and easygoing riding. There will be riding on bike paths and coastal trails that are flat. We have some vineyard areas, too. It's a unique opportunity to be able to bike on the coast. There are not that many places we really get to do that, so that's special. And because the group will be having longer visits with the artists and more elaborate meals, we've contained the time spent being active to give enough time to do all the other incredible things on the trip.

What are you most excited for travellers to experience?

It's hard not to be most excited about our final day and the epic cooking experience with Francis, but I'm excited to surprise travellers. I think they'll be surprised by the food, the landscapes, the properties. Uruguay really has all of the essential ingredients that we love to have on a B&R trip, and this trip is an opportunity to do a deep dive together on some of the country's cultural highlights.

Explore our Limited Edition trip Meet the Makers: Uruguay Cultural Multi-Active here.