The Best of Uruguay in Santa Teresa National Park

The Santa Teresa National Park is ranked amongst the best camping sites in the wonderful South American nation of Uruguay. The park is more popularly referred to locally as Parque Nacional Santa Teresa and is probably the best maintained park in the entire nation. The location of this beauty is in the department of Rocha.

The area in and around the Park is a wonderful sight to see as there are palm lined avenues besides beautiful series of exotic trees. The area is not just about trees, the complex also houses botanical gardens, water pools, a zoo, besides there are beaches as well. In short, the Santa Teresa National Park has all the facilities, be it natural or general facilities which make it the ideal holiday destination.

The place also has some historic places to visit like the Santa Teresa fort. The fort has a very interesting history, full of battles and conflicts; let’s go through it in brief.

It is believed the construction of the fort began under the Portuguese in 1762. However, the construction activity was completed many years later by the Spaniards. The fort was a reason for conflict not just between the Portuguese and the Spaniards, over the centuries, there have been battles over the fort between the Spaniards and Portuguese, Spaniards and Brits and the Spaniards against Creole.

Hence, the fort is a must visit for all history lovers as I can only guarantee one and all you will definitely find the fort amazing, besides, you may also find something to explore within the boundaries of this historic masterpiece.

Back to the modern day National Park, the place is a wonderful site for long walks, be it a romantic walk or just a normal walk for all you fitness freaks. The Park boasts of a huge 60 kms of walking tracks full of greenery and wonderful birds in the surroundings. As you keep walking you are also led to a beautiful white sandy beaches and I bet you will only be tempted to jump into the blue waters. You can also expect the unexpected here, I’m sure you were not aware about dolphins being found here. Hence, please do not be surprised if you find one jump out of the blue waters or if you see them being fed at the bay.

Another famous tourist activity here is horseback riding and I can only assure you will be more than pleased here.

As regards to the Park, you need to spend some time at Rosedal, which boasts of more than 330 different kinds of roses. The National park is amongst the main camping sites of the country and the place comes alive during the summers. The area has all the facilities that an average camper requires. There are comfortable accommodation options available for campers and the facilities include showers, place to light the fire, groceries, bathrooms, fruits and laundries.

Another must visit place for all history lovers is the museum in the premises of the National Park. This museum is dedicated to the noted historian of the region, Horacio Arredondo. The museum is all about exhibits of the marvelous works of this genius, who played a major role in rescuing the defenses of the entire region.

Let’s go through some of the questions which may be on your mind.

How do I reach the Santa Teresa National Park?

The Aeropuerto Internacional Curbelo (Laguna del Sauce) is a reputed international airport and is one of the closest airports to the city of Rocha and the Santa Teresa National Park. The airport hosts a series of flights from the US and other major cities from over the world. Once you are in Uruguay, it is recommended you hire the services of a private cab to reach you to your destination.

There are public bus services available in the region and some of the bus companies operating in the region include Bus Ruta 9 and Rutas del Sol.

If you are in neighboring Argentina, you can also reach the city via the Ferry services. Companies such as Cacciola, Ferryturismo and Buquebus offer services from the Argentine capital of Buenos Aires to cities such as Colonia del Sacramento and Montevideo. The peak tourist season sees services to the town of Piriápolis as well.

Where do I stay during my Santa Teresa National Park vacation?

The area in and around Rocha and the Santa Teresa National Park boasts of wonderful accommodation facilities be it for a person staying alone or with an entire family. The best part here is a consumer can choose amongst a variety of options in different budget categories. Some of the more popular landmarks of the area are Boutique Hotel Brisas de la Pedrera. Besides, there are Bed and Breakfast inns and the popular ones include Posada Buscavida and Hostel La Casa de las Boyas. The other popular lodging landmarks include Anaconda Club Apart-Hotel.

When is the best time of the year to visit the Santa Teresa National Park?

It is a common trend seen in the region that the colder it is in the US, the warmer it gets in Uruguay. It is recommended you visit the Park during the months of December through March. However, these months also coincide with the peak tourist season of the area and if you do plan a visit at this time you need to be prepared to encounter huge crowds and also need to shell out more of those currency notes.

The area sees the maximum visitors during the January to February period. On the other hand, the remaining months of the year sees the area, more or less like a ghost town as hardly any people visit the place after April.

However, it is recommended you do not visit the place after April as the weather may not be to your liking.

In conclusion, the Santa Teresa National Park is a wonderful place to visit for that ideal holiday. The place has it all, be it the natural surroundings or the sandy beaches to the wonderful facilities provided by the national authorities here. I can only guarantee, you will only want to get back to the place at the earliest after your visit. So, what are you waiting for, just go ahead and plan that all important holiday trip to the awesome Santa Teresa National Park or Parque Nacional Santa Teresa.