How safe is Uruguay for travelers?

Crime

• Bag-snatching, pickpocketing, mugging, armed robbery and car break-ins are common in Montevideo.
• Do not walk downtown or in the port area alone, especially at night and at weekends.
• Use ATMs in banks and shopping centres, not on the street.
• Do not leave valuables visible in a parked car, and use a paid car park.

Cannabis

• Uruguay legalised cannabis, and not for you. Residents registered with the state can buy from pharmacies or grow their own.
• It is illegal for tourists to do either. The pharmacy will not sell to you and buying elsewhere is a drug offence.

On the beach

• Lifeguards work December to March. Flags are green, yellow and red.
• Watch for currents, rocks and sandbanks that drop away suddenly, which is the specific local hazard.

Wildfires

• There is a wildfire risk from December to March. Smoke can degrade air quality well away from the fire itself.