Florida in Uruguay: Culture, Art and Nature

In Uruguay’s Department of Florida, attractions range from religious traditions and murals to landscapes and guided nature and hiking activities. When planning a hotel stay, you can choose places to visit according to your interests and take the terms of individual activities into account.

Nature and landscape

Prado Piedra Alta is a recreational area with a wide variety of native and exotic plant species. Centro Recreativo Paso Severino is on the shore of the lake formed by the dam on the Río Santa Lucía Chico. The two places offer different highlights: one is described in terms of its plant diversity, the other in terms of its location by a lake created by the dam.

A description from 2023 mentions guided tours with guides and interpreters at Parque turístico La India – Somos Naturaleza in La Macana. Visitors learn about the local flora and fauna. The park is just over 3 km from the departmental capital. Check the current arrangements before visiting.

Capilla Fenocchi is 3 km from Villa Cardal, on the edge of a ravine with a stream running along its bottom. The description of its location connects the chapel with a specific landscape feature.

Culture, art and religious traditions

The Catedral Basílica, Santuario Nacional Virgen de los Treinta y Tres is located in the city of Florida. Among its distinctive artistic features is a bronze door designed by José Belloni and his son Stelio.

The religious festival at Capilla San Cono takes place every year on June 3 and includes a procession described as large. If your trip coincides with this date, check the latest event details.

An art project began in 25 de Agosto in 2010, during which more than 70 murals were painted on the façades of more than 40 houses. The murals are therefore part of a larger project spanning numerous house façades in the town.

Complejo Arquitectónico el Carrillón is located in Alejandro Gallinal. Its carillon consists of bells arranged according to a musical scale, which can be played by hand or using a keyboard. The scale is clearly reflected in the arrangement of the instrument.

Centro Cultural Casa de la Azotea in Capilla del Sauce can be visited by prior arrangement. Check the visiting arrangements well in advance if you plan to include this place in your itinerary.

Guided activities and regional insights

Senderos de Aquino offers guided hikes on land and water in Fray Marcos; visits must be arranged in advance. The combination of these two types of hike differs from a tour focused mainly on information about flora and fauna. Check current availability before making plans.

A tourism guide to the Department of Florida described the Ruta de los Caudillos, Matreros y el Tren in 2019 as a route still under development at the time, connecting Casupá and Fray Marcos. This historical account should be distinguished from the hikes currently on offer.

Establecimiento “La Oportunidad” in Cardal invites visitors to learn about its farm and working practices. A tourism listing from 2022 includes this invitation; check the current visiting arrangements before travelling there.

A culinary specialty from Florida

Pamplona de Ternero is a culinary specialty in the Department of Florida. It was created in 1963 at the “Granja Florida” sausage shop and is served at restaurants, parrilladas and churrasquerías in the area. Both its history and its place in the region’s cuisine are part of this destination.

When planning your trip, it is worth distinguishing fixed calendar dates from activities that need to be arranged in advance: the festival at Capilla San Cono takes place every year on June 3, while visits to some cultural and hiking activities must be arranged beforehand.

Discover more destinations: Florida, Reboledo, Montevideo, Department of Salto, Tacuarembó, Lavalleja, Rocha, Paysandú.

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