Department of Salto: Thermal Springs, Culture and Nature
Accommodation in Department of Salto
The Department of Salto offers a range of travel experiences, including urban history, archaeological and paleontological collections, thermal baths, landscaped green spaces and nature watching. Some of its cultural highlights are in the city of Salto, while the thermal tourism centers of Arapey and Daymán offer a different focus. When looking for a hotel, it helps to first decide whether urban history, thermal baths or nature watching will shape your trip.
Urban History and Collections
The Museo de ArqueologĂa y Ciencias Naturales features collections focused on archaeology and paleontology. The Museo HistĂłrico del RĂo Uruguay offers a different perspective on the past, bringing together documents, photographs and objects from sunken ships. It also features ship models, uniforms, flags, maritime symbols, old tickets and objects from life on board. Visits must be arranged in advance.
A roughly two-kilometer historic and cultural route invites you to explore the city of Salto on foot. The distance is approximate; check the route locally if you plan to follow it. The building where Horacio Quiroga was born is also located on the city’s main street. Together, the route and the building provide historical and biographical points of reference for exploring the city, while the museums focus on their respective collections.
Parks, Thermal Springs and Routes
Parque Benito Solari is a 17-hectare park established in 1900 and designed in the French style. Its features include numerous tree and flower species, a lake with a statue, paths and other landscaping elements. The park brings together a variety of garden features across a large area; during your visit, you can appreciate both the design and the plant life.
The thermal tourism centers of Arapey and Daymán in the Department of Salto have outdoor pools as well as indoor and partially covered pools, surrounded by gardens and green spaces. A photo gallery inaugurated in 2021 at Termas del Arapey presented the history of the place and its development through a series of images. The gallery thus tells the story of the place through photographs, while the thermal centers offer different types of pools and landscaped outdoor areas.
A lit bike path connects Cuatro Bocas with Termas de Daymán. Check local route conditions if you plan to include it in your itinerary. Salto Chico offers opportunities for fishing and nature watching. These activities differ from enjoying the landscaped park or visiting the city’s museum collections, and can complement your choice of things to do in the Department of Salto.
Guided Visits and Regional Highlights
Free guided tours are offered at the Represa de Salto Grande, north of the city of Salto. Transportation departs from the public relations office in the building of the ComisiĂłn TĂ©cnica Mixta de Salto Grande on the Uruguayan bank. Check the arrangements before your visit. This guided option differs from independent activities such as the city walking tour or nature watching in Salto Chico.
More Destinations in Uruguay
Other places in Uruguay are known for their own cultural and natural highlights. Grutas del Palacio is the geopark’s most emblematic site and gives it its name. The caves were formed by water erosion: a roof around 70 centimeters thick is supported by reddish, consolidated sandstone columns averaging two meters in height. Grutas del Palacio has scientific, educational and tourism value.
Colonia del Sacramento in Uruguay was founded by the Portuguese in 1680 on the RĂo de la Plata and was strategically important in resisting the Spanish. Its Historic Quarter is the only example in the region of an urban layout that does not follow the rigid grid pattern prescribed by Spain under the “Leyes de Indias.” Narrow cobbled streets and more private areas shape the townscape; one-story houses predominate, while two-story houses are rare. Uruguay’s Parque Nacional Cabo Polonio, meanwhile, is a protected area that preserves a particularly distinctive coastal landscape. These examples broaden the picture of Uruguay without changing the Department of Salto’s focus on museums, thermal springs, parks and nature watching.
Discover more destinations: Salto, San José, Cerro Largo, Artigas, Maldonado, Rocha, Flores.
Go to the main travel overview: Uruguay.
