David Hammond

For most, moving to Uruguay was well worth it. But a few encountered a pitfall or two along the way. And if they had it to do over again, I’d bet they would do a few things differently. Here are five mistakes expats make when relocating to Uruguay, and how to avoid them.

A growing number of expats choose Uruguay as a place to live. And as you look at Uruguay more closely, it’s no surprise why. It’s a stable country that offers some very attractive lifestyle options. Here, we'll look at three places to live... and two to avoid.

The early gauchos included a mix of European and indigenous people. From the Spanish, they took the horse and the guitar. From the indigenous, they took the bolas (a weighted throwing cord used to capture cattle) and the practice of drinking yerba mate. (Yerba mate is a tea-like infusion made from a local herb that is still popular today.)

In 2010, Grégoire and Erica Bouthier (now 43 and 38) were between jobs at the same time. They took it as a sign to try a new direction. And moved from Denver, Colorado to Montevideo, Uruguay. Why Uruguay? “It was a middle ground between Europe where Grégoire’s family lives and the U.S. where my family is,”

One of the things I appreciate about Uruguay is just how easy it can be to live without a car. That’s partly due to excellent neighborhood shopping at fresh markets and stores with old-style personal service. But for trips beyond walking distance, I’m an enthusiastic user of Uruguay’s superb bus system.