Montevideo Cruise Port

Cruises To Montevideo

Our Visit

I was lucky enough to visit the port of Montevideo back in January 2026 onboard the Saphire Princess cruise ship on a round trip from Buenos Aires down to Antarctica.

The port was the last stop on that adventure but even after over 2 weeks of visiting some of the most stunning naturally beautiful places on earth, this big city stop didn’t disappoint.

Thanks to a city centre cruise port, I simply set off to explore for the day on foot and started by walking along the busy port road, to the old train station and up to the cities impressive judicial building.

From there, I would walk back into the city centre, head to the main square, walk through its back streets to the food market next to the port.

Montevideo isn’t a port for big attraction and thrills, but it is just somewhere that you can walk around, take in its relaxed vibe, enjoy its architecture and have an authentic Uruguayan experience.

Montevideo Cruise Guide

If you are trying to decide whether a cruise itinerary visiting Montevideo is one you should book, or if you have already booked a cruise calling into Montevideo and want to make the most of your time on shore, this is the guide for you.

Type of Cruises Available

With the port of Montevideo just a short sail away, Montevideo doesn’t offer turnaround facilites for cruise ships so the two main options for those wanting to visit there are either on a round trip itinerary sailing around South America or to Antarctica and back or you can call in there on a repositioning cruise itinerary either sailing between Buenos Aires and Chile, around Cape Horn, or cruising up the South American Atlantic coast

Montevideo Cruise Port Location

The cruise port is located in the entrance to Montevideo Bay, a large natural harbour, and just to the west of the city centre.

The port gate is almost directly across from the Mercado del Puerto, a popular food and gift shop market and around a 25 minute walk from the city’s independence square, its main hub.

Montevideo Cruise Facilities

The port only has limited facilities for those arriving there, including a walkway between the ship and the port gate (some of which has a few interesting bits to looks at related to the history of the port) and somewhere for excursion coaches to park.

Montevideo Attractions

As you would expect from a city the size of Montevideo, there is lots to see and do whilst in the city with the popular Mercado del Puerto right next to the port gate, with the Mercado Agricolo also a good option.

The cities Rambla is a great place to take in the great sea views and to spread your legs, especially if you have had a few days at sea before arriving there.

The hub of the city is arguably the Plaza Independencia, which is the cities main square and where many of the cities largest building can be found, including some of the most impressive from an architectural point of view.

There are a number of museums in the city including the Andes Museum, and as you would expect from a catholic city, there are a number of churches to visit including the cities impressive cathedral.

If you have an overnight stay, a night at one of the cities theatres could be the thing to do with the Teatro Soilis one of the most impressive in South America.

The Palacio Legislativo is quite a walk from the port gate, but it is worth doing as it is one of the most impressive in the city and you can make it into a loop walk to see more of the city away from the touristy places.

If you want to relax, the cities Parque Rodo is great place to head, and you can walk back along the seafront promenade back to the port.

Montevideo Shorex

There are quite a few options for those wanting to head off on excursion when visiting Montevideo on a cruising including jumping on a coach for city tour, which tend to stop at some of the key spots along the way.

You can also do this as a private tour to see more of what you want to watch or jump on a shared tour where you get around quicker and have more time to explore on your own once done.

If you have along day in port, there are a couple of must-see destination further afield including the seaside holiday resort of Punta del Este and the historic Colonia del Sacramento.

It can be tricky to get around such a large city but there is a Hop On Hop Off tour bus to make it simpler.

Food and drink can be a big part of cruising for many and if you want to try some local produce, a food tour of the city could be the way to go, or you can also have a walking tour that stops into one of the cities food markets.

Best Time To Visit Montevideo

The main cruising season is during the South American summer months of October-April, with the bulk of ships heading there between November-March.

Transport

There are numerous local bus services that you can use but if you have mobility issues or are set to have bad weather for your visit, the best option is to book a city tour or jump on the Hop On Hop Off tour bus as local transportation offerings are aimed at getting people from the city centre to housing districts.

Montevideo Cruises From UK

Whilst it is possible to visit Montevideo directly form the UK, it will either be on a ship repositioning between Europe and South America or on a World Cruise.

Montevideo Cruises From Southampton

Those offering are few and far between but if you do find one, it will likely be from either the port of Southampton or the port of Dover on England’s south coast.