The vast estuary of the Rio de la Plata («River of Silver») is much more than the border between two countries. Above all, it is the cradle of tango and an art of living found in both Argentina and Uruguay.
To give you inspiration, Relais & Châteaux presents the Routes du Bonheur: suggestions for travel itineraries that you can fully personalise according to your wishes and the experiences you would like to discover. Our consultants are available to help customise your route and assist you in making reservations at our properties. It is up to you to reserve any recommended activities on-site or nearby that might interest you.
*Total price provided for information only, based on accommodation for two people in a double room for the number of nights per property as indicated on this page, exclusive of recommended activities, properties that cannot be reserved online and restaurants.
Hotel and restaurant in the country. In the heart of the pampa, just 120 kilometers (75 miles) from Buenos Aires, La Bamba de Areco is an early 19th-century estancia that emanates charm and character. The colonial-style buildings have been tastefully converted into a luxury hotel infused with the gaucho spirit. The dark red facades of the main house and the stables, the immense tree-shaded grounds and the warm, attentive service make this a unique, magical place. A polo team practices on the field next door, and the rooms, fittingly, are named after famous horses. Decorated in leather, wood and wool, each one has its own distinctive “thoroughbred” style, making La Bamba de Areco a veritable microcosm of Argentine culture.
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Argentine gastronomy has found its ambassador facing the water of the Port of Buenos Aires. In the modern neighbourhood of Puerto Madero, Chila, the restaurant of Andrés Porcel, has been in perpetual evolution for more than 10 years. Chef Pedro Bargero creates innovation in the kitchen. But it all begins with a trip to the mercado to select the best products and producers, purveyors of the delicious exploration of this vast country that awaits you. The tasting and vegetarian menus change monthly, with their watchword being traceability. Choosing among the refined dishes will seem obvious when presented in such a sensible yet original manner: leek / Yacaratiá / milk or black hake / Jerusalem artichoke.
Hotel and restaurant in a vineyard. Cellar, farm, restaurant and lodge all in one – it is one of a kind and utterly charming. Historically so as it is one of the most famous wineries in Uruguay, founded in 1909. And also because it is renowned for its top-quality products, highly reputed wines and traditionally cured cheeses. And especially because of its charming surroundings – the restaurant, which serves delicious peasant cuisine, occupies a former grocer's shop where the wooden shelving and counter have been preserved. The lodge boasts sleekly decorated, spacious guestrooms drenched in light. The pool surrounded by gardens, the patio overlooking the vines and the paths leading off into the vineyards – all enticements to enjoy the beauty of the surrounding countryside.
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Montevideo, Gentle Living on the Banks of the Río de la Plata
Montevideo
Breathe, you are here in Montevideo! A unique ambiance reigns in the Uruguayan capital! Renowned for its laid-back lifestyle, this European-influenced city displays colonial architecture but also Art Deco buildings. Located on the banks of the Rio de la Plata, tourists and locals enjoy strolling on the famous Rambla after savoring a local grilled meat in the quintessential Mercado del Puerto, a place teeming with colors and fragrances.
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On the route
Relais & Châteaux Restaurant La Bourgogne
In the heart of Uruguay’s most exclusive seaside resort, Chef Jean-Paul Bondoux has recreated a piece of his native Burgundy. In a quiet residential area of Punta del Este, surrounded by a magnificent garden, Bondoux produces authentic French cuisine using products from his own farm, like zucchini flowers stuffed with chicken or roast rack of lamb in garden herbs. “My cuisine is close to the land,” Bondoux says. “I love thyme, rosemary, garlic, onions, tomatoes – everything that comes from the earth.” The boutique next to the restaurant pays tribute to the terroir of France with brioches, croissants and cheeses that can’t be found anywhere else in Uruguay.