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Major city · Uruguay

Mercedes

Give Mercedes one night if you are driving Route 2 or 21 between Montevideo and Fray Bentos; skip it as a standalone stop.

Weather
see forecast
Currency
UYU
Best months
Mar–May, Sep–Nov
avoid Jan–Feb (hot and humid, 35 °C+)
Airports
SUME · MVD
Nights
1
Not field-verifiedbasic guide
Print / PDF guide
3 pages, for the metro and roaming-off days
Map
Google Maps Apple Maps Street View
Rules in force · 6Above 2,500 m (Bogotá, Quito, Cusco, La Paz) keep the fir…
  • South America ↗Above 2,500 m (Bogotá, Quito, Cusco, La Paz) keep the first day light; sleep lower where you can (Sacred Valley before Cusco) and descend if headache comes with vomiting or confusion.
  • South America ↗A yellow fever certificate is required on arrival in French Guiana, and asked for on some routes into Bolivia, Paraguay, Suriname and Guyana, or when arriving from Amazon areas — vaccinate at least 10 days before travel and carry the card.
  • South America ↗Overnight buses are the norm in Argentina, Chile and Peru, but pick top-tier companies and keep valuables on your body; on-board thefts from overhead racks are the common loss.
  • Uruguay ↗Check entry rules for your passport with Uruguay's Ministry of Foreign Affairs or a Uruguayan consulate; ferry passengers from Buenos Aires clear both countries' immigration at the terminal.
  • Uruguay ↗Buenos Aires–Colonia and Buenos Aires–Montevideo ferries sell out on long weekends and in summer: book ahead.
  • Uruguay ↗Pay restaurants, hotels and car hire with a foreign-issued card: non-residents get the 22% VAT (IVA) removed on restaurants and car hire roughly 15 November – 30 April, and on lodging — check the current season's rules.

Mercedes is the capital of Soriano department, a low-rise river town of about 42,000 people on the south bank of the Río Negro. It is not a sightseeing destination: the draw is the riverfront, the plaza, a baron's old estancia house at Castillo Mauá and cheap, calm days between Montevideo and the western border. Most travellers pass through on Route 2 or Route 21; a night here breaks a long drive and costs little.

Essentials

Quick answers and what things cost

Quick answers

The questions people ask first about Mercedes, one line each. Tap a card for the full answer.

Cost cheat-sheet

2026 desk estimate · check

Typical prices for the everyday things, as ranges. Your currency is shown next to the local price.

  • CoffeeUYU 80–150
  • Beerbar / shopUYU 150–250UYU 80–140
  • Taxi, about 5 kmShort taxi ride in townUYU 200–350 (check)
  • SIM or eSIM, a weekeSIM or data SIM, about a weekUYU 500–1,200
  • Budget bedHostel or guesthouse bed, a night, per personUYU 900
  • Mid-range bedHotel double room, a night, per roomUYU 3,500
  • High-end bedHotel double room, a night, per roomUYU 6,000

A day, not counting the bed: Budget UYU 1,800 · Mid UYU 3,200 · High UYU 6,000

Local prices, with USD next to them (rates 2026-09 (approximate); change it in the header). Ranges are desk estimates: check locally. Every price and the budget calculator →

Decide

What it is known for, and when the weather works

At a glance

What the city is known for, how you fly in, and where to find the phrases.

Río Negro riverfront and fishingCastillo MauáPlaza Independencia and the cathedralQuiet stop on Route 2 and Route 21
Airports
SUME Aeródromo Departamental Ricardo Detomasi (Small departmental airfield west of town; no scheduled passenger service — check before planning around it.) · MVD Montevideo Carrasco (nearest practical airport) (About 250 km by road; bus or car from Montevideo.)

Weather and climate

Forecast from Open-Meteo · averages rounded

Mercedes: next 7 days

Loading forecast…

Forecast: Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0), model data for this point.

Air quality

Loading…

Model estimate (CAMS via Open-Meteo), not a street-level station; readings near busy roads run higher.

Jan

31°C

18°C

6 rd

Feb

30°C

18°C

6 rd

Mar

27°C

16°C

6 rd

Apr

23°C

12°C

6 rd

May

19°C

9°C

6 rd

Jun

16°C

7°C

6 rd

Jul

15°C

6°C

6 rd

Aug

17°C

7°C

6 rd

Sep

19°C

9°C

6 rd

Oct

23°C

12°C

7 rd

Nov

26°C

14°C

6 rd

Dec

29°C

17°C

6 rd

High / low °C · rd = rain days

Arrive & move

Airports are listed under At a glance; this is how to move once you are in

Getting around

The centre is small enough to cross on foot in 15–20 minutes; Plaza Independencia, the cathedral, the culture house and the main eating streets all sit within a few blocks. Use a taxi or remise for the airfield, the racetrack or Castillo Mauá, which are on the edge of town.

See & do

Day-trips, door to door

Day-trips

Door-to-door, not ride time

Fray Bentos

go

Door to door: About 1.5 h by car

Route 2 north, or bus from the Mercedes terminal

The former meatworks site is the reason to come this far west; pair it with a night in Mercedes.

Colonia del Sacramentoovernight

Door to door: About 3 h by car

Route 21 south, or bus via the terminal

Too far for a comfortable return day; sleep in Colonia instead.

Carmelo

overnight

Door to door: About 2.5 h by car

Route 21 south then Route 21/Route 55

Wine country on the river; better as its own stop.

Nueva Helvecia

caution

Door to door: About 2 h by car

Route 2 south-east

Doable as a long half-day if you are already driving east.

Eat & sleep

Which area to sleep in

Where to sleep

Areas, not hotels: pick the one that fits your arrival time and plans.

Around Plaza Independencia

Central, walkable to the cathedral, bars and restaurants; the two main hotels face the plaza.

Rambla / Asencio area

Quieter, near the riverfront; good for an early walk along the water.

Practical

What a day costs, what to watch out for, and the pocket card

Cost per day

2026 estimate, excluding the bed unless stated
Budget
UYU 1,500–2,500 excl. bed
Mid
UYU 2,500–4,500 excl. bed
High
UYU 4,500+ excl. bed

Trip budget

2026 estimate · converts to your currency
Hotel double room1 × 1 night × UYU 3,500UYU 3,500
Food, local transport, entries2 × 1 day × UYU 3,200UYU 6,400
Bus Montevideo → Mercedes, one way2 × UYU 900 · checkUYU 1,800
Taxi across town1 × UYU 250 · checkUYU 250
eSIM, about a week of data2 × UYU 600UYU 1,200
Buffer 10%Price creep, a taxi you did not plan, one splurgeUYU 1,320
Trip total≈ UYU 7,240 per person per day, bed includedUYU 14,470

2026 estimate in Uruguayan pesos; long-distance transport excluded. Your choices stay in this browser.

Prices of common things

CoffeeUYU 80–150
Parrillada plate (asado or chivito)UYU 450–800
Beer: bar / shopUYU 150–250 / UYU 80–140
Short taxi ride in townUYU 200–350 (check)
Bus Montevideo → MercedesUYU 800–1,100 (check)
eSIM or data SIM, about a weekUYU 500–1,200

2026 estimate; check locally.

Watch out

Safety

Mercedes is a calm small city and street crime is low; the real issues are heat in summer, unlit roads at night if you are driving, and thin bus schedules. Standard precautions around the bus terminal after dark.
  • Summer afternoons in Jan–Feb are genuinely hot; plan walking for morning and evening.
  • Castillo Mauá is a short drive out of town, not a walk; confirm it is open before going.
  • Bus times to smaller towns are thin — check the terminal before you commit to a same-day connection.
  • Small-town ATMs can run dry on weekends; carry some cash.

Emergency numbers

Police, fire, ambulance
911
Hospital de Mercedes
+598 4532 2177

Pocket card

One page · print or save as PDF

Fill in, then print or save as PDF

Stays in this browser only; nothing is sent anywhere.

MercedesMercedes

Pocket card · Voykit

My bed tonight

—

—

—

A esta dirección, por favorTo this address, please

Emergency

  • Police, fire, ambulance911
  • Hospital de Mercedes+598 4532 2177

Embassy

No embassies in Mercedes; the US, UK, Canadian and Australian missions are in Montevideo. Soriano tourism office: turismo@soriano.gub.uy.

My embassy: —

Fare anchors (2026 estimate)

  • Bus Montevideo → Mercedes: about UYU 800–1,100, roughly 4 h (check)
  • Taxi across the centre: UYU 200–350
  • Mercedes → Fray Bentos by car: about 1.5 h on Route 2

Say or show

  • Buenas — Hello (BWEH-nas)
  • Gracias — Thank you (GRAH-syas)
  • ¿Cuánto sale? — How much is it? (KWAN-to SAH-le)
  • La cuenta, por favor — The bill, please (la KWEN-ta por fa-VOR)
  • ¿Se puede pagar con tarjeta? — Can I pay by card? (se PWEH-de pa-GAR kon tar-HEH-ta)
  • ¿Dónde está la terminal? — Where is the bus terminal? (DON-de es-TA la ter-mee-NAL)

Bus terminal is inside Mercedes Shopping on Don Bosco; buy tickets there, not at the plaza.

Deep dive

What this guide covers so far, and its sources

Not a trip line yet

This is a basic guide: no airport-to-bed contract, walking clusters or day plans are published for Mercedes. Airport, fare and schedule details are unverified; check the operators before you fly.

What we know, and what is coming

On this page

  1. Best months: Mar–May, Sep–Nov · avoid Jan–Feb (hot and humid, 35 °C+) · month by month →
  2. 2 airports and 2 areas to sleep in
  3. Weather: a 7-day forecast and monthly averages
  4. Cost per day in 3 bands
  5. 4 day-trips, door to door
  6. 4 things to watch out for, with emergency numbers

Coming as the guide grows

  1. Field-check the Mercedes terminal timetable and last departures to Montevideo and Fray Bentos.
  2. Confirm Castillo Mauá opening days and whether the vineyard visit needs booking.
  3. Verify the two plaza hotels' 2026 rates and whether cards are accepted.
  4. Add a riverfront walk map with the Guernica Park loop and the Dacá creek mouth.

Meanwhile

Back to Uruguay

Sources