Carmelo is a city located in the department of Colonia of western

Uruguay Uruguay, officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay, is a country in South America. It shares borders with Argentina to its west and southwest and Brazil to its north and northeast, while bordering the Río de la Plata to the south and the A ...

, noted for its wineries.

Geography

Location

Route 21 passes through the city, joining it with Nueva Palmira to the northwest and

Colonia del Sacramento Colonia del Sacramento (; ) is a city in southwestern Uruguay, by the Río de la Plata, facing Buenos Aires, Argentina. It is one of the oldest towns in Uruguay and the capital of the Colonia Department. As of the 2023 census, it has a populatio ...

to the southeast.

History

During the beginning of the Conquest of the 16th century, the Spanish founded the Fuerte de San Lázaro (April 7, 1527 - October 1530). In 1611,

Hernando Arias de Saavedra Hernando Arias de Saavedra (10 September 1561 – 1634), commonly known as Hernandarias, was a soldier and politician of Spanish Criollo peoples, criollo ancestry. He was the first person born in the Americas to become a governor of a European c ...

, governor of Asuncion, landed cattle near the mouth of the Arroyo de las Vacas. A populated centre was established here which had reached the status of "Pueblo" (village) before the Independence of Uruguay. The present city was founded by

José Gervasio Artigas José Gervasio Artigas Arnal (; June 19, 1764 – September 23, 1850) was a soldier and statesman who is regarded as a national hero in Uruguay and the father of Uruguayan nationhood. Born in Montevideo, Artigas enlisted in the Spanish ...

on 12 February 1816. Its status was elevated to "Ciudad" (city) on 17 August 1920 by the Act of Ley Nº 7.257. It is the only city founded personally by the Uruguayan national hero, and it still holds this office proudly.

Population

In 2011 Carmelo had a population of 18,041. Source: ''Instituto Nacional de Estadística de Uruguay''

Landmarks

There are two squares in the city. The one is Plaza Artigas, with a monument to the foundation of the city, the church Templo Histórico del Carmen and the city museum and archive. The other, more central square is the commercial centre of the city. The main commercial street is 19 de Avril, which at its south ends at the bridge, after which it becomes Route 21 which joins it with

and also forks towards other destinations. Hotel Casino de Carmelo

The river Arroyo de las Vacas runs along the east and south part of the city. This river serves as a port for the town. On its north bank there is the Puerto Carmelo-Tigre, where small catamaran boats carry passengers across the

Río de la Plata The Río de la Plata (; ), also called the River Plate or La Plata River in English, is the estuary formed by the confluence of the Uruguay River and the Paraná River at Punta Gorda, Colonia, Punta Gorda. It empties into the Atlantic Ocean and ...

Argentina Argentina, officially the Argentine Republic, is a country in the southern half of South America. It covers an area of , making it the List of South American countries by area, second-largest country in South America after Brazil, the fourt ...

. A swing bridge, the Puente Giratorio de Carmelo, which opened on 1 May 1912, passes over the Arroyo de las Vacas. The bridge joins the north part of the city with its small southern part, where another port along the southern banks of the river accommodates private boats and the Yacht Club Carmelo. In the same part, along the coast there is beach Playa Seré, a park, a small zoological garden and a Casino Hotel.

Places of worship

* Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Parish Church (

Roman Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...

) * Our Lady of Pompei Church (Roman Catholic)

Symbols of Carmelo

The area around the city

Between Nueva Palmira and Carmelo there is a stretch along the Río Uruguay of great tourist importance. Points of interest in this area are Punta Gorda, Zagarzazú and Colonia Estrella. In Zagarzazú there is a small airport and a luxury hotel, the Four Seasons Carmelo Hotel, with an important golf course. Just northwest of Carmelo is

Juncal Island Juncal Island is an island belonging to Uruguay, located where the Uruguay River empties into the Río de la Plata, a bit above the Uruguayan town of Carmelo. It is separated from Uruguay by the ''Canal de Camacho''. The much smaller Juncalito ...

which once held a notorious prison. The city is a few kilometers from the town of Las Víboras.

Notable people

* Juan Francisco Aragone,

Archbishop of Montevideo The Archdiocese of Montevideo () is an archdiocese of the Latin Church of the Catholic Church in Uruguay. History Erected as the Apostolic Vicariate of Montevideo by Pope Gregory XVI on 14 August 1832, the vicariate was promoted to the Diocese of ...

* Gonzalo Pérez Iribarren, mathematician * Juan Carlos Mareco, actor * Atilio François, former cyclist * José Reinoso, musician * Javier Gil, painter, sculptor * Lucy Cordano, mother of president

José Mujica José Alberto "Pepe" Mujica Cordano (20May 193513May 2025) was a Uruguayan politician, revolutionary and farmer who served as the 40th president of Uruguay from 2010 to 2015. A former guerrilla with the Tupamaros, he was tortured and imprisone ...

* Daniel E. Jorge, Olympic rower in 1972 * Jorge Buenahora, Olympic rower in 1972 * Pedro Ciappesoni, Olympic rower in 1972

References

External links

Guía de Colonia

INE map of Carmelo

Carmelo Jazz Tour
{{Authority control Port cities and towns in Uruguay Populated places in the Colonia Department Populated places established in 1816 1816 establishments in Uruguay