Uruguay's Top 6 Campervan Parkups
- Jon Berry
- Feb 12
- 4 min read
Updated: May 6
Due to its size and its proximity to neighboring countries renowned for their popular travel destinations, Uruguay has often gone unnoticed.
However, with its stunning landscapes and safe environment, Uruguay is an incredibly rewarding destination for your van life road trip.
If there's a parking spot by a gorgeous beach anywhere in the world, it's probably either illegal to stay overnight, packed with people, or you have to pay for it. Often, it's a mix of all these things.
That's why the Uruguayan coastline was such an awesome surprise for us vanlife folks.
Picture a beach with soft golden sand, an endless ocean view, and lush greenery all around. It's a real treat for your eyes.
And for your ears... just the sound of waves crashing, the wind blowing, and parakeets chirping. That's it. No traffic noise, no loud bar music, no chatter from the towel next to you.
And the best part for us vanlifers? We can park right there and feel welcome.
Check out some of our top picks along the Uruguayan coast with our Uruguay's Top 6 Campervan Parkups guide below:
1 - Playa Cantamar
There is space for 3-4 campervans, although that would mean no space left for locals to park so just parking 1 would be ideal.
If you are mindful not to interfere with the neighbourhood's daily life we can guarantee you that you will feel welcome.
When we stayed it was just us and we only stayed for one night.
2 - Jose Ignacio
You'll see two parking areas side by side here—one's paved, and the other's a dirt road leading right to the beach entrance. Both are fine for overnight stays.
When we arrived, the dirt road parking was empty, so we chose to park there. Even though it got busier with cars during the day, we always felt welcome.
We think the way you act and your attitude when you visit a new place can really shape how the locals see you. A smile and a friendly wave can make a big difference!
3 - La Paloma
This is a medium-sized parking lot just off the main road, right by the beach entrance.
Don't overstay your welcome—while the police are usually cool with you hanging out for a couple of nights when it's not crowded, if there are a lot of campers or you stick around too long, they might kindly ask you to move along.
4 - Laguna de Rocha
The lagoon is a protected natural reserve, so there are a few more rules to follow.
The upside is that campervans are totally welcome here, but the understandable downside is you can only stay for one night.
The lagoon ranger will be around to kindly remind you that you’ll need to move on after enjoying this gorgeous spot for just one night.
This place is perfect for a great night's sleep; it's flat and quiet. All you'll hear is the sounds of nature and wildlife.
5 - Portozuelo
When we got there first thing in the morning, a cuidacoches (car caretaker) welcomed us and showed us to the corner of the parking area. He suggested we only stay for one night.
The carpark gets pretty packed during the day, so it's best to get there early in the morning or after sunset when most of the beach crowd has cleared out.
We spent the night there all by ourselves, in a peaceful spot on a flat surface, and it was less than a minute's walk to this amazing beach.
Our tip: Don't hang out there all day when it's hot because there's no shade to keep the van cool, and it heats up fast.
6 - Solymar
Soymar competes our Uruguay's Top 6 Campervan Parkups.
We didn't have high hopes for this parking spot since it's close to the city and the airport.
But, as usual, having low expectations led to the best surprises and most fun.
There were a few cars when we got there, but soon it was just us and another camper, with the dunes right next to us and the ocean just behind.
There are a couple of restaurants less than a 5-minute walk away. One of them offers take-away pizza, which you can enjoy at the dunes with an amazing ocean view.
Experience Uruguay like a local: Bring your mate to the beach!
Mate is Uruguayans drink of choice, in the morning, afternoon and evening; alone, in couples and groups, in the cold, rain or heat and of course they will take their mate to the beach.
We were a bit unsure about it as a hot drink wouldn't have been our first choice for a hot day on the beach but we decided to buy the kit and give it ago (even if it was just for the picture) but it does the trick, it soothes the soul and boosts the energy levels.
