Uruguay fishing vacations are becoming increasingly popular and now rival those on offer in Venezuela, Brazil, and Argentina. This is the result of a combination of two things. First, Uruguay in general is seeing increasing amounts of visitors every year, with the word now having got round about just how interesting, naturally blessed, and altogether safe this South American country is. Second, now that more people know about Uruguay in general, more are also finding out about the excellent sport fishing in Uruguay available to vacationers. This may be a small country in South American terms, but it boasts some of the very best saltwater and freshwater fishing available across the entire continent. A fishing vacation in Uruguay rarely fails to enthrall.

The truly serious fishing vacation in Uruguay tends to focus on the infamous Golden Dorado, an ultra-aggressive, luminous fish that lives in Uruguay’s river system. The Dorado has been the cause of many fishing tales: It’s known to react with venom to getting hooked, often eating through lines before leaping three feet from the water’s surface in order to bear its teeth at whoever was dangling the line in the first place. Sport fishing in Uruguay doesn’t come any more vigorous than this, and it's likely you’ll need local knowledge to get you through your encounters with the Dorado. Luckily, there are plenty of Uruguay fishing companies that are more than willing to help you with your fishing vacation in Uruguay, arranging everything from the fishing charter to food and drink.

Sport fishing in Uruguay can also be of the saltwater variety, with an abundance of beach resort towns in the country offering chartered boats out into the ocean. One such town is Punta del Este, a chic and ritzy beachside hangout located a few hours' drive from Montevideo. Punta del Este is a favorite for high-end travelers, which means fishing activities here tend to revolve around private boats being chartered for a day. Anchovies, mullets, bluefish, tuna and Argentinean hake all populate the waters that surround the town.

Uruguay Map

Elsewhere, saltwater Uruguay fishing can be done from more relaxed beach resorts. Both Punta del Este and La Paloma, for example, are small-time fishing villages that have become popular among travelers who want to lounge on the beach and fish in the sea. As a result, tourist provisions have grown in these otherwise sleepy idylls, which means vacationing here is as easy as it is enjoyable.

Uruguay fishing trips are sometimes as available as inclusive travel packages, whereby things such as car rentals, hotel reservations, and flights come included along with the fishing trip itself. This can prove a handy way of organizing things, not least because, while fishing vacations to Uruguay are popular, the infrastructure is not necessarily there to book things online from the comfort of your own home. Having someone in the know, such as a travel agent, do it for you is consequently easy and stress-free.

If you wish to combine a fishing trip here with a general tour of the country, other must-see places include the impressive capital, Montevideo, and the tiny coastal town of Cabo Polonio, which boasts almost as large a population of sea lions as it does people. The small size of the country means that it's easy to see the best parts of Uruguay in a single trip, though it is alluring enough to keep travelers returning again and again.