In this section you can obtain more information about the possible destinations available within our programs. At the moment we offer Ecuador, in the Andes, Uruguay and Chile in the southern cone and Costa Rica in Central America. If you want to stay in a Spanish cultural heritage city then come and do and internship or volunteer program in Quito. Ecuador has to offer a great biodiversity of nature and culture alike. During your stay you could visit the Amazon jungle or the famous Galapagos Islands. In Uruguay you can enjoy cultural highlights of the capital Montevideo or dream away in the enormous pampas. Chile is famous for its mountains were you can pratice wintersports and in Costa Rica you will enjoy a splendid environment.

URUGUAY

Uruguay

(from Guaraní language, that means "river of the painted birds"), is a South America’s smallest country located between Brazil and Argentina.  Its small surface, allows people to travel around the country on short times, constantly changing landscapes, cultures and natural attractions.  Uruguay is a cosmopolitan country; over 100 years ago many people from different cultures started to arrive to Uruguay, which has contributed to form the nowadays national identity. At the beginning, it was inhabited by natives (guaraní, guenoas, charrúas, minuanes, yaros and boanes); through the time started to arrive European immigrants, looking for a better future and, as a consequence, they started "to market" black slaves to do domestic tasks.  With each different culture arrived diverse customs; at the same time they started to mixi between themselves, giving elements very established today in our popular culture: the mate, the ruedos, the criollas, rural houses, the drums (“los tambores”), the candombe, the carnaval (carnival), the llamadas, the murga, the comparsas, the tango, the milongas, the soccer.  Between the people and the costumes, Uruguay is a very friendly country to visit and stay there.   

 

Montevideo:

located on the south of the country, it is the Capital of the República Oriental del Uruguay. It is a city where the sea is one of the principal protagonist (with 20 kms of beach: sand, rocky tips and inlets), which a lot of activities related to music, sports and general recreation on this part. Montevideo was founded between 1724 and 1726 by Bruno Mauricio of Zabala as a harbour city and thus itself development.  Approximately the half of the population of Uruguay lives in the Capital (1.325.968 inhabitants). It is also Capital of the MERCOSUR (Southern Common Market, next to Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay on the foundation).   

Montevideo offers a lot of entertainments to enjoy during the day and at night too: 

- Old city: old helmet of the city, with its Paseo Cultural (Cultural Walk), museums, art galleries, bookstores, coffees shops, houses of antiquities, craft artists on the streets, national fashion designers, restaurants and bars, also pubs and discos on the night help to increase offer.

- Local Markets / Fairs: antiquities (Tristán Narvaja Market), crafts, clothes and other national products (Parque Rodó and Villa Biarritz Markets).

- Shows: theatres, movies, tanguerías (places to dance tango), plastic arts and photo expositions, dance centres. 

- Riviera: with its bicycles, summer spectacles, beaches, sports, fishing, and recreational areas like the Puertito del Buceo or the quarries of the Parque Rodó. 

- Shoppings: Montevideo, Punta Carretas, Portones, Mall Carrasco, Tres Cruces.

- Other Attractions:  Centenario Stadium, with a very important soccer museum related to the First Football World Cup, which was played in Montevideo, Mercado del Puerto (Port Market) – gastronomic place-, golf place, annual Folk Fairs (Rural del Prado, Criollas del Roosvelt).

 

General Facts

 
 
 

Education:

  Uruguayan system education (public and private) looks to offer assistance and tools to people, from every ages (from babies to students of university level -degree and postgraduate courses-).  Since the foundation of public school in Uruguay, an obligatory, free, and secular teaching model has being promoted.   

 

 

Nature:

  Uruguay is formed for different landscapes like: oceanic and river beaches, dunes, natural hot water swimming pool (termas), rivers, lakes, lagoons, wetlands, among others.  At the same time, has a small surface but with an important diversity of flora and fauna, that enriches its natural heritage.  Nowadays, Uruguay is implementing a Protected Areas National System over all the country, which will guarantee the conservation of environments and local communities associated to them.   

The country has 19 departments, divided by zones:   

• southwest: the historical constructions charge great importance. The city of Colonia del Sacramento is emphasized here (few kms from Montevideo); founded in 1680 by the Portuguese, at present is declared Cultural Heritage of Mankind (UNESCO), being emphasized as an important tourist destiny. This part of the country has too important places with very nice natural conditions to learn snorkelling and dive. 

 

• north: the exploitation of agatas and amethysts mines and the cultural exchange through the border with Brazil (from were has born the "portuñol", a language that mix Spanish and Portuguese) are the characteristic that are emphasized here. 

 

• east: the oceanic coast offers kilometres of white sand beaches very required by the surfers for the practice of this sport as well as by tourists and ecotourists, among others. This region of the country is emphasized for its rich nature (mobile dunes, forests of “ombúes” trees, communities of palm groves “palmares”, lagoons, wetlands, and one of the greatest communities of sea wolfs located on the mystical Cabo Polonio islands. It is too a MAB Biosphere Reserve and a RAMSAR site), which is complemented with historic fortresses, native cemeteries (“cerritos de indios”), Natural Protected Areas and local communities (most of them fisher men or crafts sellers). 

 

• centre: it is emphasized for its mountain ranges, with subtropical weather vegetation remainders presence, small waterfalls and caverns; because of this, the centre of the country is a very attractive area for the adventure activities like rappel, trekking, mountain bike, among others. 

 

• south: there are very important extensive areas cultivated with vineyards, from where are originated the great Uruguayan wines rewarded on a worldwide basis. Over the Río de la Plata (Silver River) and very close to Montevideo, there are small cities with an important commercial and social activity connected to the capital city. Ít is an area were you see more farm developments and production related to this activity.