Montevideo With Kids: Parks and Beaches

October 20, 2026

Children do well in Montevideo as long as the day is built around parks, a planetarium and short museum stops rather than long queues. This page sorts the family options by what the weather is doing and how much energy the group has. Prices are in Uruguayan pesos (UYU), where a bare “$” on a sign means pesos, and hours change, so check before you leave the hotel.

Before you go

Street crime such as bag-snatching does occur in the capital. Keep bags closed, hold phones out of sight and avoid walking downtown or around the port area alone, especially at night and at weekends. Take a taxi or a ride-hailing car after dark. A one-hour bus ticket is UYU 52 on the STM card and UYU 64 in cash.

Fine-weather mornings

Parque Villa Dolores, at Avenida General Rivera 3245, is the best all-round choice. The park opens Tuesday to Sunday from 09:00 to 18:30. It holds a small animal reserve, open Wednesday to Sunday from 09:00 to 17:30, and nothing opens on Mondays. The caged zoo that once stood here closed in 2014, so expect a quiet park with some animals rather than a zoo, and no big cats. The grounds also hold the inclusive Parque de la Amistad. Entry has been reported as free, but confirm at the gate, and read the Intendencia page for the park for the current hours.

Parque Rodo pairs a lake and lawns with an amusement park. A new roller coaster opened there on 20 April 2026, and the park also runs a drop ride called Caida Libre. Guides say the rides operate at weekends only, ride prices have not been confirmed, and one guide mentions pedal boats on the lake, so confirm before promising it to the children.

The Jardin Japones, in the grounds of the Museo Blanes at Avenida Millan 4015, covers about 3,000 square metres and opens Tuesday to Sunday from 10:00 to 18:00. Guides say it is free. It suits a calm hour for younger children.

Indoor and rainy-day options

The Planetario Municipal in Villa Dolores shows free presentations, but a reservation is required. Press reports from 2025 said bookings open on Tuesday at 18:00 for that week’s shows, so check the current rule. Espacio Ciencia, the science centre run by LATU, is in the Parque de Innovacion at Avenida Saldun de Rodriguez 2037. Reports from 2025 put a general ticket at UYU 400, and the displays are aimed at children from age 3. Check LATU’s site for hours.

The football museum under Estadio Centenario charges foreign adults UYU 400, and children under 12 go in free. It opens Monday to Saturday from 10:00 to 17:00 and Sunday from 11:00 to 15:00. Match days may change this, so look at the stadium’s museum page .

Beach afternoons

Pocitos and Ramirez both have lifeguards during the summer season, which has run from 15 November to 31 March over 19 beaches. The river is a brackish estuary, brown to green in colour, and nobody should expect clear water. Learn the flag system first: red with a green cross means a health risk and no bathing. Playa del Gas, Puerto del Buceo and Miramar are not set up for bathing at all. The city asks people to stay out of the water for 24 hours after rain, to avoid the streams that cross the sand and to keep children off sand marked by green residue. After an aguaviva (jellyfish) sting, avoid touching the spot, rinse with sea water and never rub it with sand. Current beach notices are published in the city’s bulletin on beach conditions .

Further out and at the table

Parque Lecocq, a municipal zoo-park of its own, lies at Kilometre 19.5 on Avenida Luis Batlle Berres. Its current hours and prices are not confirmed, and it has closed on occasion because of fire risk, so phone ahead. Mercado del Puerto is crowded at weekend lunch, so arrive before noon with children. Restaurants cut VAT from 22% to about 13% when you pay by card, which softens a family bill.

To compare guided family outings, browse GetYourGuide options in Montevideo .