The Visit Salto Journal

Journal

Dispatches from the north of Uruguay — the river, the water, the campo and the people who live by them

Salto · Spring 2026

El rio Uruguay en Salto, con las gruas del puerto al fondo

Cover story · Noviembre 2026 · En español

El Papa vuelve al norte — León XIV en Paysandú, y el altar que Salto recuerda

El 7 de noviembre un Papa da misa a ciento veinte kilómetros de Salto. Paysandú ya no tiene camas y en Salto hay lugar — y el norte todavía recuerda el altar de eucalipto y paja que le levantó a Juan Pablo II en 1988.

Por Mathias Nicola · 12 minutos de lectura · Leer la nota →

In this issue

A crescent moon between the old port cranes of Salto, photographed by Marcelo Cattani

The interview · Spring 2026

Marcelo Cattani, who photographs Salto

Interview · Salto, Uruguay

A hot-springs pool at dusk in Salto, Uruguay

Wellness · Health · Hot Springs

The Waters of Salto — What They Are, What They Do, and Who They Are For

Hot Springs · Salto, Uruguay · 5 min read

Golden hour on the Rio Dayman riverbank near Salto

Budget Travel · Backpacking

Salto for Backpackers — Hot Springs for US$5, a Boat Across the Border, and a Day Under US$45

Budget Travel · South America · 8 min read

Aerial view of the Rio Uruguay and its wooded banks at Salto

Travel Inspiration · Itineraries

The Country Everyone Skips — Five South American Itineraries That Include Salto

Route Planning · South America · 10 min read

A small boat crossing the Rio Uruguay at first light near Salto

Travel Tips · Route Planning

Where to Relax Between Patagonia and Iguazu Falls

Travel Guide · Salto, Uruguay · 6 min read

The towers of Salto cathedral against a sunset sky

Travel Inspiration · Off the Map

The 5 Most Overlooked Destinations in South America

Travel Inspiration · South America · 8 min read

A red sun setting over the Rio Uruguay at Salto

Nature · The River

Sunsets in Salto — Where the Sun Sets Over Another Country

Nature · Río Uruguay · 7 min read

An old tree trunk and undergrowth in the gallery forest near Salto

Wildlife · Nature

Native Wildlife of Salto — The Animals of the Campo and the River

Wildlife · Salto, Uruguay · 8 min read

A heron flying over an old house and a lapacho in bloom near Salto

Birdwatching · Nature

Birdwatching in Salto — Where the River Comes Alive

Birdwatching · Río Uruguay & Wetlands · 5 min read

A diver descending into Cantera El Terrible near Salto Grande

Adventure · Nature

El Terrible — Diving the Quarry That Built a Dam

Adventure · Salto Grande, Uruguay · 5 min read

A dorado leaping out of the Rio Uruguay

Chasing the Dorado — King of the Río Uruguay

Fishing · Río Uruguay · 5 min read

Blue hour at the port of Salto, a sailboat moored by the old pier

River · Border · Salto, Uruguay

Ten Minutes Across Eternity — The Lancha Between Salto and Concordia

Río Uruguay · 7 min read

Concordia, Argentina, seen across the Rio Uruguay from Salto

Day Trip · Argentina · The Border

Concordia, Across the River — A Day Trip from Salto (and How to Get Back)

Río Uruguay · 8 min read

Hands holding a bunch of Tannat grapes in a Salto vineyard

Tannat — How a Basque Grape Became Uruguay's Soul

Wine · Uruguay · 5 min read

Rows of young trees at dusk in the Salto countryside

The Olive Groves of Salto

Agriculture · Salto Region · 4 min read

Sunset clouds mirrored in the still water of the Rio Dayman near Salto

Tradition · Culture

Mate — The Cup That Uruguay Passes Around

Tradition · Salto, Uruguay · 6 min read

Autumn trees reflected in still water near Salto

Golf on the Edge of the River

Golf · Salto Region · 4 min read

Luis Suarez and Edinson Cavani celebrating a goal for Uruguay

Sport & Culture

Suárez, Cavani & La Maravilla Negra

Football · Salto, Uruguay · 7 min read

Two tango dancers in a close embrace on stage in Salto

Music · Culture · Tango

Gardel & Leguisamo — The King of Tango Comes to Salto

Tango · Salto, Uruguay · 5 min read

A pink lapacho in bloom on the riverbank of the Rio Uruguay at Salto

Literature · Culture

Horacio Quiroga — The Poe of the Jungle

Literature · Salto, Uruguay · 6 min read

Self-supporting brick vaults by Eladio Dieste rising over a stone wall in Salto

Architecture · Legacy

Eladio Dieste — The Engineer Who Made Brick Fly

Architecture · Salto, Uruguay · 8 min read

A herd of horses driven down a dusty track at sunset in the Salto countryside

History · 1846

Garibaldi's Last Stand — The Battle of San Antonio

February 8, 1846 · Salto, Uruguay · 6 min read

Red seats and gilded boxes inside the Teatro Larranaga, Salto

Legend · History

García Lorca — A Legend in Salto

Legend & Memory · Salto, Uruguay · 4 min read

A full moon rising behind a bare tree near Salto

Estancia La Aurora — Uruguay's Most Enigmatic Story

Mystery · Salto, Uruguay · 5 min read