Uruguay was a quiet, pleasant surprise during our 2019 South America trip. We went to Montevideo and worked remotely from an Airbnb as we quietly figured out the peaceful city.
Montevideo is calm in a way most South American capitals aren't. Walkable, safe, with a great food scene and almost no tourists relative to bigger cities like Buenos Aires. Our go-to dinners were Terracota (modern, beautiful room, our favorite), BocaNegra Vinos & Tapas, La Perdiz for the parrilla, and Café del Puerto on the harbor. Say Cheese is a cute little spot for a light lunch. We did a food tour with a local guide that hit a bunch of places we'd never have found on our own — totally worth it.
The city itself doesn't have a single iconic 'must-see' the way Rio or Buenos Aires does — no postcard. It's more of a 'live like a local for a couple of weeks' city than a sightseeing city. Long walks along the Rambla (the seaside promenade), good coffee, the Mercado del Puerto for grilled meat, and the slightly sleepy energy of a country where the president famously gave away most of his salary. If you've got time to fit a quieter, gentler stop into a South America trip, this is the one.