Posted on 21/06/2019

#Ecotourism #Uruguay

Uruguay is the eco-friendly destination you've been looking for

Uruguay may be South America's second smallest country, but it's well ahead of its neighbours when it comes to environmental innovation.

At the forefront of sustainability

Since 2016, over 95% of Uruguay's electricity supply has been generated by renewable energy sources. Around the beautifully clean landscape of this South American country, you'll find wind farms, hydroelectric plants and fields filled with solar panels. Uruguay is the place to be for a clean, green, eco-friendly holiday, and we're going to show you why. - © Rui Baiao/123RF

Montevideo

Montevideo is the capital city of Uruguay, and is home to over a third of the country's entire population. The city is the world's sixth cleanest capital, and it shows. As you walk through the Montevideo, not only will you see barely any litter, you'll also be breathing some of the cleanest city air you've ever inhaled. Montevideo is also by the sea so you'll be able to smell that fresh, summery sea air all through its streets. - © Daniel Ferreira-Leites Ciccarino/123rf

Wind power

Uruguay's wind power supply is something that barely even existed a decade ago, and now it's one of the largest in the world. After a fairly dry few years in the early 2000s, Uruguay began to lose power in their hydroelectric plants, so they turned to wind instead. Today, there are around 30 wind farms dotted around the country, producing over a third of the country's total electricity supply! - © Daniel Ferreira-Leites Ciccarino/123rf

Hydroelectricity

The Uruguay River has such a volume and velocity that it has been responsible for a huge amount of the country's hydroelectric power supply since it opened in 1979. The Salto Grande Dam (pictured) and the section of the Uruguay River which feeds into it can be seen from space. This dam is shared between Argentina and Uruguay, as the river marks the border between the two countries. Hydro power in Uruguay comprises the majority of the country's renewable energy supply. - © Martin Schneiter/123rf

Carrasco International Airport

Montevideo's international airport may seem just like any other, but it's so much more than that. The airport has its own photovoltaic generation plant (solar panels) just beside the main terminal which provides the airport with its own supply of electricity. The airport aims to (and is on track to) become the first completely sustainable airport in the world, using solar panels which move with the sun to produce as much energy as possible. - © Daniel Ferreira-Leites Ciccarino/123rf

Protected waters

The waters off the south coast of Uruguay are a home and breeding ground for countless species of cetaceans, including the southern right whale. In 2013, the Uruguayan government voted to protect these waters, and thus began the creation of the Whale and Dolphin Sanctuary of Uruguay. This organisation aims to protect these endangered marine animals by reducing human impact and noise pollution. - © Ksenia Ragozina/123RF

Happy, healthy people

So why not head to Uruguay on your next holiday? You'll land in a nearly self-sufficient airport and stay in a hotel where you can rest easy knowing that the electricity you're using is supplied by renewable sources! And if that's not enough to convince you it's a great place, ask the locals. The Uruguayans are breathing cleaner, greener air, increasing their life expectancies and significantly reducing health risks. - © Daniel Ferreira-Leites Ciccarino/123rf