uruguay then.
the uruguayan beaches will be rather deserted from end of feb onwards. there is always a mass exodus from the cities to the beachside in december, and the wave goes back in feb/march. the weather is also quite unpredictable around then, so not necessarily very good for the beach as it's not going to be that hot (unlike rio, which should be nice and warm!) and if you're unlucky can get a bit rainy and windy. having said that, some of the beaches are very pretty and it can be nice to hang out with the place more to yourself.
the most beautiful place to visit is cabo polonio, all the way to the eastern coast near the border with brazil. this is a very hippy type hangout, you don't really go there for the crowds/parties (although in jan/feb it should be quite buzzy), more for endless contemplation, maybe a spliff and a chat with the local sea-lions.
around there you also have the very peaceful resort of la paloma, which has a nice campsite (i think, i was last there when i was a wee child)
the biggest resort is punta del este, which may still have some life (in terms of bars/clubs) at the end of the season, as it is the most international site. this is a place for posing and partying with the beautiful people. much more materialistic than the cabo...
maybe worth a visit is piriapolis which has a very grand spa hotel and a casino too!
the countryside is also lovely if you're into that. i'm sure you can find horseriding places, although i don't know any off the top of my head. a nice place to visit is "minas", which is the hilliest part of uruguay (not really THAT hilly) very very very quiet, but you can explore and find shaded rivers to swim naked in if you fancy.
to the north of the country you have thermal baths arapey, dayman, with more or less fancy hotels, if you want some r&r.
if you're coming from bs as, you may have a wander round colonia which is one of the oldest towns in the south. very pretty, but very small too, so you can just spend a day there.
and finally, montevideo itself.
you'll love it. it's a very pretty city, small enough to get to know it, but full of different things too. it's got a bar/pub/restaurant/club in almost every corner, and there's always something going on (although because of the aforementioned exodus, it can be a bit more quiet jan/early feb). montevideo has its own carnival, a much smaller affair than the rio thing, but with it's own flavour too. you can catch some murgas, which are groups of men singing political songs in harmonies dressed as pierrots (!), see the parade, etc. you must spend some time in the ciudad vieja, in particular round the port, in the mercado del puerto, a converted train station full of food stalls, artists, etc. walking down the rambla (the seafront), watching all the people also walking down, drinking mate, eating ice-creams, gossiping. there are some museums, lovely parks, etc. but really for me it's all about walking around, people watching, and going to bars for long conversations into the early hours.
see also: answer to the question: anywhere to stay in uruguay between brazil and argentina, with a beach?
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