# Mercedes (Uruguay)

Mercedes is the capital of the department of Soriano, Uruguay, located at the north of the department, on the south bank of Rio Negro. The city has 41,975 inhabitants (2011). It's a quiet town that offers water activities such as fishing and water sports, attractive natural landscapes and an interesting cultural agenda.

## Get in
### By car

The city is connected by national highways No. 2, 14 and 21:
* : from the southeast connects with Route 1 from Montevideo → Cardona → Rosario, and from the north Fray Bentos ← Gualeguaychú (Argentina) through the Argentina National Route 136, crossing the General San Martin International Bridge.
* : from the east communicates with Durazno → Trinidad (across Route 3).
* : Mercedes connects from the south with Carmelo → Colonia del Sacramento → Nueva Palmira → Dolores.

### By bus

The city is connected to several neighboring cities and Montevideo through regular bus services that depart and arrive at the Mercedes Terminal, located in the southern part of the city, in front of Plaza Artigas. On the website of the terminal can be consulted available bus services and their frequency.

### By plane

Mercedes has a small airport:
* -33.24924-58.07391 Departmental Aerodrome Ricardo Detomasi (OACI: SUME)

## Get around

Because the city is small and covers little area, very often to go from one place to another place of the city is enough by going on foot. To go to farther destinations or the outskirts of the city is worth to use a transport service.

### By taxi

Mercedes has taxi and remise services that cover the entire city:
* Taxi 1313, ☏ +598 4532 1313.
* Taxi Guigou, ☏ +598 4532 3157.
* Fono Taxi, ☏ +598 4533 0300.
* Taxi Plaza Independencia, ☏ +598 4532 2001.
* Remises del Hum, ☏ +598 4532 0100.
* Remises Mercedes, ☏ +598 4532 5800.

## See

* -33.248377-58.0338181 Library and Pinacotheca Eusebio Gimenez, Eusebio Gimenez s/n esq. 28 de Febrero. (updated Jan 2016)
* -33.246317-58.0483062 Guernica Park (delimited by the mouth of the Dacá creek, Rio Negro and Zorrilla de San Martin Av.). (updated Jan 2016)
* -33.248679-58.0300823 Catedral Nuestra Señora de las Mercedes, Manuel Antonio de Castro y Careaga st. w/n between Cristobal Colón st. and Gral. José Artigas st. (facing plaza Independencia).
* -33.255268-58.0280024 Centro Histórico y Geográfico de Soriano, Gral. Artigas st. 618 between Eduardo Casagrande and Pedro Blanes Viale st., centrohistorico@adinet.com.uy. W 09:00-11:00.
* -33.249389-58.0283715 Casa de la Cultura, Wilson Ferreira Aldunate st. and Ituzaingó st., ☏ +598 4532 2201. M-F 07:30-18:30; Sa Su 08:00-12:00, 17:00-21:00.
* -33.257919-58.0228246 Estadio Luis Koster. To see some football (soccer) matches.
* -33.243082-58.0652517 Castillo Mauá. 09:00-17:00. It is the center of the old ranch that purchased the Baron of Mauá the mid nineteenth century. It has a vineyard. Free. (updated Jan 2016)

## Do

* Birdwatching in the Rio Negro. (updated Jan 2016)
* -33.24924-58.07391 Paragliding (Escuela Alfa Parapente), ☏ +598 98 300 063. The flights depart from the Departmental Aerodrome Ricardo Detomasi. The flight costs U$1000, the learning course costs US$700.. (updated Jan 2016)
* -33.250636-58.07772 Complejo Polideportivo Ciudad de Mercedes (next door Aeródromo Departamental Ricardo Detomasi), facebook@polideportivomercedes.com. It is a racetrack for different categories of competition vehicles, such as automobiles or motorcycles. It has food services.

## Buy

* -33.250195-58.0290291 Ta-Ta Hiper Mercedes, Gral. José Artigas 341 esq. José Enrique Rodó, ☏ +598 4533 0427. Daily 08:00-22:00.
* -33.257144-58.0281112 Mercedes Shopping, Don Bosco 734, ☏ +598 4533 0510, info@mercedesshopping.com.uy. Shops and bus terminal.

## Eat

* -33.244424-58.032381 Restaurante Martiniano, José Batlle y Ordoñez Av. w/n between 18 de Julio st. and Cristobal Colón st., ☏ +598 4532 2649. (updated Jan 2016)
* -33.248467-58.0290972 Parrillada La Vaca, Manuel Antonio de Castro y Careaga st 780, ☏ +598 4532 8774.
* -33.248428-58.0286573 Parrillada La Churrasquera, Manuel Antonio de Castro y Careaga st w/n almost Ituzaingó st, ☏ +598 4532 4036.

## Drink

* -33.247667-58.0299961 Beep Bar, Eusebio Gimenez 731 (facing at north of the plaza Independencia), ☏ +598 99 250 665. (updated Oct 2017)

## Sleep

* -33.2451-58.03091 Mercedes Rambla Hotel, Asencio Av. 728, ☏ +598 4533 0696, info@mercedesramblahotel.com. from US$55 per night.
* -33.247869-58.0295962 Gran Hotel Brisas del Hum, Gral. José Artigas 209 (facing Plaza Independencia), ☏ +598 4532 9794. US$71 to 98.

## Cope

* -33.253733-58.040781 Hospital de Mercedes, Florencio Sánchez 204, ☏ +598 4532 2177 (int. 179), direccion.soriano@asse.com.uy.
* Secretariat of Tourism (Secretaría de Turismo), ☏ +598 4532 2201 (int. 2503), turismo@soriano.gub.uy.