The South American Destination Anthony Bourdain Called The World's Most Underrated

When National Geographic asked the late celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain which country he considered the most underrated, the global gourmand didn't hesitate: Uruguay. "Everyone from Argentina knows how cool it is because they fill the place up during the season, but other than them, the rest of the world has yet to catch on," he explained. "It's a very laid-back place, the people are really nice, the beaches are incredible, and there's great food."

This is the same famously globetrotting eater who rhapsodized about fine dining at Paris' Le Dome and fell in love with an artichoke dish at Rome's Osteria del 1931, so Bourdain has the cred to make foodies sit up and pay attention. The TV host traveled to Uruguay twice on air, first in 2008 for Season 4 of "No Reservations," then again in 2018 for Season 11 of "Parts Unknown." In his show notes on the latter, he compared the romantic capital city of Montevideo, with its graceful colonial architecture, to old Havana in Cuba.

You don't hear much about Uruguay in the news, and that's a good thing. This largely secular, politically liberal South American nation sandwiched on the coast between Brazil and Argentina is enlightened, prosperous, and stable. Heck, even the CIA says Uruguay is among the freest countries on the continent. Add to that pristine beaches and a cosmopolitan capital city that's a foodie mecca (did we mention that the national dish is barbecue?) and it sounds almost too good to be true.

Bourdain, an avowed meat-lover, felt right at home in Uruguay, which he described as "a tough place for vegetarians." Indeed. The country is 80% grasslands, so beef is king and the national dish is asado, or barbecue. On his first visit to a traditional parillada, or Uruguayan grill, a hole-in-the-wall market stall called Estancia del Puerto (pictured above), he and his brother Chris tucked into a big metal tray brimming with beef, pork, and sausage: The traditional mixed-grill asado. Elated, Bourdain declared the meal to be "a glorious, joyous miasma of meat-ness."

The legendary TV personality had a lot of tricks for finding the best local eateries when traveling, so it's no wonder he found Chiviteria Marcos in the beach town of Punta del Este, which serves an epic version of the Uruguayan national sandwich, the Chivito (Spanish for "baby goat"). This monumental sando proved almost too much even for Captain Carnivore himself. The counterpart to the American hamburger, it's a mayo-slathered bun piled high with beef, ham, bacon, egg, cheese, lettuce, tomato, olives and any number of other creative condiments. It's a mountain of a sandwich, and Bourdain compared eating one to climbing Mount Everest, calling it a "terror-inspiring heap of protein." 

Uruguay's beaches also earned Bourdain's high praise. As a bonus, being below the equator, the seasons are reversed, making Uruguay a perfect winter getaway for North Americans. Montevideo itself is a coastal city whose 13-mile Rambla is lined with beaches, but there are many more.

In the resort town of Punta del Este, you'll find Uruguay's favorite photo op, La Mano, a whimsical sculpture of a set of fingers rising up through the sand as if a giant were digging his way out from below (pictured at top). This town has been compared to Ibiza, Monaco and St. Tropez for its swanky assortment of nightlife, casinos, restaurants, galleries, and beachfront hotels. This is where people from Buenos Aires flock for vacation in January and February, making for prime people-watching. But the small former fishing village of Jose Ignacio is truly sensational. This is where Bourdain's friend, celebrity Argentine chef Francis Mallmann, has opened several restaurants, including Chiringuito, featuring an open grill right on the sand.

At the other end of the spectrum, Cabo Polonio (pictured) is a beach village so completely off the grid that you must ride in the back of a truck over roadless dunes to get there. On this gorgeous, windswept beach dotted with quaint, whitewashed cottages, you'll stay in a hostel without electricity, and be glad of it when the stars come out at night as you sit around a bonfire.