From Minas to Chuy in Uruguay

My motorcycle trip this time is from Minas to Chuy in Uruguay.

It’s a journey of about 260km.

I will stop at the Santa Lucia Fortress along the way.

I am leaving Minas.

I cross the San Francisco River and leave the city.

I will first head towards Maldonado, taking Highway 12.

I immediately entered Departomoneto Maldonado from Departomoneto Lavalleja.

Route 12 has ups and downs and curves, making it an enjoyable drive.

I merged onto Highway 9.

I turned left here and headed east towards Rocha.

Route 9 is a major road.

I crossed the Garzón River and entered Departomento Rocha from Departomento Maldonado.

This is the Garzón tollbooth.

Motorcycles are free, so I’ll go through the far right.

I have arrived in the town of Rocha.

I have visited Rocha before, so this time I will just pass through.

I will continue along Route 9.

I passed through beach resorts that get crowded in the summer, such as La Esmeralda.

And then I arrived at Fort Santa Teresa on Highway 9.

The entrance fee is $50, which is approximately USD 1.24.

I’ve finished sightseeing, so I’m heading back to Chuy.

There are about 30km left, so I’ll proceed at a relaxed pace.

There’s a customs office just before the town of Chuy.

If we were going to Brazil, we would complete the exit procedures here.

I’m not going north beyond Chuy this time, so I’ll just pass through here.

I’ll turn left and head towards Chuy’s city center.

If I go right, I can go to Brazil without going through the city.

And then I left the Centro…

I have arrived at Plaza de Artigas in the city center.

My trip this time involved a slight detour to visit Santa Teresa, but Highway 12 was the most enjoyable road I’ve traveled on in Uruguay.

The weather wasn’t great that day, and it was a bit chilly, but the close proximity of towns in Uruguay makes for a relaxed ride.

Date of travel: August 28, 2026