Cerro Picudo: typical hill landscape of Uruguay
Uruguay is not a country with great heights, but of important hills, such as Cerro Picudo, which rises 100 meters in an area of vast plain. This hill reminds us of the beak of a bird and a sample of the typical hill landscape of the department. A forest reserve composed of centenary trees: eucalyptus, ceibos, pines, willows, crown and palm trees, which in past times was the habitat of our cougar "the American lion".
During the walk to the hill, it is possible to find some specimens of the only reserve that exists of criollo cattle, historical breed that maintains the genetics of the first cattle introduced by the Spaniards during the American conquest.
From the top of Cerro Picudo it is possible to enjoy a panorama of great diversity, which comprises the Laguna Merín, the zigzagging stream San Miguel, the town of 18 de Julio, Chuy, rice crops favored by the existence of large marshes and the Fortaleza de Santa Teresa. In addition, watch a varied amount of birds, such as crows of red or black head, which perform their acrobatic flights, while other animals observe with curiosity the presence of tourists. Up there, the silence reigns only altered by the song of the birds.
How to get to Cerro Picudo?
By route 19, 15 kilometers from the city of Chuy and a few miles from the historic Fuerte San Miguel, you can enter walking and then ascend to the top through the natural difficulties of the hill, along a marked path.
The path begins at the side of Fuerte San Miguel, where the Museo Criollo (Criollo Museum) and the Museo Indígena (Indigenous Museum) are also located. The road at the beginning is quite open, with many rocky outcrops, to start closing little by little, transforming itself near the hill into a dense indigenous forest. The walk from Fuerte San Miguel to Cerro Picudo takes no more than 30 minutes.
Recommendations
- Wear comfortable shoes.
- Take enough water to hydrate during the journey.
- If your visit is during spring or summer, use sunscreen and a hat.
- Must-take: camera.
