Salto has two city walking tours, each about 2 km long, but with different focuses: one visits historical and cultural sites, while the other follows the Costanera Sur. The walk through the port area covers just under three city blocks. These routes offer different landmarks to help you plan a stay in the city.

Walks through Culture, the Costanera and the Port

The historical and cultural walk begins at Plaza Artigas and Catedral San Juan Bautista. Along the way, it passes, among other places, the former Mercado 18 de Julio, the Museo de Bellas Artes, the Teatro Larrañaga and the Museo Arqueológico y de Ciencias Naturales. It ends at the Intendencia de Salto. This clearly identifies the starting point, stops along the way and destination—a useful guide if you want to focus on history and culture during your stay in the city.

The Costanera Sur circuit is also about 2 km long. Its stops include the monument to Horacio Quiroga and the Altar del Papa. Costanera Sur also has a terrace overlooking the Río Uruguay and a plaza honoring the saladero industry. This area thus combines river views with a tribute to local industrial history; the circuit also has different landmarks from the cultural route.

A third walk runs through Salto’s port area. Covering just under three city blocks, it leads from the government building past the customs station and the former railway pier and port, ending at Plaza de los Inmortales. The former Muelle Ferroviario was redeveloped as a modern breakwater on the Río Uruguay. The route also highlights the transformation of the port area, while its short sequence of named places offers different wayfinding landmarks from the two walks of about 2 km.

Theater and Historic Buildings

The Teatro Larrañaga opened in 1882 and was declared a National Historic Monument. Its auditorium has 600 seats in boxes, the stalls and the gallery. The theater thus combines a specific date in history with a clearly described layout of its auditorium.

The history of the Museo de Bellas Artes y Artes Decorativas María Irene Olarreaga Gallino is also tied to a particular building and a donation. In 1963, Luis Armstrong and María Irene Olarreaga Gallino donated their residence at Uruguay 1067 in the city center to the Intendencia de Salto, for use as the museum’s permanent home. The address and intended use place this museum story right in the heart of the city. Palacio Gallino was declared a National Historic Monument in 1999.

Literature and Finding Your Way Around the City

The Museo Horacio Quiroga is located in the former Quiroga family home, where the writer spent his childhood and youth. The exhibits include books, photographs and personal belongings; a wood carving containing Quiroga’s remains is also on display. The combination of the house’s history and its collection gives the site a specific literary connection: biography and museum objects are presented together.

Catedral Basílica San Juan Bautista is on Calle 25 de Agosto, between Uruguay and Artigas. It is also one of the starting points for the historical and cultural walk, which begins at Plaza Artigas. This street address adds a specific landmark to the route description, while the museums, theater and Costanera offer different themes to help you plan your stay in Salto.

For the broader travel overview: Departamento De Salto.