{"id":5867,"date":"2025-02-20T16:46:57","date_gmt":"2025-02-20T19:46:57","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/uruguaynatural.com\/es\/places\/\/"},"modified":"2026-04-16T10:32:08","modified_gmt":"2026-04-16T13:32:08","slug":"melo","status":"publish","type":"places","link":"https:\/\/uruguaynatural.com\/en\/places\/melo\/","title":{"rendered":"Melo"},"author":5,"template":"","place-categories":[92,86,81],"class_list":["post-5867","places","type-places","status-publish","hentry","place-categories-cerro-largo","place-categories-ciudades","place-categories-norte"],"acf":[],"primary_title":"<h1><span class=\"highlight highlight--verde\">Melo<\/span><\/h1>","short_description":"Located in the central part of the Cerro Largo department and just 60 kilometers from Brazil, the city of Melo is marked by the cultural mix that characterizes border towns. Its carnivals, heavily influenced by the rhythms of the neighboring country, are famous. Simultaneous fluency in Spanish and Portuguese is a constant characteristic of most of its residents.","description":"<span style=\"font-size: medium;\">Among its tourist attractions, Constitution Square stands out, home to a monument to national hero General Jos\u00e9 Gervasio Artigas and the Cathedral, founded in 1876. Independence Square, also located in the city center, is the place where family and friends gather on weekends. The parks and green spaces, very close to downtown, are another highlight of Melo, especially for those who enjoy spending time outdoors.<\/span>\r\n<p align=\"left\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\">Find your way!<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p align=\"left\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\">Municipal Zoo\r\nLocated across Rivera Park, along Route 26, this is undoubtedly one of the children\u2019s favorites. Visitors can see native animals from Cerro Largo, as well as species from other parts of the world, such as lions, monkeys, llamas, caimans, and pheasants. Just steps from the zoo is the historic Bartolo Silva Ranch, where General Fructuoso Rivera, the first President of the Republic, passed away.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p align=\"left\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\">Regional Historical Museum\r\nLocated on Constitution Square at the corner of General Artigas and 18 de Julio, this museum, considered the most important in Melo, showcases fascinating historical documents about the department, as well as photographs, uniforms, weaponry, and archaeological pieces from native cultures.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p align=\"left\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\">Zorrilla de San Mart\u00edn Park\r\nOn the banks of Conventos Stream, this park features two Spanish-style courtyards with beautiful original tiles, and is also home to the Municipal Summer Theater (which can host an audience of 3,000 spectators), playgrounds, the iconic Frog Fountain, and the Melo Rowing Club.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p align=\"left\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\">El Cordob\u00e9s Ranch\r\nThis historic ranch, located 130 kilometers from Melo and 30 kilometers from Santa Clara de Olimar via Route 38, houses the General Aparicio Saravia Museum, as it was once the residence of the legendary nationalist leader. The main house is a typical 19th-century country construction with tiled roofs and thick stone walls. Inside, visitors can find various documents and objects from that period.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p align=\"left\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\">House of Juana de Ibarbourou\r\nVisiting the birthplace of Uruguay\u2019s most famous poet, and one of the most renowned in the continent, is a must for anyone coming to Melo. The home preserves its original furnishing and objects, including the fig tree under which she wrote her first poems. The house-museum is located at 317 Treinta y Tres Street.<\/span><\/p>","primary_image":"[{\"id\":6401,\"url\":\"https:\/\/uruguaynatural.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/melo-expandido.png\"}]","secondary_image":"[{\"id\":5872,\"url\":\"http:\/\/uruguaynatural.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Melo-cabezal.jpg\"}]","gallery_images":"[]","enable_map":"","coord_lat":"","coord_lng":"","locations":"[]","department":"Montevideo","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/uruguaynatural.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/places\/5867","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/uruguaynatural.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/places"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/uruguaynatural.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/places"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/uruguaynatural.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/uruguaynatural.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5867"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"place-categories","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/uruguaynatural.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/place-categories?post=5867"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}