Chui (Brazil) or Chuy (Uruguay) is a small town that is split as a border between Brazil and Uruguay. It’s often a pit stop for travelers traveling from Brazil to Uruguay or vice-versa.
“Avenue Internacional” is the main street of the town. On the Uruguayan side, the road is called Avenida Brasil and on the Brazilian side, the road is called Avenida Uruguay. Many roads around this city have names of other countries. The road is quite narrow for two trucks to pass together, apparently this is the border between the two Latin American countries.
On one side of the street the sign boards are in Portuguese and Brazilian Reals is used and on the other Uruguayan Pesos are used to buy things from shops which has its name in Spanish.
On the Brazilian side the street is lined up with supermarkets and on the Uruguayan side Duty Free Shops sell almost everything at an enormously low price.
What To See:
Chuy is not a prominent place to visit, though spending a day would give you enough time to explore the town and it’s alluringly beautiful neighborhood.
Furte San Miguel is a popular attraction which sits 7 km (4.3 Miles) to the west of Chuy. Fuerte San Miguel is an old fort which could be reached from Chuy by bus or just by hitch-hiking. Furte San Miguel was built was built between 1734 and 1737, during the Portuguese era in the country. It offers a spectacular view of mountains forming the boundary with Brazil.
Where To Stay:
Etnico Hostel is the best pick, its open all around the year whereas many of them stay closed during off-peak season (March-October).
The hostel rents out dorms for USD 11 a night and offers a free breakfast. Its located on the Uruguayan side of the town, a few meters away from the main street Avenue Internacional.
Getting In and Out:
Chuy is accessible both from Uruguay and Brazil by bus. There are frequent services to both sides. The bus stop is just a few meters away from the main street.
Busses to and from Porto Alegre (Brazil) stops here, make sure to have your passport stamped before entering the town, an 8 hours ride to Porto Alegre would cost approximately BRL 130 (USD 36).
Busses to Punta Del Diablo the beach town in Uruguay, departs from the Uruguayan side of the town. The 45 minutes ride would cost about UYU 94 (USD 3).
Very interesting to find a town split between two places! I haven’t been to either Brazil or Uruguay but hope to visit soon. Good to know if we have time to spend here that the neighbourhood is beautiful and that we should explore.
It’s always nice to know about these sort of in between places. They often get ignored in guides, but sometimes they are important to have more information on when you need to stop there. Thanks for sharing!
I’ve never been to Brazil or Uruguay, but would love to visit Chui/Chuy and experience the joint culture. Thx for sharing.
I’ve never seen a feature on a town split by a border, Chui/Chuy looks like an interesting place to wander if you’re passing. Would love to see what the view is like from the fort!