Salvo Apartments

The tour takes about 45 minutes and includes a room about the history of the famous tango song. I found it a really unusual and interesting way to learn about the building’s past, including why it stopped being a hotel and why some of its features were changed. A good way to spend part of your time in the city.

The rooftop views are a highlight, with a sweeping look across Montevideo from high above. The tour lasts around 45 minutes, goes through some of Palacio Salvo’s most significant floors, and finishes up on the roof. You have to buy tickets in person, and some daytime tours are in English. Inside, the Tango Museum adds an interesting look at tango’s history and its cultural importance in the region. With its striking architecture, history, and views, this is a memorable visit for anyone interested in the city’s past and culture.

I went on a guided tour in English on Wednesday afternoon. Learning about the building’s history was really interesting, and the views from the top floor were spectacular. There’s also a room about the history of the famous tango song. A great way to spend 60 minutes in the city.

Palacio Salvo is Montevideo’s most iconic piece of architecture. It was once South America’s tallest building, standing 5 meters above its “twin,” Palacio Barolo in Buenos Aires. Both were designed by the same Italian architect, Mario Palanti. Supposedly, their rooftop beacons were meant to connect Buenos Aires and Montevideo, but an optical miscalculation meant the lights never met. The building uses Eclectic-Art Nouveau, a style popular from the late 19th century into the start of the 20th. You can find echoes of Renaissance, Gothic, and Neoclassical architecture in it, but not the typical features of those styles. The many curves are like flower petals, giving the design a sense of flow and movement instead of rigid lines and sharp corners.