Río Branco is a small border town in northeastern Uruguay, sitting on the Yaguarón River across from the Brazilian city of Jaguarão. The Barón de Mauá International Bridge connects the two countries here — 2,113 metres of arches and pilings built between 1927 and 1930, one of the longest bridges in South America at the time and still an impressive piece of engineering to walk across.
The town has the unhurried feel of a place where two cultures quietly blend — you will hear as much Portuguese as Spanish in the streets. The duty-free zone on the Uruguayan side draws shoppers from across the border, and on weekends the bridge becomes busy with Brazilians crossing for alcohol, cosmetics, and electronics at Uruguayan prices.
The surrounding countryside is flat rice-farming land crisscrossed by wetlands, and the area is known for its abundant birdlife. The Yaguarón River wetlands south of town are worth a few hours for anyone interested in waterbirds — herons, ibises, spoonbills, and caimans are all visible from the road along the river bank. Río Branco itself is modest, but it gives a glimpse of rural Uruguayan life far from the beaches and bustle of the coast.