A gatekeeper waits for a woman at a gate nobody shuts any more
In 1829 Montevideo still lives inside a wall. At sundown it shuts the gates, and anyone who gets back late spends the night outside. For thirty years Celedonio has kept the small door in the San Pedro gate, the last one to close.
On 25 August a law leaves the gates open at night, and Celedonio's job is gone.
We made up Celedonio and the woman. The wall, its gates and the law of August 1829 are real.
This is how Celedonio's night begins
Todos los días, ya caído el sol, llegaba una mujer con el atado de ropa. Siempre la última. Él la dejaba pasar. Esta noche, en esa puerta, no hace falta nadie.
“Every day, once the sun was down, a woman came with her bundle of washing. Always the last. He let her through. Tonight nobody is needed at that door.”
You won't need to look at a map
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Uno.
Press play at the Puerta de la Ciudadela and start walking.
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Dos.
The story knows where you are and tells you when to turn.
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Tres.
Stay a while in a square and the story tells you more.
Down to the port, and back along where the wall used to run
It's the way Celedonio goes that night, to his own gate.
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Start
Puerta de la Ciudadela
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300 m in
Plaza Matriz
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700 m in
Plaza Zabala
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1.6 km in
Las Bóvedas
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Finish
Bartolomé Mitre and 25 de Mayo
Directions to the Puerta de la Ciudadela
Photos: Alicia Borisi (CC BY-SA 3.0) · Falk2 (CC BY-SA 3.0 de) · Artigas Pessio (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Braveheart (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Felipe Restrepo Acosta (CC BY-SA 4.0)
This part we didn't make up
About nine thousand people lived inside the wall.
map of 1829
The arch where you start still had walls on either side.
the Ciudadela, around 1870
This is where they voted to leave the gates open.
the Cabildo, 1907
Public domain images: José M. Reyes, 1829 · Centro de Fotografía de Montevideo · Dornaleche y Reyes, 1907
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In case you're still wondering
Where does it start and finish?
Starts at the Puerta de la Ciudadela, on the Plaza Independencia side. Ends at the corner of Bartolomé Mitre and 25 de Mayo, where the San Pedro gate stood, two blocks from where you started.
How long is it? Which day can I go?
It's 1.9 km, about 45 min at an easy pace. You pick the day when you book. Best late in the afternoon, while it's still light.
What if the day doesn't work out, or it rains?
You can move to another day for free, any time: reply to your booking email or write to hola@andante.uy. If it rains, just pick another day. And as long as you haven't started the walk, we'll refund you.
How much is it? Can two of us share?
$U 199. Two of you can share one booking and one phone, an earbud each. The app is free and installs from our site, no App Store or Google Play.
What headphones do I need?
Best if you can still hear the street. The street is part of the walk too.
What if I lose signal?
With data, it just plays. To walk without signal, download it before you go and the whole walk stays on your phone.
Will it drain my battery?
The screen stays on for the whole walk, because that's how your phone knows where you are. “Into the pocket” turns it black, which uses less power. Head out with a good charge.
Is it a recorded guided tour?
No. It's a story, Celedonio's night, and it happens on the streets you're walking. You don't need to know any history.
What if I want to stop, or I get lost?
Pause whenever you like and pick up where you left off. If you stray from the route, it tells you, and the map shows you the way back.
What people say about the walk
Book $U 199
Book for the day you choose, and we'll remind you the day before.
Free date changes · refund any time before you start