Google Street View Updates Uruguay Maps After an Eleven-Year Wait
Google Street View has begun displaying updated panoramic imagery across Uruguay, replacing visual records that in many regions had remained unchanged for over a decade. The fresh photography, captured between March 2025 and June 2026, marks the first major overhaul of the platform’s Uruguayan database since an initial nationwide mapping project in 2015, Virtual Streets reported.
The rollout was confirmed by the specialized tracking site Virtual Streets on October 30, following months of anticipation after Google initially announced a global refresh for nearly 80 countries in September 2024. Prior to the update, major urban corridors—including sections of Montevideo—still displayed scenes from 2015, such as the Antel Arena under construction and the former location of the Cinemateca on 18 de Julio Avenue, according to Montevideo Portal.
Urban Transformations Across Punta del Este and Maldonado
In the department of Maldonado, the new Street View data captures a decade of intensive real estate development, commercial rebuilding, and infrastructure projects. One of the most visible changes involves the former Hotel San Rafael site facing Playa Brava in Punta del Este. While the 2015 imagery preserved the red-brick building surrounded by gardens, the new June 2025 captures show substantial progress on the Cipriani Resort, Residences & Casino project following the hotel’s demolition in April 2019.
Further along the coast at Parada 1 of La Brava, the surroundings of the famous La Mano sculpture appear significantly altered. Between 2017 and 2018, authorities installed a wooden boardwalk to protect local dunes and improve visitor access, pairing those measures with monument restoration and upgrades to the Paseo de las Américas. Inland, Punta Shopping reflects a different timeline of recovery: the complex was rebuilt following an August 2022 fire and reopened in December 2023, with anchor tenant Tienda Inglesa resuming operations in November 2024.
Along Roosevelt Avenue, Atlántico Shopping opened its doors on December 15, 2023, completely reshaping a commercial zone that looked entirely different in the 2015 archives. Residential landscapes also shifted with the relocation of families from the former Kennedy settlement to housing near the Perimetral and Líber Seregni avenues, clearing the way for the demolition of the old shantytown. Public spaces similarly evolved with the 2018 renovation of El Jagüel park, the 2020 opening of Pueblo Gaucho on Aparicio Saravia Avenue, and the inauguration of the Punta del Este Convention Center in 2016.
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Infrastructure and Expansion in Piriápolis, San Carlos, and Beyond
Beyond Punta del Este, the mapping vehicle fleet documented coastal and interior upgrades throughout Piriápolis, San Francisco, Punta Colorada, and Punta Fría during June 2025. Workers overhauled the local rambla, improved paving, cycling lanes, pedestrian pathways, drainage, and lighting, and inaugurated a new illumination system for the historic seawall in December 2023. Pan de Azúcar modernized its 19 de Abril Plaza, while San Carlos upgraded Rocha and Sarandí avenues alongside rural connectors like Camino Eguzquiza and Camino Medellín.
The nationwide mapping effort also integrated areas that were previously omitted from Street View entirely. Virtual Streets reported that the Brazilian firm PAVESYS Engenharia handled the photographic survey using portable cameras mounted on pickup trucks, later supplementing them with DustBuster DBV1 cameras approved by the Unidad Reguladora de Servicios de Comunicaciones (Ursec). This hardware enabled vehicles to reach previously unmapped peripheral neighborhoods such as Siñeriz and Mandubí in Rivera, new sectors of Tacuarembó, and smaller interior towns including Tranqueras, Lascano, Guichón, Mariscala, and Belén.
Frequently Asked Questions About the 2025 Street View Refresh
How can users compare the old 2015 imagery with the new 2025 photographs?
Users can access Google Maps, enter Street View mode on a supported street, and select the “See more dates” feature where available. The tool displays the specific month and year of each capture, allowing individuals to contrast historical scenes with recent updates.
Are all streets and towns across Uruguay updated in this release?
No, coverage varies by location. While major cities and new rural routes—such as Route 98 in Treinta y Tres—have received recent captures, certain secondary roads and remote areas still display older material from the original 2015 survey.
When exactly were the new photographs captured?
The photographic campaigns took place across different windows depending on the region, spanning from March 2025 through June 2026. Maldonado imagery was largely captured in June 2025, while departments like Paysandú and Salto feature February 2026 data.
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