Carmelo, Uruguay tide times

Predictions: Open-Meteo Marine (MeteoFrance SMOC, 0.08° grid) — heights relative to MSL (not chart datum / LAT). Model-derived.

Model-derived from a global ocean grid. Useful indication; expect about ±45 minutes on average vs. a local harmonic gauge, individual stations vary widely. See /methodology for per-region detail. Not for navigation.

Conditions as of 19:00 local time. Refreshes daily.

Predictions: Open-Meteo Marine (MeteoFrance SMOC, 0.08° grid) — heights relative to MSL (not chart datum / LAT). Model-derived. · Not for navigation.

The angler tradition for major/minor fishing windows: major ≈3-hour windows around moon transit and opposition; minor ≈2-hour windows around moonrise and moonset. Times are America/Montevideo local. Folk tradition, not a scientific forecast.

Next spring tide on Wed 20 May (range 1.5m). Last neap on Tue 19 May. Next neap on Sat 23 May.

Spring tides cluster around new and full moons (biggest swings). Neap tides land on quarter moons (smallest swings). See the spring tide and neap tide glossary entries for the why.

Carmelo is a small city of 20,000 on the Arroyo Las Vacas, a creek that meets the Río de la Plata 2 km below the town centre, in Uruguay's Colonia department. The marina on the arroyo is one of the most used river marinas on the Uruguayan side of the estuary — a mix of Argentinian and Uruguayan cruising boats, fishing pangas, and the occasional bluewater yacht on the Buenos Aires–Montevideo coastal run. The surrounding Colonia department has become the primary Uruguayan wine-producing region, with tannat and merlot vineyards on the rolling countryside 10–20 km inland from the coast. The Río de la Plata here is not a tidal ocean coast but a wind-dominated estuarine system. Open-Meteo Marine provides forecast data — the ±45-minute timing and ±0.2–0.3 m height accuracy applies to the modelled tidal component, but wind-driven water level change is the dominant variable. Sudestadas (persistent SE winds) raise levels 1–2 m; northwest winds draw water down. The arroyo itself behaves as a tidal creek with the estuary driving a bidirectional flow, though the true tidal amplitude is small compared to the wind setup. For anglers, Carmelo is the primary dorado and pejerrey fishing base on the Colonia coast. The confluence of the Arroyo Las Vacas with the Río de la Plata, and the rocky islets and channel bends immediately north on the Río Uruguay, are productive dorado ground from October through April. Pejerrey school along the estuary margins year-round and are caught in numbers from the marina dock and from boats drifting the sandy shallows. Local fishing guides operate from the marina; they provide boats, tackle, and knowledge of the current fish locations that makes a significant difference compared to independent fishing. Boat-based wine touring is a distinctive Carmelo activity: several vineyards within 15 km of town (including Establecimiento Juanicó and Bodega Irurtia) accept visits, and Carmelo's marina makes the combination of an estuary cruise and winery lunch a logical day structure. The ferry to the Argentine shore (Tigre) also operates from Carmelo, making it a functional crossing point between the two countries for travellers without a vehicle. Kayakers use the Arroyo Las Vacas as a sheltered paddling circuit: the creek runs 8–10 km inland through willow-shaded banks before the current becomes too shallow. Outgoing tide (the estuary-driven ebb) assists the downstream return. Early morning on the arroyo produces excellent bird activity: ringed kingfisher, yellow-billed cardinal, and the occasional snail kite are reliably seen. Capybara use the creek margins and are a reliable sighting on dawn paddles. The costanera along the Río de la Plata shore just downstream of the arroyo mouth gives broad views across the brown estuary to the low Argentine shore on the opposite side. The ferry terminal and the yacht marina create a functional but pleasant waterfront — not manicured tourism but a working river port with character.