Colonia del Sacramento

Colonia (Colonia de Sacramento) is a small colonial style town situated at the mouth of the River Plata in southern Uruguay. It was an important town as it was on the border between the Portuguese colony in the north that would become Brazil and the Spanish colony of the vice-royalty of the River Plata which would become Argentina. The strategic location on the river, which was important for transport and trade, means it was much fought over and changed between the two colonies many times. Nowadays, the town is quite small and its importance is linked to the fact that it is a huge tourist town ... more

I visited Colonia Del Sacremento (Uruguay) as a day trip from Buenos Aires in January 2010. Colonia is situated in the south of Uruguay and has earned UNESCO status for its historic significance as a city of strategic importance in the battles between the Portuguese settlers and the Spanish invaders. What has resulted is a charming little town which preserves the Portuguese and Spanish influences in a wonderful fusion of cultures. ***Getting there*** We got to Colonia from Buenos Aires on the Buquebus ferry where we left at 0845 and arrived in Colonia at 10am. We did take the express ferry ... more

If you visit Argentina, I think that it worth crossing the Rio de la Plata (River Plate) to visit Uruguay. And colonia is a good option. It takes an hour or two, depending on the ferry you choose to cross the river. Buquebus is the name of the company that organizes this travels that can also include a lunch in a farm, or in a restaurant inside the old city, or even a night in a hotel. The price for a whole day including the meal and the tour is about 40 pounds, depending on the menu for the lunch (the farm option is more expensive). Colonia used to be the old capital of the country. The ... more