By road
Montevideo, ~180 km, about two and a half hours
South America · Uruguay
Colonia del Sacramento, Uruguay
Cobbled lanes and a Portuguese past across the river from Buenos Aires · Montevideo, ~180 km, about two and a half hours
Getting there
By air
Carrasco, Montevideo (MVD), ~180 km east
Best time to visit
October to April; spring and autumn weekends are the pleasantest
Don't miss
Barrio Histórico
Calle de los Suspiros
The lighthouse
Portón de Campo
Plaza Mayor
Basílica del Santísimo Sacramento
Real de San Carlos
Things to do
Wandering the Barrio Histórico
Climbing the lighthouse
Cycling the waterfront
A sunset drink on the river
Where to eat
Sources: Photo: rodoluca · CC BY-SA 3.0
What to pack
Comfortable shoes for the cobbles, a camera for the sunsets, a light layer for the ferry
A quieter corner
The old bullring at Real de San Carlos, a crumbling early twentieth-century arena on the edge of town
Questions travellers ask
When is the best time to visit Colonia del Sacramento?
October to April; spring and autumn weekends are the pleasantest. What to pack: Comfortable shoes for the cobbles, a camera for the sunsets, a light layer for the ferry.
How do I get to Colonia del Sacramento?
Fly into Carrasco, Montevideo (MVD), ~180 km east.
What is there to do in Colonia del Sacramento?
Wandering the Barrio Histórico, climbing the lighthouse, cycling the waterfront, a sunset drink on the river. A quieter find: The old bullring at Real de San Carlos, a crumbling early twentieth-century arena on the edge of town.
What should I eat in Colonia del Sacramento?
Asado at a courtyard parrilla, river fish, Uruguayan cheeses, Tannat wine, ice cream on the plaza.
About Colonia del Sacramento
- Riverside
Where it is
Colonia del Sacramento is a small city on the Uruguayan bank of the Río de la Plata, in the southwest of the country, facing Buenos Aires across the water.
History
Founded by the Portuguese in the late seventeenth century as a rival to Spanish Buenos Aires, Colonia changed hands between the two crowns several times before settling under Spanish rule. Its historic quarter, with Portuguese and Spanish houses on irregular cobbled streets, is a UNESCO World Heritage site and the oldest town in Uruguay.
People
Colonia is a quiet town of around thirty thousand whose residents live largely from tourism, the port and farming; day visitors from Buenos Aires fill the old quarter at weekends and the evenings belong to the locals.
Known for
- The Barrio Histórico
- Calle de los Suspiros
- The lighthouse over the river
- Day trips from Buenos Aires
Did you know?
The ferry from Buenos Aires crosses the river in about an hour, so the town is a common day trip from another country.
We haven't written a guide for this place yet — you can still plan a trip here.