Colonia


 * For the German town founded as "Colonia Ara Agrepinensis" and still known in some contexts as "Colonia" or derivatives, see Cologne.



Colonia del Sacramento is in southwestern Uruguay, across from Buenos Aires on the northern shore of the Rio de la Plata. Founded in 1680 as a Portuguese colony, Colonia's historic district is now a UNESCO World Heritage site, full of cobblestone streets lined with historic buildings.

Understand
Colonia del Sacramento (Nova Colonia do Santissimo Sacramento) was founded in 1680 by the Portuguese (Manuel Lobo), sandwiched in between the Portuguese colony of Brazil and the Spanish Vice Royalty of the River Plate (later Argentina, Uruguay and Southern Brazil). Its strategic position and use as a smuggling port meant that its sovereignty was hotly contested and the city changed hands several times between Spain and Portugal and was for a while also part of Brazil before the independence of Uruguay.

The city now has 25,000 inhabitants. Its old buildings and cobblestone streets preserved from the colonial days make it a popular destination for people from Buenos Aires on the opposite side of Rio de la Plata. It's especially popular as a weekend getaway for couples or as an attractive stop on a trip between Buenos Aires and Montevideo.

Orientation
Colonia's historic district (barrio histórico) is on a small peninsula pointing west, towards Buenos Aires. Walk east a bit and you'll be in the downtown area (centro), including the bus and ferry terminals. Going northwest is a beachfront path (rambla or costanera), taking you past residential areas, occasional hotels and restaurants, and views of the Rio de la Plata, for 4 km or so. Hotels and attractions are mostly concentrated in the historic district and downtown, aside from a few dotting the beach; the biggest tourist attraction outside of the compact, walkable central area is the old bullfighting ring (Plaza de Toros), a little over 4 km northwest of downtown.

Tourist information
There is a large tourist information center adjacent to the ferry terminal, a tourism booth in the bus terminal, a larger one in the basement of the cultural center two blocks from the terminals along Odriozola/Calle Florida and as well as a small office at the western terminus of Calle Manuel Lobo near the old city gate. Some brochures and other tourism information is also available in the Casa Nacarello museum next to the main square.

By bus
The is about 1 km east of the old town (or 1½ km south from the commercial downtown), not far from the port and is accessible by foot. Food, luggage storage, an ATM, and restrooms are available. The following companies offer intercity bus service to the terminal: Berrutti, COT, Grupo Agencia, Nossar, Ómnibus Colonia, and Turil.

There are almost hourly connections from Montevideo, with most buses leaving from Montevideo's Tres Cruces terminal. The ride takes 2½ to 3½ hours depending on stops and several bus companies operate the route. Expect to pay U$300–400 (Uruguayan pesos) for a one-way ticket as of July 2017. There are no two-way tickets, and if you are traveling to Colonia and back you will pay exactly as much as two single tickets.

Be careful with people telling you that all buses are booked out. This is in general not true, as you can also buy tickets on board if you don't have one when boarding the bus and there are places to stand on board if all the seats are full. A taxi is several times more expensive, and should probably be considered only in emergencies. For peace of mind, buy a bus ticket upfront to avoid rare disappointment - this would apply in the main tourist season in the Southern Hemisphere summer.

By car
Two major highways arrive in Colonia. Highway 1 unites Colonia with Montevideo and other destinations in the east. Highway 21 goes north to the Aarón de Anchorena National Park, and Fray Bentos, and is the one you will arrive along if you are driving overland from Argentina.

There is an airport 17 km east of the town and railway tracks leading into Colonia but plane and train transport have ceased operations.

By boat
Colonia is a good destination for visa runs for those people who wish to extend their stays in Argentina, and an easy day trip from Buenos Aires. The is around 1 km southeast of the old town, at the edge of the commercial downtown.


 * For details check out the comprehensive country level information.

Get around
The old city of Colonia, which holds the main attractions, is quite small. It can be easily walked in a single day. There are shops where you can rent bicycles or scooters which you can use to ride around the city or in to the countryside. Streets aren't always in perfect condition, so keep an eye on the road, especially cobbled ones.

The ferry and bus terminals are next to each other, about 500 m east of the old town (barrio historico) and about 1 km south of the city center. You can rent row and sail boats from the marina, and there are companies around the bus and ferry terminals that rent cars and golf carts.

By bus
There is a tour bus (information is available at the port) but it's probably not worth the money—most of Colonia's sights are within walking distance, and the few that aren't can be visited more cheaply by local bus or even by taxi.

There are two local bus companies, ABC and Sol Antigua. Most of their routes aren't too useful to tourists, but Sol Antigua's service to the old bullfighting ring is convenient. It starts in the old city, passes near the bus terminal, and takes you to the Plaza de Toros, for U$23. Look for the orange buses going to "Real de San Carlos".

By taxi
You'll see white taxis waiting around at convenient locations, like outside the bus station. You can also ask for a taxi at the information desk next to Ta-Ta supermarket at the shopping center. If you're in an out-of-the-way place or it's an unusual time of day, you can call one at +598 4522 2920 or +598 4522 9230. Fares are higher than in Montevideo—to get from the center to the bull ring is about U$200, for instance.

By electric car
Thrifty at the west end of the main road (Gral. Flores) just before the water rents electric 4/5 seater mini cars that are great for exploring the surroundings of Colonia and its beaches.

By motorbike
There is a motorbike rental company at the southwestern corner of Gral. Flores and Ituzaingó roads. Equally great for exploring the surroundings of Colonia if it's just one or two of you.

See
The main attraction in Colonia is its historic center, the lower part of the town which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It consists of lots of old buildings, many from the Portuguese colonial age. It's a lovely area to wander around. The old fort has played an important role in the wars against Argentina and Brazil, and the old city wall is worth seeing.

You will frequently encounter old cars parked on the streets of Colonia, the oldest of them being from the 1930s.

Streets and squares
Few of the streetscapes in Colonia's old town are not worth taking a photo of, but here are the most famous places:



The eight museums
There are eight small museums that can be visited with one ticket (U$50) which must be purchased in the Museo Municipal. Children under 12 are free. They are open 11:15-16:15. However, every museum is not open every day; each of them is closed one or two days a week. Because of this you'd have to stay two days if you want to see all museums. Also, photography is banned in all of them.



Do

 * Walk around: wander the old city center, or walk along the . The views of the water are lovely, and Colonia's sunsets are famously beautiful. At night you can see the glow from the city lights of Buenos Aires across the water. Watching the moon set at night is breathtaking as well.
 * Every year for the Independence Day celebrations around August 25, there's a festival including horse racing at the racetrack just west of the old bull ring.

Buy
The old city has several small boutiques, and all kinds of stores, including supermarkets, can be found on the downtown area's main street, Avenida General Flores.



If you need to change money, beware of the banks on Avenida General Flores, as some of them have outrageous exchange fees of up to 20%. HSBC has a bank at Calle Portugal with good exchange rates. Also Banco República at Calle General Flores in the historic district is a good place to change and withdraw money. Many places accept US dollars, Argentinian pesos, and Brazilian reais too, but as all but the real use the symbol "$", you'd better check which currency the price is listed in.

Eat


The old city is full of restaurants which serve the weekend tourist crowd from Buenos Aires. The specialties are Italian (pizza and pasta) and asado (barbecue). Fresh ice cream or Uruguayan specialties like chivitos are good choices too. If you pick a place by the water, you'll have lovely views while you eat—though of course you'll be paying more for the privilege, and be careful of sitting outside if it's a windy day.

Being a significant tourist destination, Colonia's restaurants tend to be more expensive than elsewhere in Uruguay. They're especially expensive in the old city. There's a mix of price ranges in the downtown area, and budget options tend to be located a bit further out.

Sleep
Accommodation is generally concentrated in the downtown and old city area, though there are also some hotels dotting the beach as you go north.

Stay safe
Colonia is a preserved tourist town with very little of the harassment seen in most cities in Latin America. The dominance of local weekenders from Buenos Aires and Montevideo creates a very different environment from other tourist cities. Many streets seem eerily empty outside the main tourism season.

However petty crime still exists, and especially on the beach you should never leave your stuff out of sight.

Like in other towns in Uruguay, there are a good number of stray dogs. They might follow you around a bit, but they do not seem to behave aggressively towards people, though it's always better to be careful.

Connect
The Uruguayan government's free "Ceibal" wifi is available in some of the historic district, though it's hard to find in other parts of town. Beyond that, some restaurants have Wi-Fi.

Consulates
Due to its geographic importance and history, Colonia has two consulates, but most travellers in need of consular services will have to go to nearby Montevideo or Buenos Aires.


 * 🇦🇷 Argentina
 * 🇵🇹 Portugal

Go next

 * Buenos Aires – one of South America's great cities is just across the river
 * Conchillas – a tiny town founded by English immigrants and still featuring distinctively English architecture
 * Fray Bentos – home to Uruguay's other UNESCO World Heritage site, a complex of former meat-packing buildings that were once a globally important industrial plant
 * Montevideo – the capital of Uruguay is a natural next place to go, perfect if you want more activity than Colonia but less of a "big city" feel than Buenos Aires
 * Nueva Helvecia – founded by Swiss and German immigrants, now known for its dairy products and remnants of Swiss culture