If you’re in Buenos Aires a day trip to Colonia is a lovely way to spend one of your days, enjoy the quaint old town look and feel of Colonia, and tick another country off your list!
How to get there
You can get the ferry from Buenos Aires to Colonia de Sacramento. At time of writing the route sails 8 times a day and is run by 2 different shipping companies Buquebus and Colonia Express. It takes approximately 1 hour 15 minutes.
They leave from different points in Buenos Aires so check which one is convenient relative to the location of your hotel or accommodation. You can easily purchase tickets online.
Bear in mind you are changing countries so arrive around 1.5 before your departure to allow time for check in and security. And of course don’t forget your passport – apparently this is more common than you might think!
Colonia de Sacramento
Colonia de Sacramento is one of the oldest towns in Uruguay, the historic quarter – a short walk from where you get off the ferry – is a UNESCO world heritage site.
The historic quarter is beautiful and you enter through an old traditional gateway and wooden drawbridge. It has cobblestone streets built in the 17th century by the Portuguese and many attractions around the Plaza Mayor (main square). You can feel the history as you walk around.
Some of the lighthouses and museums close in the afternoon so it’s best to tick off any of these that you’d like to visit in the morning then you have time to relax, wander, eat, drink and shop.
I recommend going up the lighthouse for the panoramic view of the city at the top. It’s also one of the most picturesque attractions. The lighthouse was built in 1855 amidst the ruins of a convent. The two structures blend together to create a beautiful scene.
It’s a small fee of 50 pesos. You can pay Dollars, Euros or Pesos, any change will be given in Pesos. There may be a line to enter as only 8 people at a time can go in so another reason to head there early. I went at the end of September and it was very breezy at the top!
As you can imagine some of the tourist shops are overpriced but if you find something you like most take card payments to save you changing cash if you are only visiting for the day. Be sure to check fees first. As always I recommend a Starling bank card for this reason.
There are plenty of cafes and restaurants to choose from who are ready for the day trippers who stop for lunch. Whilst wandering around on arrival I spotted an old man making what looked like a great paella so I headed back there later for my lunch and it was not only delicious but I think the best paella I’ve ever eaten! The wine wasn’t bad either and they had a fire going which was perfect having been walking around town.
A mind that is stretched by a new experience can never go back to its old dimensions.
Oliver Wendell Holmes
A few more photos of this lovely old city. A great place to visit for a few hours!
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It’s a classic excursion from BA, but Colonia is not representative of Uruguay, where there are few traces of the colonial period. I visited the very picturesque Colonia from Montevideo, which is also an interesting city to visit.
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Added to the bucket list!
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