Colonia del Sacramento

Colonia del Sacramento, on the River Plate opposite Buenos Aires, is one of the oldest towns in Uruguay and one of its most charming, a UNESCO gem founded by the Portuguese as a smuggling port and long fought over with the Spanish. Its beautifully preserved historic quarter, the Barrio Historico, is a romantic maze of cobbled streets shaded by plane trees, lined with colourful colonial houses, old ramparts, a lighthouse and river views, a tranquil, atmospheric place to wander, and a hugely popular day trip by ferry from Buenos Aires.

History

After the Portuguese crown was restored, King Peter II sought to fix the southern border of Brazil, and Manuel Lobo arrived off San Gabriel Island on 20 January 1680 with five ships and about 400 soldiers, craftsmen and stonecutters, founding a post on 28 January. The Spanish governor José de Garro demanded they leave, and on the night of 6-7 August 1680 a force of 3,400 men under Antonio de Vera Mujica took the town; Lobo died a prisoner in Buenos Aires in 1683, but a treaty of 1681 returned Colonia to Portugal, and Duarte Teixeira Chaves began rebuilding it in 1683. Smuggling and cattle hunting were the colony's mainstay, governors from 1690 had stone houses with tile roofs built and the walls enlarged, and the historic quarter is now a World Heritage Site (Wikipedia, Colonia del Sacramento).

The main sights

• The Barrio Historico - the cobbled old town of colonial houses.
• The Calle de los Suspiros - the famous Street of Sighs.
• The lighthouse and ramparts - the old defences and river views.
• The riverside sunset - the sunset over the River Plate.

When to go

October to April, the warmer months, for the best weather; the old town is loveliest strolling in the golden light of late afternoon, and sunset over the river is beautiful. It is a very easy day trip by fast ferry from Buenos Aires, or a stop between the Argentine capital and Montevideo.

What to expect

It is small and, being an easy day trip from Buenos Aires, can be busy with day-trippers, especially at weekends; staying overnight lets you enjoy the old town once they leave. It is a place to wander, relax and photograph rather than a site of major attractions, seen in a few hours. Its romantic, atmospheric cobbled quarter, though, is genuinely charming.

Nearby

Montevideo and, across the river, Buenos Aires are within easy reach.

Key facts