Colonia del Sacramento: cobbles, sunsets and the river

The Barrio Histórico

The old town is a small peninsula you can walk across in fifteen minutes, but it rewards a slow afternoon. Enter through the reconstructed **Portón de Campo**, the old city gate with its drawbridge, and wander down **Calle de los Suspiros**, the Street of Sighs, a steep lane of uneven stones that is the most photographed corner of town.

Climb the **lighthouse**, built in the nineteenth century beside the ruins of a convent, for views over the rooftops and the river. Around **Plaza Mayor** you will find a cluster of small museums, the Portuguese Museum, the Spanish Museum and others, which share one ticket and open on different days. The **Basílica del Santísimo Sacramento** is one of the oldest churches in the country.

Colonia's best moment is sunset. Locals and visitors gather on the rocks and the riverside walk on the western edge of the old town to watch the sun go down over the water, which is so wide here that it looks like the sea.

Beyond the old town

Hire a bicycle or a golf cart and follow the riverside road north to **Real de San Carlos**, where a grand bullring built in 1910 stands abandoned since bullfighting was banned soon after. The beaches along the way, such as Playa Ferrando, are calm and shallow.

Carmelo and wine country

An hour or so west by bus, **Carmelo** is a quiet river town with a swing bridge, a yacht harbour and vineyards around it. Several wineries offer tastings and lunch, and the region is known for Tannat as well as fresh whites. Some visitors base themselves here for two nights of cycling between bodegas.

Food

Old town restaurants lean towards grilled meat, fresh river fish and pasta, served on terraces under the trees. Prices are higher inside the Barrio Histórico than a few blocks away in the modern town, where you will find simpler parrillas and bakeries.

Getting there

From Montevideo, buses leave Tres Cruces terminal several times a day and take a little under three hours. From Buenos Aires, fast ferries cross the river in around an hour and a quarter, and slower ones take a little longer; many travellers arrive this way and then continue to Montevideo by bus. Ferry companies sometimes sell combined ferry and bus tickets to Montevideo. Book ferries ahead on weekends and in summer.

Practical tips

Bring cash as well as cards for small shops, wear flat shoes, and carry a light jacket for the river breeze in the evening. The museums share a ticket and close on rotating days, so check which are open. In summer, weekends are busiest, so visit midweek if you can. Pharmacies, cash machines and supermarkets are in the modern town, a short walk from the historic quarter.

Day trip or overnight

A day trip from Buenos Aires or Montevideo is possible, but it means sharing the old town with the crowds between late morning and late afternoon. An overnight stay lets you see the streets at golden hour, enjoy a slow dinner and walk the empty lanes in the morning.