Colonia del Sacramento is located in western Uruguay, 177 kilometers from Montevideo, and off the coast of Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Founded by Manuel Lobo in 1680, it was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1995 because it is the only city in America where Portuguese and Spanish styles are fused among its buildings.
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What to see in Colonia del Sacramento?
Although most tourists choose Cologne as a day trip, it is worth spending at least one night, or two.
Walking through its historic center, or visiting the area of the Royal San Carlos complex and its beaches, will take time, but I advise you to do it calmly, the city will captivate you with its charm and the hours will pass quickly.
►Historic center of Colonia del Sacramento
Country gate and wall
Built in 1745, this wall and gate remind us of the constant struggle between the Portuguese and the Spanish for its conquest. Founded by the Portuguese, it passed from one hand to the other.
It is a typical place to start a nice historical tour of the city, a very good option is to do it with a guided walking tour. They leave from Thursday to Sunday from the tourist office, (just in front of the Portón de Campo), at 11 am and 3 pm. They are run by the Colonia Guides Association, and no prior reservation is required.
The cost of this tour is $250 Uruguayan pesos (about $6.5 approximately) for price updates and information contact them ►Colonia Tourist Guides and the duration is approximately an hour and a half. I leave you here the link so that you can contact them for information, the schedules or days may change depending on the season, as I said, no prior reservation is needed, just show up at the tourist office of Manuel Lobo 224 (next to the wall) at the indicated time. Free Tour Cologne.
On Saturday nights, there is the tour “A la luz del farol” (In the light of the lantern), another option for a walking tour through the historic center, the cost is 250 Uruguayan pesos (US$ 6.5). It talks about anecdotes and experiences of the heritage area, the tour starts at 8 pm on Saturdays from the tourist office located at Manuel Lobo 224 (next to the wall), and the duration is approximately one and a half hours as well.
Street of Sighs
This is one of the original streets from the colonial era, the Calle de los Suspiros. We can see that it was built in a Portuguese style, since the drain is in the middle and there are no sidewalks.
The Portuguese built them like this. On rainy days, the water ran down the middle of the street and it was not necessary to build sidewalks to walk on, since you would not get wet if you walked on the sides.
On the contrary, those of Spanish construction had drainage gutters on the sides, and sidewalks next to them.
The street of sighs begins in the Plaza Mayor and slopes down to the river. It is the most visited street in Colonia del Sacramento, and we always see beautiful photos of it.
You may wonder why it got its name. There are several versions, of which the two most well-known are: one says that this is where people condemned to death were taken to the river to be drowned, and during the journey they sighed knowing that their lives were coming to an end. The other says that this street was full of brothels, and that sailors sighed when they visited them.
Colonia del Sacramento Lighthouse
The Colonia lighthouse was built in 1857 on the ruins of the Convent of San Francisco. The convent dates back to around 1690 and was destroyed by fire in 1704.
You can climb the lighthouse, from where, on very clear days, you can see the buildings of Buenos Aires.
The cost of entry is around US$2.
Matriz Church
The Iglesia Matriz or Basilica of the Blessed Sacrament is located in the Plaza de Armas. It is considered the oldest church in Uruguay, a heritage site of Portuguese influence and a National Historic Monument.
Plaza Mayor
The Plaza Mayor was created with the foundation of the city, and was the largest space that existed at the time. In this square we can visit the Municipal Museum, the Portuguese Museum, and the Casa Nacarello.
Museums of Colonia del Sacramento
In the Plaza Mayor, as we said, we find the Municipal Museum, where we can buy the pass to visit all the museums in the city. It costs $150 Uruguayan pesos (approximately US$ 4).
The pass can be used for two consecutive days and the museums are open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Anyway, I’ll leave you the link here for more information or in case the hours have changed, museosdecolonia.com.uy
As we said before, the pass is not expensive and visiting the main museums in Cologne is something that helps us get an idea of the history of the city.
Among them we highlight the Rebuffo Municipal Museum, where we find everything from fossils and furniture from the colonial era to items from the Royal San Carlos complex.
Next to the municipal building we have the Casa de Nacarello, a typical Portuguese house that has been furnished inside as was done at the time.
Also worth visiting are the Portuguese Museum, also located in the Plaza Mayor, the Regional Archive, the Tile Museum, the Spanish Museum and the Indigenous Museum.
Are you planning to tour Uruguay?, I leave you the post of Punta del Este so you can get to know it.
The historic center of Colonia was divided in half in the 1920s by the construction of Avenida General Flores (we see it marked on the map with a red line).
Everything we have seen in the historic centre so far in these lines (with the exception of the Spanish museum) is south of this avenue that cuts through it. We will now go north of the avenue to continue seeing this charming historic centre.
Bastion of Carmen
The Bastion of Carmen was part of the fortification of the wall, over the years it was converted into a soap factory, that is why we see a large chimney inside it, and currently it is an exhibition hall and theater.
Pier and yacht harbour
Next to the Bastion of Carmen we find this charming dock, also known as the old port. It is a beautiful place to go at dusk, the colour of the evening and the peace that is breathed there make it a magnificent place.
Accommodation options in the historic center
Staying in the historic centre of Cologne is a great option if you want to be close to all the little streets during the day and at night, where they become so charming.
We found several inns throughout the historic center and there is something for all budgets. Posada El Viajero. Highlights: its location, two blocks from the Portón de Campo and relatively close to the port as well (in case you arrive by ferry). Otherwise, we can say that the rooms are very simple, nothing fancy, but clean. The breakfast is simple, but included in the price.
But if we continue walking along these cobbled streets of Colonia, we will find several hotels and inns, some of them decorated in the style of the historic centre. Here are some examples.
►Hotel La Misión , located in the Plaza Mayor
*Charco Hotel, located on San Pedro Street, just a few steps from Calle de los Suspiros.
►Posada Plaza Mayor, located on Commerce Street in the historic center.
*Don Antonio Posada, located on the north side of Gral Flores Avenue.
There are many inns and hotels in this area, here is a map with a search engine to expand your options.
Booking.com►San Carlos Royal Zone and Colonia del Sacramento promenade
The city of Colonia is not only its historic center, it also has a promenade along the river, where gathering to watch the sunset is a very good plan.
Royal San Carlos Bullring
5 kilometers from the historic quarter we find the bullring in this area of Real San Carlos.
The Real de San Carlos bullring was opened in 1910, but bullfights were banned in 1912, so it only operated for a short time. During the time it was open, no animals were sacrificed, as the killing of animals in shows was no longer permitted. Until very recently, this building could be seen slowly falling into ruin, but today it has been rebuilt and is ready to be used as a cultural and gastronomic space.
The work has already been completed and it has been remodeled, and it can be visited. We visited it while it was being rebuilt, and it was highly recommended.
The bullring was part of an entire tourist complex built by Nicolás Mihanovich in Colonia del Sacramento. It had a hotel with a casino, a pelota court, a power plant, a dock where boats with tourists from Buenos Aires arrived, and a narrow gauge train that ran from the dock to the hotel.
Today, a large flow of tourists continues to enter Colonia by boat from Buenos Aires, on the fast ferry that takes approximately an hour and a half to cross between both shores.
Accommodation options in the Rambla area
Another nice area to stay in the city of Colonia is near its promenade and river. In this case we won’t be so close to the historic center but we can walk along the beaches and take a break with beautiful views. Some options:
►Costa Colonia Riverside boutique hotel
Booking.comAnother visit to make: Anchorena Park
Located just 30 kilometers from Colonia del Sacramento we find the Aarón de Anchorena Park.
The area covers an area of 1,369 hectares that were bequeathed to the Uruguayan State by Don Aarón de Anchorena, of Argentine nationality, with the aim of establishing a park there for educational, recreational and general interest purposes. His house was donated to the Uruguayan State to serve as a presidential vacation home.
Visits are coordinated by prior reservation by email. cvisitantesanchorena@presidencia.gub.uy. They are carried out in two shifts: at 10 a.m. and at 2:30 p.m.
Extra: videos and map
NOTE: The information in this article is based on our own experience, being totally objective. This article contains affiliate links
