Colonia del Sacramento Things to Do

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Perhaps because we live near the ocean ,we always head first to the coast.
The old wharf has long since disappearedbut the current one offers nice views of the coast.There are lots of inviting restaurants along this area too.

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Colonia is a joy to explore by foot. We follow cobbled stone streets to what was once a main town areaof 1600's Colonia. The ancient stone houses,shaded by massive palms are a wonder to behold.....couldn't get enough pictures.

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Seven different small museums can be seen for the bargain price of about 1 US dollar. You start at the Museo Portugues on the South side of the Plaza Mayor and pay for a ticket which gets validated as you enter each of the other six museums. None of them take very long to go through, in fact a couple consist of just one small building with one gallery. The different buildings are scattered throughout the Historical Center and are:
Municipal Museum (which in September 2007 was closed for renovations)
Indigenous Museum
Spanish Museum
Nacarello House
Tile Museum
Portuguese Museum
Regional Museum and Archives

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I visited Uruguay in the month of September, and the weather was awesome at Colonia de Sacramento. After riding the ferry from Buenos Aires, I just walked to its famous lighthouse which is also known as the El Faro, located at San Pedro’s Point (Punta de San Pedro).

The El Faro was built in 1857 from stones actually taken from the ruins of the Convento de San Francisco. I was able to go up to it, but I forgot how much it cost – I’m sure it was not much. But it was nice to go up this wonderful highlight of the Rio de Plata. From above, I did see the artist on the ground making a charcoal painting of the lighthouse.

When I went down, I asked him to include a small silhouette of me on the lighthouse, and then I bought the artwork for only about $25! It’s now hanging in our home…

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I find it amazing to see this drawbridge from the Portuguese occupation beautifully restored and still intact - and you can be transported in time when you go on it to enter the “city”.

The Puerta de la Ciudadela, also called Puerta de Campo was built in 1745 by a Portuguese governor to protect the walled city and it was the only entrance at the time.

Now, it marks the entrance to the historical district of Colonia, a World Heritage Site. Barrio Histórico (historic quarter) still has its irregular, terrain-fitting street plan.

The City has amazing points of interest and these are the Wikipedia highlights:

Portón de Campo – the City Gate and wooden drawbridge
Lighthouse and convent ruins of the 17th century Convent of San Francisco
Basilica del Sanctísimo Sacramento – the Basilica of the Holy Sacrament, built of stone by the Portuguese in 1808
Portuguese Museum – constructed in the 18th century, it exhibits Portuguese furnishings, jewellry, uniforms and old maps of Portuguese naval expeditions
Casa de Nacarello – an 18th century Portuguese house
Municipal Museum – rebuilt by the Spanish in 1835 as the Casa del Almirante Brown, it exhibits artifacts and documents of the city's different periods and cultures
Viceroy's House – the Casa del Virrey, reconstructed from the original ruins
Iglesia Matriz – the oldest church in Uruguay, dating from 1695-99
Plaza de toros Real de San Carlos, a Bullring included in an old tourist complex now abandoned.

Colonia de Sacramento was the only Portuguese settlement along the Rio de la Plata founded in 1680 by Manuel de Lobo, and it operated as a contraband port for years…and now it is a wonderful but relatively underrated tourist destination!

You will enjoy walking along the cobblestone streets which have been likened to the streets of old Lisbon. You also see colorful houses, and I liked taking pictures by the nice lamps on the side of little buildings, houses.

The historic quarter, Barrío Historico, on a small peninsula jutting out into the river, was named a UNESCO Heritage Site in 1995.

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Colonia's Barrio Historico (Old District), now a UNESCO World Heritage site, is what attracts the majority of visitors to the town. It encompasses a small section of the town, close to the river, and is made up of narrow, cobbled streets and old, atmospheric colonial buildings.

The entrance to the Barrio Historico is via a reconstructed 18th century gate, and from here a thick stone wall runs down to the river and onto the beautiful and much photographed Calle de los Suspiros (Street of Sighs).

Many of the colonial buildings in the barrio are now museums, and you can visit them all on one ticket costing less than a dollar. There are also plenty of cafes and restaurants as you might expect in such a popular place. You could probably see everything in the Barrio Historico in one day but if you have the time it's much better to relax and enjoy it over 2 or 3 days.

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With its cobblestones and 17th century buildings, Calle de los Suspiros is Colonia´s most picturesque street (and there are plenty of contenders). It contains beautiful, ancient crumbling houses, the nicest of which is now an art gallery. It´s the one place in the Barrio Historico where the tourists all seem to head for so it can be difficult to get a picture of the whole street.