Colonia del Sacramento, Uruguay: Day Trip From Montevideo

A Portuguese Town on a Spanish River

Manuel Lobo founded the post for the Portuguese crown in 1680, reaching San Gabriel island on 20 January and starting the settlement days later. Spain took it that August, returned it in 1681, and the town kept changing hands for a century. The Treaty of Utrecht handed it back to Portugal in 1715, and the Treaty of San Ildefonso gave it to Spain for good in 1777.

That tug of war left two street plans side by side. The Portuguese quarter follows the terrain in irregular lanes, while the Spanish grid outside the old wall runs square. The wall line sits at today's Calle Ituzaingó, with most of it removed in 1777 and more in 1859.

Today the town holds about 32,000 people.

What UNESCO Protects

The Historic Quarter of the City of Colonia del Sacramento was inscribed in 1995 at the nineteenth session of the World Heritage Committee, under cultural criterion (iv), covering 16 hectares. In plain terms, UNESCO protects the street plan itself: the crooked Portuguese lanes, the Plaza Mayor, and the buildings inside the former wall line. For the visitor this means the quarter is compact and walkable, and its odd geometry is the attraction.

It is the strongest answer to what is special about Colonia, and the reason it sits beside the things to do in Montevideo on most first trips to Uruguay.

Selected COT departures from Montevideo and their arrival in Colonia, from the operator's own timetable. The 05:00 service is the early option if you want a full day.

Buying the Bus Ticket

Buses leave from Tres Cruces, the country's main terminal, serving every department and neighbouring countries. COT's page does not show fares, so buy at the terminal counter or call 2409 4949. Count on about 2 hours 45 minutes to 2 hours 50 minutes on the road, with stops in the small towns along Route 1, which is part of the charm.

Book the return the same way. If you would rather skip the terminal, the guided day trips include the drive and hotel pickup instead.

From Buenos Aires Instead

Most Colonia visitors arrive from Argentina, not from Montevideo. Three ferry lines cross from Buenos Aires to Colonia: Buquebus, Colonia Express and Seacat Colonia, and the crossing takes about 1.5 hours. It is the busiest Río de la Plata crossing, moving about 2.1 million passengers a year.

Colonia Express runs via Colonia port and then a bus leg to Montevideo of about two hours. If you are planning the whole circuit, see our guide to Buenos Aires to Montevideo for the direct crossings.

Portón de Campo

The Portón de Campo is the old city gate of Colonia, reached over a wooden drawbridge, and it marks the entrance to the historic quarter. It stands near the line of the former Portuguese wall, which ran at today's Calle Ituzaingó before most of it was removed in 1777, with further sections cleared in 1859. The gate is the natural start of a walk through the quarter, and the guided Colonia day makes it a stop on its Historic Quarter walk.

It is an open gateway with no ticket, so you can pass through at any hour. Start here and work into the lanes beyond for the full quarter route.

Calle de los Suspiros

Calle de los Suspiros, the Street of Sighs, is the quarter's best-known lane: a short cobblestone lane lined with low colonial houses. It sits inside the 16-hectare historic quarter inscribed by UNESCO in 1995, and its irregular alignment is part of the Portuguese street plan that makes Colonia different from every Spanish-grid town in Uruguay. No ticket is needed and you will walk it in minutes, but budget time to linger.

The guided tour from Montevideo includes a stop here on its Historic Quarter walk.

The Lighthouse and the Convent Ruins

The Colonia lighthouse dates from 1857 and stands beside the ruins of the 17th-century Convent of San Francisco. The pair form the quarter's landmark silhouette, visible from the riverfront. No climbing fee or hours are posted online, so check the board at the door and carry Uruguayan pesos in small notes.

The guided day trip includes the lighthouse on its walking route, which saves you sorting the ticket logistics yourself if you are short of time.

Basílica del Santísimo Sacramento

The Basílica del Santísimo Sacramento is Colonia's main church, built in stone by the Portuguese in 1808. It stands on the main square of the historic quarter, so you will pass it on any walk between the gate, the lane of sighs and the riverfront. It is a working church, so dress for a church visit and keep voices down during services.

Its plain stone facade is the quieter counterpoint to the lighthouse a few streets away, and the guided walk passes it as the Blessed Sacrament Cathedral.

The Small Museums of the Barrio Histórico

Four small museums cluster inside the quarter. The Portuguese Museum occupies an 18th-century building. The Municipal Museum sits in the Casa del Almirante Brown, rebuilt by the Spanish in 1835.

The Casa de Nacarello is an 18th-century Portuguese house, and the Casa del Virrey, the Viceroy's House, was reconstructed from its original ruins. None of them publishes a tariff page online, so ticket prices are posted at each door in pesos. Bring small notes. The guided Colonia day bundles a different museum ticket, at the Granja Arenas collectors' museum on the way into town, with a tasting of local jams and cheeses.

Plaza de Toros Real de San Carlos

The Plaza de Toros Real de San Carlos is Colonia's disused bullring, north of the old quarter at Real de San Carlos. It no longer hosts bullfighting and has been renovated as a sports and culture venue, so you visit it now for the architecture and the view rather than a show. The bullring sits on the route of the guided day trip from Montevideo, which includes a short guided stop there before the old quarter walk.

The same tour also stops at the Colonia sign for photographs.

Three ways to shape the day and how much time each leaves you in town. The quarter itself is compact, so once you are there the hours go on wandering, museums and lunch.

If you can stay overnight, the bus clock disappears and the quarter is yours in the evening. One of the two day trips can drop you at the ferry instead of driving you back.

• The town was founded in 1680 by Manuel Lobo for the Portuguese crown. (Wikipedia, Colonia del Sacramento)
• The old wall line ran at today's Calle Ituzaingó, with most of it removed in 1777 and more in 1859 (Wikipedia, Historic Quarter).
• The historic quarter covers just 16 hectares, inscribed by UNESCO in 1995 under criterion (iv) (Wikipedia, Historic Quarter).
• Colonia is the busiest Río de la Plata crossing, with about 2.1 million ferry passengers a year (Wikipedia, Colonia del Sacramento).
• Colonia department holds the country's oldest commercial winery, and its stony soils near Carmelo suit late varieties like Cabernet Sauvignon (INAVI).

Colonia works two ways. It is the natural stop between Buenos Aires and Montevideo, with the ferry from Argentina landing at the port nearest the old quarter and the bus or a day trip completing the leg to the capital. It is also a full day out from a Montevideo base, and the COT timetable or a $60 tour covers it.

The department around town is wine country too, home to the country's oldest commercial winery and stony soils near Carmelo, so see Uruguay wine if a tasting appeals. The other big day trip from the capital is Punta del Este on the eastern coast, and Montevideo hotels helps you pick the base that suits both directions.