Traveling through South America, we had to be selective on which countries we were going to visit, since we didn’t have time to see them all. Of the 15 countries on the continent, we settled on going to just four of them. Uruguay was not originally on that list. However, upon learning how easy it is to travel as a day trip from Buenos Aires, we both jumped at the chance to add one more country to our list; even if only for a few hours.
The streets of Colonia are paved with uneven stones and lined with old buildings.
Situated across the Rio de la Plata, Colonia, Uruguay can be reached by ferry from Buenos Aires. Taking the fast and more expensive ferry will have you walking through the old center of Colonia in about an hour. The slower and cheaper ferry (which we took) is a three-hour trip across the river. The ferry was large with three stories open to travelers to explore. Comfortable seats line a majority of the bottom two levels, along with a duty-free shop and small arcade. The top is open-air, with room to walk around and enjoy the view or sip at a drink at the bar. There are good views of both Colonia and Buenos Aires on the trip, so we preferred to hang out on the top deck for the majority of our ferry ride between the cities.
The bottom levels of the ferry were air conditioned, providing a comfortable place to sit and wait on the three hour ride.
We watched the sun set from the top deck of the ferry on our way back to Buenos Aires.
In 1680, five ships carrying Portuguese military and merchants made the stop on Uruguay’s shores and established a post. The city and surrounding area changed hands many times over the years, switching between the Portuguese and Spanish who were fighting for land in South America. Finally, in 1828, the city was declared part of Uruguay and has remained ever since.
The historic center of Colonia is visible from the ferry as you enter or exit the port.
Colonia is unique in its layout and architecture compared to other Latin American cities. The city planning of the historic center was laid out back in the mid-1800’s and followed the topography of the region rather than a grid, like many other cities of the time. Nearly all of the buildings are one or two stories tall; the exceptions being the lighthouse and the church. Remnants of a defensive wall line one side, as we walked from the port into the historic center. Flowers decorated the houses and buildings, creating a fragrant atmosphere for a stroll around town.
The lighthouse is surrounded by cafes where you can sit and appreciate the scenery.
Flowers decorated the colorful homes throughout the historic center of Colonia.
We arrived at lunchtime in Colonia, and having done my research, I found a wine and cheese shop where we wanted to go first. Buen Suspiro had a small door in the side of an otherwise plain and uninteresting building. We chose a sampler of four wines to try alongside our plate of meat, cheese, and bread. The meal was simple but delicious and filling, a perfect way to start our afternoon in Colonia.
The meal of wine and cheese was a perfect treat for us to start our time in Colonia.
After walking around for a few hours, seeing the lighthouse, church, and park along the river, we stopped at a small café down a side street for another small meal before leaving. We sat on chairs perched unevenly on the stone street and shared a pitcher of sangria with our little sandwiches. Despite being a hot day, the sun was not unbearable, so we relaxed and watched the other tourists walk by while enjoying our refreshments.
Our little table was in the shade, making it a nice spot to enjoy our meal and watch the people walking by.
There’s not much to do in Colonia, so we were happy with the five hours that we had spent before taking the ferry back to Buenos Aires. Despite being so close, it made for a long day trip; we had woken up at 6:00am to get ready and get to the port and didn’t return to our apartment until close to midnight. We were tired, but glad that we had taken the trip to see another city and country for a few hours.
The top of the wall was accessible by a narrow staircase.
We loved walking around the picturesque streets of Colonia.