Visiting Colonia del Sacramento feels like a time warp: traveling back in time into the distant past. The town's turbulent history, during which it was alternately subject to the Spanish and Portuguese crown, left a rich legacy in historic landmarks. As a result, the Barrio Histórico (Historic Quarter) was declared a Unesco World Heritage Site in 1995.
History of Colonia del Sacramento
In 1680 the Portuguese Admiral Manuel Lobo established Colonia del Sacramento by order of the Lisbon Court. It was a strategic point from where the Portuguese smuggled contraband into Buenos Aires, on the opposite bank of Río de la Plata – which belonged to Spain.
The geographical and political location of the town led to a hundred and fifty year long dispute between the Spanish and the Portuguese crowns and both powers ruled the town. This is for example still visible in the way the streets were constructed: the cobbled streets with a drain running in the middle were built by the Portuguese, the ones with drains along the sides by the Spaniards.
Historic Sights in Barrio Histórico (Historic Quarter)
The turbulent history and the preservation of ancient architecture have put Colonia del Sacramento high on the list of popular tourist towns. Besides a rich history, the town offers charm – ancient alleyways, plazas with sunlight filtering through plane trees, lovely painted houses with time-worn doors, outdoor cafés to enjoy a cup of coffee and a feeling of tranquillity.
The historic landmarks are all situated in the Barrio Histórico and easily visited on foot:
- Puerta de Campo: the City Gate and wooden drawbridge (1745), marking the entrance of the historic district (see image below).
- Calle de los Suspiros (Street of Sighs): a narrow cobbled alley oozing secrets and legends (see image below).
- Ruins of the 17th century Convento de San Francisco.
- El Faro, the lighthouse (1857), constructed with the stones of Convento de San Francisco.
- Iglesia Matriz: Uruguay's oldest church (1699).
Historic Museums in Barrio Histórico
Details of Colonia del Sacramento's history are collected in several museums:
- El Museo Portugués (18th century) on Plaza Mayor: exhibition of Portuguese furnishings, uniforms and maritime maps.
- El Museo Municipal on Plaza Mayor: displays furnishings and other artifacts of colonial life.
- El Museo de los Azulejos (17th century): colonial tile-work.
- El Museo Español (corner España and San José): colonial pottery, clothing and maps.
The museums are open daily from 11am-5pm.
Travel to and from Colonia del Sacramento – Flights, Ferry, Bus and Car Rental
Colonia del Sacramento lies about 150 kilometres west of Uruguay's capital of Montevideo. The airport of Carrasco has international flights to and from, among others, the United States, Spain and surrounding countries such as Argentina, Paraguay and Chile.
From Montevideo buses ply to Colonia del Sacramento on a daily basis. Another option is to rent a car; car rental agencies can be found downtown as well as at the airport.
The most popular and easy way to get to Colonia del Sacramento from Buenos Aires is by Buquebus, a ferry that plies between the two towns several times a day. Remember to bring your passport because you will be entering a different country. Customs formalities are at the ferry port in Buenos Aires. The Buquebus offers a buque rapido, which takes fifty minutes one-way, as well as a slow crossing (about three hours one way).
Colonia del Sacramento is a good base to explore other colonial towns along Río de la Plata such as Carmelo and Conchillas.
Karin-Marijke Vis - Karin-Marijke Vis is a bilingual writer (Dutch-English) who has been traveling in Asia and South America since 2003.
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