A Portuguese river town across the water in Uruguay: cobbled lanes, tiled houses, a lighthouse among convent ruins, and a slower pace.
Colonia del Sacramento was founded by the Portuguese in 1680, right across the river from Spanish Buenos Aires, and changed hands between the two crowns many times.
The result is an old town of mixed styles, now a UNESCO World Heritage site: low houses with tiled roofs and shutters, uneven stone streets sloping to the water, and plane trees over little squares.
The best-known lane, the Calle de los Suspiros, runs down to the river. Above the main square, the 19th-century lighthouse rises from the ruins of a convent and can be climbed for views over the rooftops.
There are small museums on Portuguese and Spanish Colonia, the old city gate with its drawbridge, and restaurants with terraces facing west for sunset over the river.
An easy day across the water.
Check in at the ferry terminal an hour early for passport control on both sides, then cross the wide brown river.
Walk ten minutes from the port to the old city gate and drawbridge.
Wander the cobbled streets to the Calle de los Suspiros and the main square.
Climb the lighthouse among the convent ruins, then visit one of the small museums.
Eat on a terrace facing west, then catch the evening ferry back.
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Fast ferries run from the Puerto Madero terminal several times a day; slower, cheaper boats take longer. Book ahead at weekends.
You cross an international border, so bring your passport; both countries' checks happen at the departure terminal.
Uruguay is pricier than Argentina; cards are widely accepted in the old town.
Buenos Aires practical notes →Photographs from Wikimedia Commons and Pexels under their licences.
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