Colonia City Tour from Buenos Aires
Address
Buenos Aires, Argentina
GPS
-34.6037181, -58.38153
Colonia City Tour from Buenos Aires. This introduction to the historic colonial city of Argentina’s neighbor, Uruguay, offers a fascinating glimpse into the region’s past. On a day excursion from Buenos Aires, see the town of Colonia del Sacramento.
To get to the coastal city, take a swift ferry from Buenos Aires across the Rio de La Plata. Over the course of two hours, stroll around the picturesque colonial town’s cobblestone streets and learn about its history from your tour guide. Pick-up and drop-off from your hotel are also included in this excursion.
Highlights
- Colonia
- Rio de Plata
Colonia City Tour from Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires – Colonia del Sacramento
The atmosphere of the historic Uruguayan town of Colonia del Sacramento is a universe apart from the hustle and bustle of Buenos Aires. Colonia enjoys a superb location 180km west of Montevideo, perched atop a small peninsula jutting out into the great expanse of the Río de la Plata.
From your hotel, you will be transferred to a ferry where you’ll travel across the gorgeous bronzes waters of Rio de la Plata to Colonia. Upon arrival, you will meet your guide for a city tour of downtown Colonia.
Afterward you’ll take a walking tour of the historical half of Colonia, a designated UNESCO World Heritage site alongside it’s more modern half. After the tour, you’ll be free to shop, walk throughout the city, and explore the nooks and crannies of Colonia. In the afternoon or evening, you may depart by ferry back to Buenos Aires.
Itinerary
Colonia del Sacramento Uruguay
With its Portuguese-style buildings and winding alleyways, the historic city of Colonia del Sacramento, founded in 1680, evokes thoughts of ancient Lisbon. Colonia is a World Heritage Site that is located in the southwestern portion of Uruguay, on the Ro de la Plata. It was recognized a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1995.
Colonia is easily accessible by ferry from Buenos Aires and can be visited in a single day, which is one of the reasons why its beaches are a popular tourist destination for Argentines. The oldest church in the country, the Church Matrix, the Municipal Museum, and a seventeenth-century port that blends seamlessly with the river are among the city’s key attractions.
La Calle de los Suspiros
It begins in the Plaza Mayor and leads to the Ro de la Plata on a slope. It’s a tiny, Portuguese-style roadway with a wedge and no sidewalks. To make a drainage channel, the sides are angled towards the center. Stone walls, tile roofs, and ceramic flooring characterize the homes, which date from the first part of the 18th century. Only houses with a gabled roof are preserved, thus the doors and windows are modest and constructed of wood.
Puerta de la Ciudadela
It was built in 1745 on the orders of the Portuguese governor Vasconcellos, who was in charge of these areas at the time. The Door was once the portico of the Colony’s entry, which was guarded by a powerful military with substantial walls that were frequently attacked by pirates, both Spanish and English.
Faro de Colonia del Sacramento
It was constructed in January 1857. Every nine seconds, two red flashes appear. It’s a white masonry circular tower with a red and white radial stripe dome. It is a one-of-a-kind design, with a square base and a cylindrical tower that ascends to the lantern. It was built atop one of the Convent of San Francisco’s old towers, the ruins of which may be found at the foot of the lighthouse. It stands 26 meters tall and has a light range of 7.8 nautical miles.
Basilica De Santisimo Sacramento
For its period and even now, the Basilica contains an uncommon altar feature: a backlit semi-circular alcove with a huge monstrance (receptacle for displaying the Sacred Host or Blessed Sacrament). The Portuguese influence of its constructors can be seen in the exterior brickwork.
This is the last stop on our Colonia City Tour from Buenos Aires.
