Just on the other side of the Río de la Plata from Buenos Aires, is one of the oldest towns in Uruguay, Colonia del Sacremento. Originally founded in 1680 by the Portuguese, control of the city went backwards and forwards between themselves, the Spanish and Brazil before Uruguay finally gained its independence and officially claimed the city for themselves in 1828.
Due to the size of Colonia, a day is plenty of time to see all it has to offer. The main area of interest is the World Heritage Site, Barrio Histórico. It has a unique design, because it’s the only city in the area which is free-plan as oppose to the traditional Spanish “checkerboard’ grid design. It is a beautiful place with cobblestone, tree-lined streets and architectural influences from both the Portuguese and the Spanish. The combination makes it very picturesque, especially in the right, afternoon light. Good photo opportunities are:
Puerto de Campo: The restored city gate and drawbridge marks the beginning of the Barrio Histórico.
Convento de San Francisco and Faro (lighthouse): For a small fee, you can climb the lighthouse and get uninterrupted views over Colonia.
Plaza de Armas and Iglesia Matriz: Formally know as Basilica de Sacramento, Uruguay’s oldest church was nearly destroyed in 1799 by a fire.
Puerto Viejo: The “Old Port” (no longer used as one) was originally the departure point for smuggling goods into BA.
Colonia is easily reached by a one hour ferry ride from BA, so can be visited as a day trip from the city or is a good starting point if going further into Uruguay.
Every Country 