Things to do in Colonia del Sacramento

Colonia del Sacramento is in Uruguay, a separate country from Argentina, reached by fast ferry from Puerto Madero in around an hour. That means a passport and immigration formalities at both terminals, plus a currency change to the Uruguayan peso on arrival, not the Argentine one used in Buenos Aires.

The draw is the small, cobbled Barrio Histórico, a Portuguese-then-Spanish colonial quarter on the UNESCO World Heritage list, with a lighthouse, a handful of small museums and a walkable riverfront. It is compact: half a day covers the historic centre at an easy pace, a full day allows lunch and time to browse before the return ferry.

This page covers Colonia only; Montevideo, further away by the direct fast ferry, has its own separate page.