To escape from the hustle and bustle of Buenos Aires, we decided to take a day excursion to Colonia del Sacramento in Uruguay. The sleepy town of Colonia (as it is customarily referred to) is just a quick one-hour ride on the high-speed Buquebus ferry across the Rio de la Plata from B.A. The cost of the roundtrip ferry runs about US$75 per person.
The Buquebus Ferry Terminal in B.A.
Looking Back to Buenos Aires
Colonia was the only Portuguese settlement along the Rio de la Plata when the Spanish were colonizing this area. It was founded in 1680 with the name Nova Colonia do Sacramento by Manuel de Lobo. For years Colonia was a smuggling port, evading the strict trade measures imposed in the Americas by the Spanish. The city changed hands many times between the Portuguese, Spanish and even the Brazilians (who controlled it for a short while) until the new country of Uruguay declared independence in 1825. Its colonial center (Barrío Historico), offers an idea of what buildings in Buenos Aires might have looked like back in colonial times, before the city was successively modernized down the years. Colonia was recently named as a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Colonia Cart
Colonia sits on a peninsula, surrounded by water on three sides, and contains ruins and remnants of its former colonial days. As soon as we arrived in Uruguay, the heaven's opened and it began to rain. Normally, it is a pleasant 10-minute walk from the terminal along tree-lined streets to the entrance of the old city; however, because of the rain, we decided to rent a souped-up golf cart (with sides) for the day for US$50. As luck would have it, as soon as we rented our cart, the rain subsided. However, it was still nice to have these wheels to get around the town.
Our Trusty Golf Cart
The official entrance to historic Colonia is the Portón de Campo, a colonial gateway set in the remains of a fortified stone wall that protected Colonia from attack back in the day. As soon as you enter into the Barrio Histórico, you will be instantly transported back in time. Colonia is the antithesis of Buenos Aires: quiet, peaceful and relaxing. In Colonia you will find narrow, cobblestone streets lined with charming, historic brick and stone buildings. All of the steets are marked with blue and white ceramic street signs. There are a number of outdoor piazzas, that were unfortunately empty due to the rain.
The Portón de Campo
Ceramic Street Plaque
Colonia is small enough for you to visit on a day trip. Within the dozen or so blocks of the historic district, you can check out the lighthouse, the Iglesia Matriz (Uruguay's oldest church dating back to 1680), the photogenic Calle de los Suspiros (Street of Sighs), ruins of the Convento de San Francisco, as well as a few antique cars.
Street with Preserved Antique Cars
Abandoned Vehicle: Now a Planter!
Also within the historic district you will find seven small museums that can easily be visited in one day by purchasing a pass for $50 uruguan pesos (US$2.50). Usually one or two of the museums are closed each day. On our visit we were able to see the Portugese Museum, the Municipal Museum, Nacarello's House, the Tile Museum, and the Native Museum.
The town also boasts a number of artistan shops and restaurants. We had a lovely simple, pasta lunch at Anjo Preto, located on Calle Vasconcello, across from the archeaological ruins of the Governors House.
Yummy Ravioli!
It's the Real Thing, Even in Uruguay
Colonia Street Scene
If the weather had cooperated it wouldn't have been necessary to rent the golf cart to see Colonia. However, one advantage of having the wheels was that we had a chance to drive along the coast away from the historic district toward the ruins of Real de San Carlos, which was once a grand resort. There we were able to to see the old Moorish bullring that sits unused today.
Plaza de Toros Real de San Carlos
Beach Dog
El Faro Lighthouse
No comments:
Post a Comment