A visit to Colonia de Sacramento

A complete Uruguayan meal!

A great day trip when visiting Buenos Aires is to Colonia, Uruguay. The high speed ferry is located at Puerto Madero (very close to many Palermo or Recoleta hotels) and is an easy and quick ride to this old walled city which used to be a Portuguese outpost. On a recent trip to Buenos Aires I was able to make a visit to Colonia and it was an outstanding experience.

I left my hotel in Palermo Soho early in the morning for a quick transfer to Puerto Madero. After checking in (a fast and easy process), I boarded the high speed ferry (Buquebus) to Colonia. Not to worry if you don’t have time to eat breakfast in the hotel: there are some options for a light breakfast aboard. When taking the Buquebus you may prefer sitting in the back of the ferry, as the seats are a bit more spread out and comfortable. Once onboard it was a short hour and 30 minute ride to Colonia. (When doing this excursion you must remember your passport in order to enter Uruguay and your Argentine reciprocity fee paper for reentering Argentina at the end of the day.)

Upon arrival to Colonia I was met by a local Uruguayan guide who had a great love of her country. She explained a bit of Uruguayan history while walking me through the remaining structures of the once fortified Portuguese outpost. She really brought the place to life and shared with me much about the past and present situation in Uruguay.

After exploring the city I was taken to the Charco Hotel for a riverside lunch. From the “ojo de bife” to the “tannat” red wine, this place is sure to please. Everything, including the beet and goat cheese salad, was exquisite to say the least. Once lunch was over I had time to wander around the city on my own for the afternoon before heading back for my ferry ride to Buenos Aires. Once on board I could not help but think, when is the next time I will get back to this place?