Where Is Colonia Del Sacramento?
The town of Colonia Del Sacramento is located on the southwestern coast of Uruguay, facing toward the city of Buenos Aires, Argentina.
It’s about 180 kilometers by road from Montevideo, the capital of Uruguay, or less than 50 kilometers by sea from Buenos Aires.
How To Get From Montevideo To Colonia Del Sacramento Uruguay
From Montevideo, you can get to Colonia by car, bus, or tour. The drive takes 2 to 3 hours.
There are multiple bus companies offering this route with regular departures, and they have air-conditioning, toilets, and reclining seats. You can book your tickets in advance on Bookaway.
If you want to simplify things even further, GetYourGuide has day tours to Colonia from Montevideo that include hotel pickup and drop-off, and a trilingual tour guide to show you around the town of Colonia Del Sacramento. They also have private tours from Montevideo.
How To Get From Buenos Aires To Colonia Del Sacramento
From Argentina, you can get to Colonia by ferry from Buenos Aires. The harbor is in Puerto Madero, to be exact, and there are multiple ferry companies you can choose from.
The ferries advise to be at the harbor 1.5 hours before departure time, although in my case I would’ve been fine with less than an hour. I’m sure it depends on the day.
All of the ferry companies have daily departures going back and forth in the morning and evening, so doing this as a day trip is no problem, although it’s a good idea to book your tickets in advance. Sometimes they do sell out.
How To Get From Buenos Aires To Colonia Del Sacramento
From Argentina, you can get to Colonia by ferry from Buenos Aires. The harbor is in Puerto Madero, to be exact, and there are multiple ferry companies you can choose from.
The ferries advise to be at the harbor 1.5 hours before departure time, although in my case I would’ve been fine with less than an hour. I’m sure it depends on the day.
All of the ferry companies have daily departures going back and forth in the morning and evening, so doing this as a day trip is no problem, although it’s a good idea to book your tickets in advance. Sometimes they do sell out.
The ferry ride is safe, comfortable, and relaxing, and only takes about 1.5 hours of sailing in either direction. I even found an electric outlet to charge my phone battery on the way back to Argentina.
Immigration is pretty easy on both sides of the border. As a US citizen, I didn’t need any visa for Argentina or Uruguay, so it was very easy to do this as a day trip, but remember to check the current visa requirements for your nationality in these countries and don’t forget to bring your passport!
It’s easy to do a day trip from Buenos Aires to Colonia Del Sacramento
Best Ferry From Buenos Aires To Colonia Del Sacramento
The two main ferry companies from Buenos Aires are Buquebus and Colonia Express.
They both run similar schedules to Colonia Del Sacramento, and there’s not much of a difference in quality between them, so you can just go with whichever company has seats available for your travel dates. A third option is SeaCat, although they don’t seem to be quite as well liked.
You can book tickets for Buquebus on Bookaway, or Colonia Express on GetYourGuide. The advantage of the latter is that they also have a walking tour with a bilingual tour guide, and an optional winery visit.
It’s also possible to buy tickets on the official websites for the ferry companies, but they’re written in Spanish and the sites have a lot of glitches, so this is one time when it’s actually easier to book with third party companies.
Things To Do In Colonia Del Sacramento Uruguay
Once you arrive in Colonia Del Sacramento, the historic quarter is within walking distance from the ferry harbor, and it’s small enough to get around the whole area on foot. There’s no need for transportation at all.
Colonia is a peaceful and attractive town with cobblestone streets, quaint old buildings, and a mixture of Portuguese and Spanish cultural influences thanks to its colonial history.
Here are some of the best things to see and do in Colonia Del Sacramento:
- City Gate & Wall. The first thing to see in Colonia is the 1745 AD stone gate, wooden drawbridge, and defensive wall at the entrance to the historic quarter. You can climb up to the wall and see an old cannon, and then walk along the wall for more views of the waterfront.
- Street of Sighs. This is one of Colonia’s most photogenic streets, with colorful old buildings and a cobblestone road.
- Basilica of the Blessed Sacrament. A historic Catholic church from the 1800s with arched ceilings and other photoworthy architecture.
- Colonia Del Sacramento Lighthouse. This 1857 AD lighthouse was built on the ruins of a 17th century chapel, the Convent of San Francisco Javier. The light guided sailors to safety for centuries, and it’s still operational today. You can pay a small cash fee to climb to the top of the tower for views above the town.
- Pietra Minerals of Uruguay. This is a nice little rock shop with semi-precious stones like agates, quartz, and amethysts. Even if you don’t buy anything, it’s a great place to look around. When I was there, the owner was even handing out small rocks for free to every visitor.
