Colonia

A department on the Río de la Plata, drawing visitors with its World Heritage colonial town and wine towns.

Colonia lies in southwestern Uruguay, bordered by the Río de la Plata to the south and facing Buenos Aires across the water. The historic quarter of the capital, Colonia del Sacramento, preserves cobblestone streets and old houses from the Portuguese and Spanish colonial eras and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Around Carmelo there are wineries and riverside resorts, while Nueva Helvecia has a Swiss immigrant flavor. It can be visited year-round, with spring and fall the most comfortable. The gateway is the port of Colonia, with ferries to and from Buenos Aires, and you can also get here from Montevideo by bus.

Destinations

• Colonia del Sacramento

Itineraries

• Colonia & Montevideo River Crossing – Cross the river from Buenos Aires to spend three days exploring the Portuguese colonial town of Colonia and the old tow…
• Uruguay Classic Coast by Bus – From the historic old town to the capital, then to Punta del Este and an off-grid fishing village, all by bus and ferry.
• Buenos Aires, Colonia and Gaucho Town – Four days in the city, plus one night in Colonia del Sacramento, Uruguay, and a day at a gaucho estancia in San Antonio…
• Uruguay Wine Road Trip: River to Atlantic – From the riverside of Carmelo to Garzón on the Atlantic coast, traverse three major wine regions from west to east.
• Buenos Aires, Iguazu & Uruguay – Connect the city of tango, Iguazu Falls, Colonia, and the coastal wineries of Uruguay.