Colonia del Sacramento

About

Separated only by a 50 minute ferry ride from Buenos Aires, Colonia del Sacramento was a Portuguese colony with a turbulent history. The town changed hands multiple times between Spain and Portugal, was briefly part of Brazil, and from 1828 part of independent Uruguay. The result is a melting pot of Spanish and Portuguese colonial architecture; the streets of the Barrio Histórico are winding in the Portuguese style, the newer constructions outside the old town follows the usual Spanish grid system. The cobbled streets are full of fascinating things to see. A stone gateway and wooden bridge, which used to service a fortress, leads to avenues adorned with vintage cars (some being used as flower beds). Further up the hill the lighthouse, which rises above the ruined Convent of San Francisco, can be climbed via 111 steps for an unrivaled view of the city and the Río de la Plata.