For your day-long Colonia City Tour – From Buenos Aires you will be picked up from your downtown hotel in a comfortable vehicle and driven to catch the ferry across the Río de la Plata.
After an hour-long boat-ride you will arrive in another country – Uruguay – and disembark at the historic city of Colonia del Sacramento.
With its immaculate and parks and gardens, quiet cobbled streets and miles of beaches, Colonia is a relaxing place. The laid-back atmosphere could not be more different from the frenetic life of Buenos Aires. No wonder Colonia is a popular day-trip or weekend destination among Buenos Aires locals (Porteños).
For much of its history Colonia was involved in the long struggle between Spanish Argentina and Portuguese Brazil. At one point it was a prime smuggling center, exploited by the British while the Spanish were busy building up the strength and size of their colony in Buenos Aires. A stop was put to this in 1828 when Uruguay was created as a buffer state between Argentina and Brazil.
You will be taken on a City Tour of the historical district. Your guide will tell you about the architecture of the city, a delightful mixture of Spanish, Portuguese and post-colonial styles. Both Colonia´s old and modern architecture are now protected as UNESCO world heritage sites.
Closer to the shore are the Portuguese houses and stone-paved streets, placed on unlevelled ground without any coherent plan. These give way to colorful Spanish architecture built on a grid plan. Further on are the white-washed houses of the post-colonial era. Expect to see some splendid classic 1950s cars which add a special touch to the historic streets.
Highlights of Colonia include the Santisimo Sacramento Church, the oldest in the country. Opposite the church is the splendid San Francisco Lighthouse. Another important feature is the Puerta de Campo, a drawbridge dating from 1745, one of the last remains of an old city fort.
During the day you will enjoy lunch in La Renata restaurant
At the end of the afternoon you will board the ferry for the return. On arrival back in Buenos Aires, you will be dropped back at the point where you were picked up.