Excursions to Colonia, Uruguay

Destination: Colonia, Uruguay

Distance from Buenos Aires: 40 kilometers

Travel time: 50 minutes

Cost of ferry ticket: $280.00 AR pesos (July 31, 2009)

Average cost of beer: $10.00 AR pesos (July 31, 2009)

A quick trip to Colonia, or Colonia del Sacramento, is one of the easiest and closest excursions a traveler can take from Buenos Aires to a neighboring country. For this reason, this town is often chosen as the destination for renewing one’s tourist visa.

At its core rests a sleepy, yet well-preserved historical section that includes most of the town’s tourist sites. These buildings are the mixed remnants of Spanish and Portuguese colonizers, two nations that frequently exchanged ownership of this port over the course of a turbulent early history. The original city walls, gate, churches and a few original homes from the 1600’s are just a few highlights. Many of the streets are still made of cobblestone and much of the original city planning still remains.

If historical sites are not your thing, however, Colonia has some alternatives in store. An artisan market lies near the Campus Minicipal on Calle Dr. Fosalba. Just one block away from the market lies a small beach, an excellent location for an afternoon snooze or a few moments with good book. A couple of casinos are around, but these entertainment venues are more for killing time than having an adrenaline-filled gambling binge. Moped and golf cart rentals are available and recommended for a more thorough exploration. These zippy little vehicles open up the opportunity to see the larger beach on the west side, the horse track, and the golf course. This map may be of great assistance when researching the town’s layout:

http://www.mapacolonia.com/intermapa.swf

Here are the names of a few hostels and hotels about which we’ve heard good things:

http://www.elviajerobb.com/

http://hostelblog.com.ar/contacto/

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