Colonia del Sacramento: the Portuguese village where Uruguay whispers

Colonia del Sacramento is a town of 26,000 inhabitants on the Uruguayan bank of the Río de la Plata, directly across from Buenos Aires. Its Barrio Histórico — founded by the Portuguese in 1680 and contested for centuries between Portugal and Spain — is a UNESCO World Heritage Site that can be walked in a couple of hours. But its charm lies in its rhythm, not its size.

The Barrio Histórico

The streets are uneven stone, the houses are low and colourful with inner courtyards full of bougainvillea. The lighthouse, built on the ruins of a 17th-century convent, is the panoramic point from which Buenos Aires can be seen on the horizon on clear days. The Calle de los Suspiros (Street of Sighs) is a lane of wide cobblestones, one of the oldest in Uruguay — the name, they say, comes from the sighs of women waiting for their sailors to return.

The vintage cars

Colonia is famous for the vintage cars parked on its streets — old Fords, Citroëns, Fiats — left there by their owners as elements of the urban landscape. This is not a museum: they are real cars, some still in use, woven into the stone and plaster fabric of the barrio as though time had never passed.

The sunset and the slow life

The sunset along the waterfront — the Rambla — is the highlight of the day. The sun drops into the Río de la Plata, turning the water pink and orange. Restaurants serve chivito (Uruguay's national sandwich) and tannat (the local wine). By evening, the streets of the centre empty out and only the sound of the wind remains.

How to get there

From Buenos Aires: fast ferry Buquebus or Colonia Express (1 hour). From Montevideo: bus (2.5 hours). Colonia can be visited in a day, but staying overnight lets you experience it at sunset and at dawn, when the day-trippers have gone. Ideal period: March–May and September–November.