The hook
A dreamy little old town of cobbled lanes and colonial houses on a point in the River Plate, fought over for centuries by Portugal and Spain, now a romantic, near-perfectly-preserved step back in time an hour's ferry from Buenos Aires.
01Why it's worth it
Colonia del Sacramento is one of the oldest and prettiest towns in Uruguay, founded by the Portuguese in the 17th century as a smuggling outpost directly across the wide River Plate from Spanish Buenos Aires, and it changed hands between the two crowns again and again, leaving a rare blend of Portuguese and Spanish colonial styles. Its compact Barrio Histórico, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is a delightful tangle of rough cobblestone streets (some laid in the Portuguese fashion), single-storey colonial houses draped in bougainvillea, a lighthouse you can climb, the "Street of Sighs," old ramparts and gates, and shaded plazas, all on a small peninsula lapped by the river. Vintage cars sit picturesquely on the corners, cafés and wine bars fill the old houses, and the whole place glows at sunset over the water. It is tiny and easily seen in a day, and its combination of history, romance, and riverside calm, plus the easy ferry link from Buenos Aires, makes it a beloved and gentle highlight, whether as a day trip or an overnight escape.
02How to experience it
Wander the cobbled Barrio Histórico slowly, climb the lighthouse for the view, and linger over the sunset from the old town's riverside. It is easily done as a day trip by ferry from Buenos Aires, but an overnight lets you enjoy the streets once the day-trippers leave. Spring to autumn is loveliest.