Colonia del Sacramento Day Trip
Wondering how to take a Colonia del Sacramento day trip from Buenos Aires?
Read on for everything you need to know!
Colonia del Sacramento, also known simply as Colonia, is a charming small coastal town in Uruguay that is a popular day trip from Buenos Aires, Argentina because of its proximity to the city.
Visiting Colonia allows you to check out a whole other country in just one day. It’s also a very relaxed little town, making it a nice contrast if you want to escape the hustle and bustle of Buenos Aires.
The town is full of beautiful colonial architecture and tree-lined cobblestoned streets.
I personally loved Colonia, and it was my first stop in Uruguay before heading on to the capital Montevideo. However, if you don’t have time for a larger trip to Uruguay, Colonia is a great day trip.
Here’s everything you need to know about visiting Colonia from Buenos Aires.
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Getting to Colonia from Buenos Aires
Colonia del Sacramento is located directly across the Río de La Plata from Buenos Aires. You can easily get to Colonia del Sacramento from Buenos Aires in just one hour and 15 minutes by ferry.
When it comes to the ferry, you have two options: Buquebus and Colonia Express.
Buquebus has nicer and more comfortable ferries, but Colonia Express is usually cheaper. For such a short journey, I don’t think it matters too much which company you choose and I’d just pick based on price.
You will want to book your ferry tickets online and as far in advance as possible to get the best price. I recommend booking with Direct Ferries to avoid issues trying to book directly with either of the ferry companies. (Sometimes you might run into problems if you’re trying to pay with a foreign bank card.)
Round-trip tickets typically run from $80 to $120 USD.
It’s not cheap, so like I said, try to book your tickets well in advance for the best price!
Tips for Getting to Colonia
Note that Buquebus and Colonia Express each have their own terminal in Buenos Aires. Both are located in the Puerto Maduro area, but the terminals are about a 10-minute drive apart.
Double-check the address and that you are going to the correct terminal before your departure.
It’s recommended that you show up 90 minutes in advance of your departure time, which might be a little overkill. However, I wouldn’t cut it close and I do recommend getting there at least 60 minutes early.
This is because you’ll have to go through passport control (for both Argentina and Uruguay) before boarding the ferry, and the lines for this can get quite long, especially on weekends or holidays. (This is a very popular day trip or weekend trip for locals too.) Keep this in mind for your return ferry as well.
When you arrive in Colonia, it’s a 10-minute walk from the ferry terminal to the heart of town.
How Long Do You Need?
I recommend spending as long as you can in Colonia. Since the ferry is pretty expensive, it also doesn’t make sense to pay that much and then only have a few hours to actually spend in the town.
Although Colonia is quite small, you can easily fill up a whole day here.
I would take the earliest ferry in the morning, which usually departs from Buenos Aires around 8:30 AM and arrives in Colonia around 9:45 AM. Then I would take an early evening ferry back to Buenos Aires.
You can even spend the night in Colonia if you want to enjoy the small-town charm for longer.
However, a day trip is also plenty of time to thoroughly explore!
Tours to Colonia from Buenos Aires
It’s very easy to visit Colonia on your own from Buenos Aires, so you don’t need a tour.
However, if you don’t want to worry about the logistics yourself and want to visit Colonia as part of a guided day trip, this small-group tour from Buenos Aires is the perfect option for you.
This tour includes pickup and dropoff at your hotel in Buenos Aires and transportation to the ferry terminal, as well as your ferry tickets. You’ll be traveling with a local guide, and when you arrive in Colonia del Sacramento, you will enjoy a two-hour walking tour with your guide before having some free time.
But like I said, this is a day trip that’s very easy to do on your own so there’s no need for a tour.
Things to Do in Colonia
Colonia del Sacramento is perfect for a day trip because it’s a compact little town.
You can explore the highlights of the town in a few hours, then spend the rest of your time enjoying a leisurely lunch at one of the many restaurants in town or stopping in at cute cafes and shops.
Here are the best things to do in Colonia del Sacramento:
Wander the historic streets. Colonia del Sacramento dates back to the 1600s and the town is full of historic buildings and quaint cobblestoned streets. The Calle de los Suspiros, or Street of Sighs, is a very picturesque colonial street in Colonia that is definitely the most photographed spot in town.
Walk along the city walls. At the entrance of the Barrio Histórico, the most historic part of Colonia del Sacramento, you can see the old city gate and walk along a portion of the old stone city walls.
Visit the lighthouse. There is also a historic lighthouse in the Barrio Histórico. The Faro de Colonia del Sacramento dates back to the 1850s, and you can climb it for a great view over the town.
Enjoy lunch. There are tons of restaurants in Colonia del Sacramento. Uruguayan cuisine is similar to Argentinian cuisine in that it’s very meat-heavy. This is a great place to get a steak lunch. (Charco Bistró is highly rated.) But if you’re vegetarian like me, there are still plenty of options to choose from.
Spend some time at the beach. Don’t get too excited, because the beaches of Colonia del Sacramento are not going to make any “best of” lists. But there are several beaches that are popular in summertime.
Colonia del Sacramento Day Trip
This guide showed you how to take a Colonia del Sacramento day trip from Buenos Aires.
Colonia is one of the most charming towns in Uruguay and it makes for a great day trip from Buenos Aires. You can escape the big city and enjoy the relaxed vibes of this historic town for a breath of fresh air.
Have a great trip and enjoy your visit to Colonia!
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