Uruguay is one of the smallest countries in South America. In fact, I hear that the entire country is no bigger than the province of Buenos Aires in Argentina. It’s located on the Atlantic between Brazil and Argentina. From Buenos Aires, it’s just across the Rio de la Plata. However, this is the widest river in the world (140 miles at its widest), so you can’t see Uruguay from BA unless it’s a very clear day!
I decided to take the ferry over to Uruguay for a short-weekend trip, just to get a taste of the country. There are several ferries that cross the Rio de la Plata. Some are larger and take 3 hours. The catamarans are faster and can cross in only 1 hour. I took one each way just to experience both.
The ferries cross either to Montevideo (the capital ) or the small town of Colonia. I was hoping to get away from the bustle of the big city for a little while so I decided to go to Colonia rather than to Montevideo and its 1.5 million people!
Colonia del Sacramento is a 17th century Portuguese colonial city. The old town is so well preserved that UNESCO declared it a World Heritage Site. And it is charming! It was a walled city and a portion of the wall remains. The gate to the city was rebuilt with original materials as well.
And the old town is full of original homes, many of which are still in use today as homes, businesses, and museums.
It was great to get out of the big city for awhile and Colonia is completely charming! I enjoyed getting a small taste of Uruguay. The only difficult thing was the money. I've now been in three different countries and it's so confusing trying to keep track of what things cost! In one country, $1 is 400 pesos. In another it's 4 pesos. And in this one, it's 20 pesos. In the end, it's easier to just hand over some colorful bills and see how much you get back!
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