April 26, 2013
“We had heard so much about Colonia, I was thrilled to finally be here. What a nice town. Time always seems to go too fast when you don’t want it to. I would gladly spend more time here. Glad the weather was perfect – not too hot or too cold…or windy…perfect! The ideal end to our vacation within our adventure.”
The drive into Colonia del Sacremento.
This is a bit out of order since we did not visit Colonia until April, but it seemed appropriate to include it now.
On our way back to Piriapolis from Iguazu Falls, we stopped for 2 days at Colonia del Sacremento, usually just called Colonia. This charming town is up river from Montevideo. I think it was the “feel” of this quaint town that drew us in…relaxed, cozy, friendly…. We would love to have spent more time here. Overall, the town is a bit more expensive than other Uruguayan towns: understandable since it was developed as a tourist stop. Its close proximity to Buenos Aires makes it a great weekend get-away. Luckily, it was not high season. As always, we try to avoid the crowds.
Outside the wall to the old town.
Entering through the gate
- Just inside the gate. Look at the thickness of the wall!
The lighthouse in Colonia – love the remnants of the old wall.
The light house gives a wonderful birds-eye view of a well-preserved part of the old town. They did a great job of restoring enough of the old walled area that you had a good feel for what life was like back then.
Looking down from the lighthouse, saw this well preserved old building.
Walking through old town
We loved walking these streets. Really gave you a feel for the old days.
A part of old town kept very original, stepping back in time. Chris claims that guy was checking me out…?
Calamari and pizza
We ate at some very good restaurants close to the water. Since it is such a tourist town, we had no problem finding a restaurant with Wi-Fi. Checking in to make sure the dogs were behaving and letting Patricia know we were on our way.
We stayed in a cozy hotel in a more updated part of Colonia.