Colonia

-34.46353, -57.83461

Colonia del Sacramento Travel Guide

City Map

City Introduction

Colonia del Sacramento is a cozy city that is also one of the oldest in Uruguay and known for its old town, which is on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Colonia’s history was marked from the beginning by colonial territorial battles with Portugal and Spain. Colonia was part of Portugal, while Spanish colonial armies besieged and defeated Colonia several times in the late 17th century and throughout the 18th century. Several peace treaties returned the city to Portugal until Spain incorporated Colonia into its empire.

In the first half of the 18th century, Colonia had been significantly expanded with fortifications, and the city was the richest around the Rio de la Plata. Overall, the Rio de la Plata region was economically interesting to both the Spanish and Portuguese empires.

In 1777, the first Treaty of San Ildefenso was concluded to establish borders in South America between Spain and Portugal. With the treaty, Spain ceded some areas in Brazil in exchange for what is now Uruguay and thereby Colonia. In 1816, Uruguay became part of Brazil, before the country became an independent nation in 1828.

Today, a trip to Colonia is like stepping into historic, colonial South America from the time when Spain and Portugal fought over the city. The old town, Barrio Histórico, is the main attraction, and here it’s just a matter of exploring the narrow streets between the old houses. The center of the Barrio Histórico is the Plaza Mayor, and you will find the city’s old church, the Basilica del Santisimo Sacramento, and other well-known buildings from the city’s colonial era here. Close to this you can see a rebuilt part of the city’s defense wall and city gate, Portón del Campo.

Everywhere you can notice the small but significant differences between Spanish and Portuguese buildings. The Portuguese built houses in natural stone, but the Spanish used bricks, and the Spanish streets had drains on the sides instead of the inverted Portuguese paving.

The bullring Plaza de Toros Real de San Carlos at Avenida Mihanovich is a different attraction, located a few kilometers north of the historic center. Opened in 1910 with a capacity of 10,000, the arena was part of a newly built tourist complex that also housed a hotel, a jai alai court and a racecourse.

The bullring closed after only eight fighting days when bullfighting was banned in Uruguay in 1912. Instead, the developer of the structures, Nicolás Mihanovich, opened a casino that attracted citizens from Buenos Aires, not least. Mihanovich then built a pier at the complex, and he initiated steamship traffic from the Argentine capital.

Other Attractions

Day Trips

Palacio del Congreso, Buenos Aires, Argentina

Buenos Aires

Buenos Aires is the capital of Argentina and a meeting with South American atmosphere and countless European-style splendor buildings that make the city unique on the American continent. Buenos Aires was expanded by Parisian example, as Argentina was one of the richest countries in the world, and it is clearly seen in the large and charming city center.

Everywhere there is grand architecture that matches the best of Europe and at the same time creates the city’s very own atmosphere. The central squares, Plaza de Mayo and Plaza Congreso, as well as the stunningly beautiful theater building, Teatro Colon, are fine examples of this. A Calle Florida stroll is also a must, just as tango in San Telmo is also popular.

Read more about Buenos Aires

 

Palacio Salvo, Montevideo, Uruguay

Montevideo

Montevideo is the capital of Uruguay and at the same time one of South America’s large and interesting metropolises in the historic region between Spanish and Portuguese colonies. The city is beautifully located on the northern bank of the Río de la Plata on the site where the Spanish founded it in 1724.

The Fort Fortaleza General Artigas is located at the highest point in Montevideo, and from here there is a magnificent panoramic view of the entire capital and the Río de la Plata, which in this place looks like an ocean. Look forward to a tour through the capital’s cozy neighborhoods, and the old streets and beautiful squares of Ciudad Vieja are a natural starting point. Here you can, for example, enjoy a stroll along Peatonal Sarandí or follow life from one of the city’s plazas.

Read more about Montevideo

Geolocation

In short

Colonia del Sacramento, Uruguay Colonia del Sacramento, Uruguay[/caption]

Overview of Colonia del Sacramento

Colonia del Sacramento is a cozy city that is also one of the oldest in Uruguay and known for its old town, which is on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Colonia’s history was marked from the beginning by colonial territorial battles with Portugal and Spain. Colonia was part of Portugal, while Spanish colonial armies besieged and defeated Colonia several times in the late 17th century and throughout the 18th century. Several peace treaties returned the city to Portugal until Spain incorporated Colonia into its empire.

In the first half of the 18th century, Colonia had been significantly expanded with fortifications, and the city was the richest around the Rio de la Plata. Overall, the Rio de la Plata region was economically interesting to both the Spanish and Portuguese empires.

In 1777, the first Treaty of San Ildefenso was concluded to establish borders in South America between Spain and Portugal. With the treaty, Spain ceded some areas in Brazil in exchange for what is now Uruguay and thereby Colonia. In 1816, Uruguay became part of Brazil, before the country became an independent nation in 1828.

About the Colonia del Sacramento travel guide

Contents: Tours in the city + tours in the surrounding area
Published: Released soon
Author: Stig Albeck
Publisher: Vamados.com
Language: English

About the travel guide

The Colonia del Sacramento travel guide gives you an overview of the sights and activities of the Uruguayan city. Read about top sights and other sights, and get a tour guide with tour suggestions and detailed descriptions of all the city’s most important churches, monuments, mansions, museums, etc.

Colonia del Sacramento is waiting for you, and at vamados.com you can also find cheap flights and great deals on hotels for your trip. You just select your travel dates and then you get flight and accommodation suggestions in and around the city.

Read more about Colonia del Sacramento and Uruguay

Canada Travel Guide: https://vamados.com/uruguay
City tourism: https://visitcolo-nia.uy
Main Page: https://www.vamados.com/

Buy the travel guide

Click the “Add to Cart” button to purchase the travel guide. After that you will come to the payment, where you enter the purchase and payment information. Upon payment of the travel guide, you will immediately receive a receipt with a link to download your purchase. You can download the travel guide immediately or use the download link in the email later.

Use the travel guide

When you buy the travel guide to Colonia del Sacramento you get the book online so you can have it on your phone, tablet or computer – and of course you can choose to print it. Use the maps and tour suggestions and you will have a good and content-rich journey.

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