Last Friday, I took a day trip to the city of Colonia del Sacramento, which is about two and a half hours by bus west of Montevideo. The weather prediction for that day called for thunderstorms, but especially being from Washington, I know that a little bit of rain never hurt anyone!
Founded in 1680, this city, which is now a UNESCO World Heritage site, has both a Portuguese and Spanish history. Supposedly, you can actually tell which streets were Portuguese and which were Spanish based entirely on the structure of the cobblestones.
Notice how the cobblestones are different? I think, the street going to the left was Spanish, and the street on the right was Portuguese
Although it did rain the entire day, it didn’t stop us from exploring this charming town. We visited the Museo Municipal (Municipal Museum), which had a little bit of everything, from ancient pottery, to old weapons, to displays on the prehistoric zoology of the region, and we also visited the Museo Indígena (Indigenous Museum), which housed a collection of artifacts from the ancient indigenous populations of Uruguay.
Calle de los Suspiros (“The Street of Sighs”) – one of the most photographed places in Uruguay
We also peeked inside the Basílica del Santísimo Sacramento,which is one of the oldest basilicas in the country.
Travelling to Colonia really did feel like a journey back in time. We spent a total of about eight hours in Colonia which, even in the pouring rain, proved to be plenty of time to explore what this delightful little city had to offer.
Now, I am currently in the process of planning a big trip to Iguazú Falls once classes and finals end, which believe it or not, is in three weeks. Where has the time gone?
Chau for now!
Adventuras Uruguayas 