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Major city · Uruguay

Colonia del Sacramento

Give Colonia one night, two if you want all eight museums: the UNESCO old town is walkable in half a day, the rest is riverfront and the bull ring.

Not yet checkedSourcesWhat these labels mean

Colonia del Sacramento is a 1680 Portuguese river port on the Rio de la Plata, 1 h from Buenos Aires by fast ferry and 2.5–3.5 h from Montevideo by bus. The historic district is a small peninsula you cross on foot in an afternoon; the town's value is the walk, the river sunsets and a slow meal, not a checklist. Most travellers come for one night between Argentina and Uruguay, or as a day trip from Buenos Aires.

basic guide: no trip line yet
3 pages, for the metro and roaming-off days
Map
Google Maps Apple Maps Street View
More ways in
Print / PDF guide
Local time, weather, currency, airports
Weather
see forecast
Currency
UYU
Best months
Oct–Apr (warm, long evenings); Mar–Apr and Oct–Nov for mild weather and fewer crowds
avoid Jun–Aug (cool, wet, quiet); peak summer weekends and Carnival when ferries and hotels fill
Airport
MVD
Nights
1–2
Rules in force · 6Above 2,500 m (Bogotá, Quito, Cusco, La Paz) keep the fir…
  • South America ↗Above 2,500 m (Bogotá, Quito, Cusco, La Paz) keep the first day light; sleep lower where you can (Sacred Valley before Cusco) and descend if headache comes with vomiting or confusion.
  • South America ↗A yellow fever certificate is required on arrival in French Guiana, and asked for on some routes into Bolivia, Paraguay, Suriname and Guyana, or when arriving from Amazon areas — vaccinate at least 10 days before travel and carry the card.
  • South America ↗Overnight buses are the norm in Argentina, Chile and Peru, but pick top-tier companies and keep valuables on your body; on-board thefts from overhead racks are the common loss.
  • Uruguay ↗Check entry rules for your passport with Uruguay's Ministry of Foreign Affairs or a Uruguayan consulate; ferry passengers from Buenos Aires clear both countries' immigration at the terminal.
  • Uruguay ↗Buenos Aires–Colonia and Buenos Aires–Montevideo ferries sell out on long weekends and in summer: book ahead.
  • Uruguay ↗Pay restaurants, hotels and car hire with a foreign-issued card: non-residents get the 22% VAT (IVA) removed on restaurants and car hire roughly 15 November – 30 April, and on lodging — check the current season's rules.
What is in this basic guide9 covered · 4 not yet ▾

Not in this guide yet

  • Walking areas with bag rules
  • Day plans checked against opening hours
  • Airport-to-bed timings and the last safe connection
  • Field-checked times and prices
Emergency numbers for Colonia del Sacramento911 ▾
  • Police, ambulance, fire911

Tap a number to call from your phone. These are the numbers listed in this guide; a row marked check has not been verified.

EssentialsQuick answers and what things cost

Essentials

Quick answers and what things cost

Quick answers

The questions people ask first about Colonia del Sacramento, one line each. Tap a card for the full answer.

Show all 12 answers

Cost cheat-sheet

2026 desk estimate · check

Typical prices for the everyday things, as ranges. Your currency is shown next to the local price.

  • CoffeeUYU 80–150
  • Sit-down mealLunch or dinner mainUYU 400–900
  • Beerbar or storeUYU 120–250
  • Taxi, about 5 km (3 mi)Taxi, centre to bull ringabout UYU 200 (check)
  • SIM or eSIM, a weekeSIM or data SIM, about a weekUYU 500–900
  • Budget bedHostel dorm bed, a night, per personUYU 900
  • Mid-range bedDouble room, guesthouse or hotel, a night, per roomUYU 4,500
  • High-end bedDouble room, guesthouse or hotel, a night, per roomUYU 9,000

A day, not counting the bed: Budget UYU 2,000 · Mid UYU 3,500 · High UYU 7,000

Local prices, with USD next to them (rates 2026-09 (approximate); change it in the header). Ranges are desk estimates: check locally. Every price and the budget calculator →

DecideWhat it is known for, and when the weather works

Decide

What it is known for, and when the weather works

At a glance

What the city is known for, how you fly in, and where to find the phrases.

UNESCO-listed Barrio HistóricoCalle de los SuspirosPortuguese and Spanish colonial architectureRio de la Plata sunsetsFerry link to Buenos Aires
Airports
MVD Montevideo Carrasco (About 2.5–3.5 h by bus from Montevideo's Tres Cruces terminal; no commercial flights serve Colonia's own airfield.)

Best months at a glance

From the guide's best and avoid lists

  1. Jan

    Best

    29°C (84°F)

  2. Feb

    Best

    28°C (82°F)

  3. Mar

    Best

    26°C (79°F)

  4. Apr

    Best

    22°C (72°F)

  5. May

    not flagged

    19°C (66°F)

  6. Jun

    Avoid

    16°C (61°F)

  7. Jul

    Avoid

    15°C (59°F)

  8. Aug

    Avoid

    17°C (63°F)

  9. Sep

    not flagged

    19°C (66°F)

  10. Oct

    Best

    21°C (70°F)

  11. Nov

    Best

    25°C (77°F)

  12. Dec

    Best

    27°C (81°F)

Best: Oct–Apr. Avoid: Jun–Aug. Month by month →

Warmest Jan (29°C (84°F)), coolest Jul (7°C (45°F) low), wettest Jul (7 rain days), driest Jan (6). Averages, not a forecast.

Weather and climate

Forecast from Open-Meteo · averages rounded

Colonia del Sacramento: next 7 days

Loading forecast…

Forecast: Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0), model data for this point.

Air quality

Loading…

Model estimate (CAMS via Open-Meteo), not a street-level station; readings near busy roads run higher.

Jan

29°C (84°F)

19°C (66°F)

6 rd

Feb

28°C (82°F)

19°C (66°F)

6 rd

Mar

26°C (79°F)

17°C (63°F)

6 rd

Apr

22°C (72°F)

14°C (57°F)

6 rd

May

19°C (66°F)

11°C (52°F)

6 rd

Jun

16°C (61°F)

8°C (46°F)

6 rd

Jul

15°C (59°F)

7°C (45°F)

7 rd

Aug

17°C (63°F)

9°C (48°F)

6 rd

Sep

19°C (66°F)

10°C (50°F)

6 rd

Oct

21°C (70°F)

13°C (55°F)

7 rd

Nov

25°C (77°F)

15°C (59°F)

6 rd

Dec

27°C (81°F)

17°C (63°F)

6 rd

High / low, both scales · rd = rain days

Arrive & moveAirports are listed under At a glance; this is how to move once you are in

Arrive & move

Airports are listed under At a glance; this is how to move once you are in

Getting around

The old town is a 10–15 min walk from the ferry and bus terminals and is entirely walkable; cobblestones are uneven, so wear flat shoes. For the bull ring and beaches 4 km northwest, take the Sol Antigua orange bus to Real de San Carlos or a taxi. Bicycles, scooters, golf carts and small electric cars are rented near the terminals and on Gral. Flores.

Nearest full guides

Straight-line distance, not travel time

See & doDay-trips, door to door

See & do

Day-trips, door to door

Day-trips

Door-to-door, not ride time

Buenos Aires

go

Door to door: About 2 h with boarding

Fast ferry from Colonia port, about 1 h

The classic crossing; book ahead in summer and on holidays.

Montevideogo

Door to door: 2.5–3.5 h

Intercity bus from the Colonia terminal, several companies

Almost hourly departures; buy at the terminal or on board.

Carmelo

overnight

Door to door: About 2 h

Bus north via Route 21, or car

Wine country on the river; better with a night than a return dash.

Nueva Helvecia

caution

Door to door: About 1 h

Bus east on Route 1

Swiss-founded town; worth it mainly if you are heading that way anyway.

Eat & sleepWhich area to sleep in

Eat & sleep

Which area to sleep in

Where to sleep

Areas, not hotels: pick the one that fits your arrival time and plans.

Barrio Histórico

Inside the old town: cobblestones, river views, walk to everything. Book early for weekends; rooms are small and old.

Centro / near the terminals

Around the bus and ferry terminals, 500 m–1 km (0.6 mi) east of the old town. Practical for early ferries and buses, cheaper, less atmosphere.

Rambla / Real de San Carlos

Northwest along the waterfront, 2–4 km (1.2–2.5 mi) out. Quieter, some hotels and beaches, needs a taxi or bus to the centre.

PracticalWhat a day costs, what to watch out for, and the pocket card

Practical

What a day costs, what to watch out for, and the pocket card

Cost per day

2026 estimate, excluding the bed unless stated
Budget
UYU 1,500–2,500 excl. bed
Mid
UYU 2,500–4,500 excl. bed
High
UYU 4,500+ excl. bed

Trip budget

2026 estimate · converts to your currency
Double room, guesthouse or hotel1 × 1 night × UYU 4,500UYU 4,500
Food, local transport, entries2 × 1 day × UYU 3,500UYU 7,000
Eight-museum ticket (one ticket, all museums)2 × UYU 50 · checkUYU 100
Lighthouse entry2 × UYU 30 · checkUYU 50
Sol Antigua bus to Real de San Carlos, one way2 × UYU 20 · checkUYU 50
eSIM, about a week of data2 × UYU 600UYU 1,200
Buffer 10%Price creep, a taxi you did not plan, one splurgeUYU 1,290
Trip total≈ UYU 7,100 per person per day, bed includedUYU 14,190

2026 estimate in Uruguayan pesos; ferry and long-distance bus fares excluded. Your choices stay in this browser.

Prices of common things

CoffeeUYU 80–150
Lunch or dinner mainUYU 400–900
Beer, bar or storeUYU 120–250
Taxi, centre to bull ringabout UYU 200 (check)
Bus Montevideo → Colonia, one wayUYU 300–400 (check)
eSIM or data SIM, about a weekUYU 500–900

2026 estimate; check locally.

Watch out

Safety

Colonia is a small, calm town and feels safe day and night; the real risks are uneven cobblestones, river currents if you swim, and petty theft of unattended bags at the ferry terminal in summer.
  • Cobblestone streets are uneven and slick after rain; watch your footing and the kerbs.
  • The Plaza de Toros bull ring is fenced off and in disrepair: view it from outside, do not climb in.
  • Museum opening days rotate — each of the eight closes one or two days a week, so you need two days to see them all.
  • Photography is banned inside the municipal museums.
  • Ferry and bus seats sell out on summer weekends and holidays: book ahead rather than trusting walk-up space.

Emergency numbers

Police, ambulance, fire
911

Pocket card

One page · print or save as PDF

Fill in, then print or save as PDF

Stays in this browser only; nothing is sent anywhere.

Colonia del SacramentoColonia del Sacramento

Pocket card · Voykit

My bed tonight

—

—

—

A esta dirección, por favorTo this address, please

Emergency

  • Police, ambulance, fire911

Embassy

No embassies in Colonia; most are in Montevideo (about 2.5–3.5 h by bus).

My embassy: —

Fare anchors (2026 estimate)

  • Ferry Colonia → Buenos Aires: about 1 h; fares vary by company and class, book ahead (check)
  • Bus Montevideo → Colonia: UYU 300–400, 2.5–3.5 h (check)
  • Taxi centre → bull ring: about UYU 200 (check)

Say or show

  • Hola — Hello (OH-lah)
  • Gracias — Thank you (GRAH-see-as)
  • ¿Cuánto cuesta? — How much is it? (KWAN-toh KWES-tah)
  • La cuenta, por favor — The bill, please (lah KWEN-tah por fah-VOR)
  • ¿Puedo pagar con tarjeta? — Can I pay by card? (PWEH-doh pah-GAR kon tar-HEH-tah)
  • ¿Dónde está la terminal de ferry? — Where is the ferry terminal? (DON-deh es-TAH lah ter-mee-NAL deh ferry)

Tipping: about 10% in restaurants, not added automatically.

Deep diveWhat this guide covers so far, and its sources

Deep dive

What this guide covers so far, and its sources

Not a trip line yet

This is a basic guide: no airport-to-bed contract, walking clusters or day plans are published for Colonia del Sacramento. Airport, fare and schedule details are unverified; check the operators before you fly.

What we know, and what is coming

On this page

  1. Best months: Oct–Apr (warm, long evenings); Mar–Apr and Oct–Nov for mild weather and fewer crowds · avoid Jun–Aug (cool, wet, quiet); peak summer weekends and Carnival when ferries and hotels fill · month by month →
  2. 1 airport and 3 areas to sleep in
  3. Weather: a 7-day forecast and monthly averages
  4. Cost per day in 3 bands
  5. 4 day-trips, door to door
  6. 5 things to watch out for, with emergency numbers

Coming as the guide grows

  1. Ferry and bus contract for Colonia: last departures, booking windows and walk-up fallback.
  2. Four walking clusters with anchors: old town, port and dock, rambla, Real de San Carlos.
  3. Place pages with verified opening days for the eight museums and the lighthouse.
  4. Eat pages with last orders and riverfront seating notes.

Meanwhile

Back to Uruguay

Sources