Cobblestone old town

Colonia del Sacramento was founded in 1680 by the Portuguese, directly across the river from Spanish Buenos Aires. For more than a century the two empires fought over it, and the town changed hands again and again — a history you can still read in its mix of Portuguese and Spanish architecture.

Its Barrio Histórico (Historic Quarter) is a maze of cobblestone streets, low colonial houses and a lighthouse looking out over the Río de la Plata. The famous Calle de los Suspiros — the Street of Sighs — is one of the most photographed corners in Uruguay.

In 1995 UNESCO declared the Barrio Histórico a World Heritage Site. Just an hour by ferry from Buenos Aires, Colonia feels like stepping gently back in time.