Colonia del Sacramento is a city in the south west of Uruguay, situated nearby the Río de la Plata, facing Buenos Aires, Argentina. It’s the oldest town in Uruguay and capital of the departamento of Colonia. The historic city center is listed on the World Heritage Site. As of latest measurement Colonia del Sacramento has a population of 25 thousand people.
The city was originally found in 1960 by Portugal as Colónia do Sacramento, who built the city on the opposite banks of the Buenos Aires river. Further more Colonia del Sacramento was conquered by Spain, Brazil. Today, the locals refer to the city as Colonia. The old city of Colonia, which holds the main sightseeing is quite small and can be easily explored on foot. Be careful walking around downtown as the cobbled streets don’t always come in good conditions. There’s several shops to rent scooters or bicycles which can be used to explore the country side as well.
Because many different rulers were present Colonia has a rich cultural and history sightseeing, with as its main attraction the historic city center of Colonia. Here you can find a handful of museums which can be visited with just once entrance tickets. For a small fee you can overlook the city and river on top of the Faro lighthouse. Just outside the city you can find a abandoned amusement park with Uruguay’s only bullfighting ring. Further more it’s recommended to buy several souvenirs at the local market and eat a Uruguay cuisine barbecue specialty Asodo.
To travel to New Caledonia, Colonia tourists need to have passports that are valid until at least six months after their visit. Those who plan on visiting the islands for a duration of 30 days or less are not required to have a visa, but a permit must be obtained for longer stays.