Colonia del Sacramento: The Uruguayan Getaway

Colonia del Sacramento, Uruguay, is a pleasant, historic and most importantly quiet little getaway that takes less than an hour to get to by ferry from Buenos Aires. With its unmistakable Portuguese influences, quaint restaurants and tourist attractions that include a light house and a bull ring, it is a world away from bustling Buenos Aires. The historical quarter of town, Barrio Histórico, is a UNESCO World Heritage site and Colonia’s main attraction.

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A Brief History of a Colonia

Colonia is a small town, with a population of just over 20,000 – and as a tourist you won’t even need to go much further than the cobblestone streets of the Portuguese built Barrio Histórico, just a short walk from wharf where the ferry drops you off.

Originally founded by Portugal in 1680, the strategically well-positioned town was taken over by the Spanish soon after. The two maritime powers swapped control of Colonia until the 1820’s, when Brazil became a nation in its own right and inherited the territory.

As a result of the Argentina-Brazil war, the nation of Uruguay was formed, and Colonia lay within its borders. The town has expanded since those times, but the historical neighborhood remains a charming reminder of things past.

Attractions in Colonia del Sacramento

On a first trip to the township, you may consider it worthwhile to pay a little extra for the Colonia guided day tour to get a bit of historical background and a few folksy stories about Colonia.

If you chose not to do the tour, you are still guaranteed to see everything there is to see, due to the tiny proportions of the Barrio Historico – and you have the option to choose another lunch spot aside from the one that comes as part of the tour package. You can always pick up a map and pamphlet from the Tourist Information Center, near the City Gate, and figure it out for yourself. Another option for those with a driver’s license on them is to rent a moped upon departing the ferry, but be prepared to put down a big cash deposit.

Firstly, you can’t miss the rustic lighthouse, which is alongside the ruins of the convent of San Francisco, facing out towards Buenos Aires. A small fee and a laborious clod up the spiraling staircase will reward you with a nice view from the very top of Colonia. You can even make out the skyscrapers of Buenos Aires’ Puerto Madero in the distance on a clear day.

The other historical feature you will notice immediately is the restored Portón de Campo (City Gate) with its stone pillars and wooden bridge, which makes for an elegant photo background.
Beyond the gate, the main plaza is a great place to relax and enjoy the sounds of silence, and it is surrounded by the historical buildings which constitute most of the remaining tourist attractions of Colonia.

The Basilica of the Holy Sacrament is imposing, but relatively humble for a Catholic creation, while some small museums and historical houses are worth a glance, but not much more — unless you are truly a history nut. The craft stores and art galleries around the plaza are better places to meander about.

The largest attraction outside the confines of the Barrio Historico is the Plaza de Toros Real de San Carlos, a rundown bullring a couple of miles from the plaza. Built in 1910 to attract bloodlusters from Buenos Aires, the Moorish bull ring amazingly only put on eight events before being closed down due to a ban on the sport in Uruguay. Unfortunately the public is not allowed inside due to safety precautions, so visitors are limited to observing it from the outside.

Trips to Colonia to Renew the Argentine Visa

Anyone who plans on staying in Argentina for any length of time on only a tourist visa will soon find themselves considering the short hop over to Colonia, which, being in another country of course, will instantly renew your tourist visa for another three months, no matter the length of your stay.

Although some choose to make a weekend of it, most are there and back within a day. Those who go to Uruguay to renew their visa repeatedly may bump up against problems with immigration officials — Argentina is currently cracking down on those who live in Argentina for extended periods on a tourist visa.

⇒ Check out our Colonia de Sacramento day tour options

→ Get in touch via our contact form to ask about all the Colonia day tours

→ Information on Getting to Colonia, Restaurants and Hotels

San Antonio de Areco: A Gaucho Getaway Near Buenos Aires

San Antonio de Areco, only an hour-and-a-half from Buenos Aires, is an idyllic pampa town to experience the charm of Argentine gaucho life.

An easy drive from the capital, the picturesque pueblo welcomes day tripping porteños and international jet setters in search of their inner cowboys.

The town dates to 1730 and to this day it preserves a great deal of the creole and gaucho (cowboy) traditions, especially among its artisans, who produce very fine silverwork and saddles.The town was first made famous by the writer, Ricardo Güiralde’s 1926 novel, La Segunda Sombra, credited with altering the Argentine elite’s previously negative opinion of the Pampa cowboy into that of the ‘noble gaucho.’

⇒ Book a full day San Antonio de Areco tour

The pretty central Plaza Ruiz de Arellano is named after of the town’s founding estanciero (ranch owner), and is surrounded several historic buildings, including the local parish church, Iglesia Parroquial and the Casa de los Martínez, a Colonial-style building dating to 1720.

Activities in San Antonio de Areco

In San Antonio de Areco you can visit any of the local estancias to take a horse ride led by a gaucho guide or pass the day checking out the museums, antique garages and clothing shops.

Take a look in the Ricardo Güiralde Museum and the Usina Vieja Cultural Center, where you can check out primitive agricultural apparatuses and handicrafts. Go for a walk through the picturesque Creole Park on the banks of the Areco River and pass by the Puente Viejo, or ‘the old bridge’ where every cowboy once had to pay a fee to cross his horse.

This sister city to Laredo, Texas is easily accessible on foot; strolling along the narrow sidewalks you’ll be certain to chance upon countless regional workshops where the traditional arts of making crafts in leather and precious metals is practiced as it always has been.

Take the opportunity to stock up on your boina (a gaucho-style beret), bombachas (baggy gaucho pants) and alpargatas (espadrilles, canvas shoes) for a portion of their price in Buenos Aires.

Drinks and Dining in San Antonia de Areco

For a cold beer and a picada (meat and cheese platter) in a rustic setting among gauchos stop at the Boliche de Bessonart, on the corner of Don Segundo Sombra and Zapiola. For something warm on a chilly day, try La Esquina de Merti on the corner of the main square for a cortado (macchiato) or submarino (Argentina’s equivalent to hot chocolate; a glass of steamed milk with a stick of bitter chocolate left to melt within) and watch the world and gauchos go by.

Bessonart is a classic place bar restaurant in the town of San Antonio de Areco — The ‘Boliche de Bessonart’ —photos by Alice Josslyn

For a reasonably priced, hearty meal try the traditional criolla offerings at Cafe de las Artes. The menu offers homemade pasta dishes, slow-cooked grilled meats, fresh from the fields, as well as specials including tenderloin pork in a beer and honey sauce with creamed sweet potatoes. The wine list is substantial but not overwhelming, with wines ranging from a drinkable bottle of La Moras Malbec to a mouth-watering Septima.

Another hot spot offering a fresh asado (barbecue) dinner and typical Argentine fare is Puesto La Lechuza, at the home of Belen Güiraldes, a descendant of San Antonio’s favorite hometown hero, Ricardo Güiraldes. It’s only open on weekends, but every Saturday night there is live entertainment and dancing.

If staying overnight, you’ll want to head along with the locals to a peña; a party with folk music and dancing, on the weekends there is sure to be one in the central plaza. Single male visitors will be left to nurse their drinks. Female visitors will find it difficult to say no to a dance— the ruggedly handsome gaucho’s can be very persuasive on their Saturday nights off the farm.

—by Alice Josselyn

→ Ask about our fun and authentic San Antonio de Areco day tour. We also have a special one or two day tour for the yearly San Antonio de Areco Gaucho Festival, the largest cowboy gathering in the country, in November.

→ The San Antonio de Areco Gaucho Festival

→ Lodging in San Antonio de Areco

→ Dining, Shopping and Travel Info for San Antonio de Areco

→ Read about Argentina’s Folk Music Tradition

Rosario: Pleasant, Authentic & Worth a Weekend

Rosario, in the province of Sante Fe, may not be a big-name tourist destination in Argentina, but it’s worth having a look at if you’re sick of the Buenos Aires grind, on the way to Iguazu, or don’t have the time for a big a trip to Patagonia.

Rosario isn’t as gorgeous as Mendoza, nor will it take your breath away like Bariloche, but it vies with La Plata to be considered Argentina’s second city. What is does offer is culture, history and nightlife for fun-loving travelers or study abroad students.

Argentina’s third largest city, with a population of over a million, Rosario is a port city situated on the Paraña River. The smallish population and position on the water ensure that the ‘Rosarinos,’ as the locals are known, are a bit more laid back and outdoorsy than their Buenos Aires counterparts.

Monumento a la Bandera or Flag monument in Rosario, Argentina — Paying tribute to Argentina’s national flag – the Monumento a la Bandera

There are some lovely walks along the Rosario’s 15k costanera, or riverfront, where visitors can get some exercise, sip some mate and gaze upon the water.

An important Rosario monument is the National Flag Memorial, with its ornate tower overlooking an expansive courtyard, all of which is easily accessible on foot and offers great photo opportunities, or just a nice place to mill around with the locals.

The abundance of theaters and museums, including the fine arts museum, Museo de Bellas Artes Juan B. Castagnino and the Museum of Contemporary Art of Rosario (MACRo) highlight Rosario’s contributions to Argentine culture.

The city is also the birth place to some Argentine luminaries such as painter, Antonio Berni, athlete, Lionel Messi, and revolutionary Ernesto ‘Che’ Guevara. On the hipster tourist circuit is latter’s first home at Entre Rios 480 (cross street, Urquiza). In 2008, in the aptly-named Plaza Che Guevara, the city also inaugurated a four meter bronze statue of him, made with the old keys of citizens from across the country.

Rosario is also known within Argentina as a fun party town, due to its young population and wide variety of bars and clubs. Porteños from Buenos Aires will even hop over to Rosario on a weekend just to go clubbing for a night or two, although rising crime in recent years has caused internal tourism to slow.

The city on the river is also reputed to be the home to the best looking girls in Argentina — quite a claim considering many Argentines believe that their country has the ‘best looking women in the world.’ Men traveling with wives or girlfriends should probably just keep their eyes on the floor at all times (or wear dark sunglasses).

Perfect for a four-day trip, or even a long weekend, Rosario is relatively close to Buenos Aires, and it’s inexpensive to get there. A micro (long distances coach) ride from the Retiro station costs under US$10 for a semi-cama seat (reclines to 45 degrees), and a bit more for cama (fully reclinable) and takes between three to four hours. There are a multitude of companies offering services at all hours of the day. You can compare prices here and purchase tickets online, or head into the Retiro bus station (Av. Antártida Argentina and Calle 10) and ask around at the different company stands.

A convenient option is traveling from Buenos Aires, is to go into the Hostels International office downtown (Florida Street 835, ground floor), where you can book your bus trip without having to go to the Retiro bus station.

A statue in downtown Rosario, Argentina — Rosario is full of museums, galleries and scenic walks

For budget travelers, there are several well-known hostels to choose from in Rosario. La Casona de Don Jaime is a popular hostel with two locations to choose from. Both are situated centrally, close enough to both the bus station and downtown area, as well as the more attractive tourist zones. They are also the only hostels in Rosario with the Hosteling International mark of approval.

A hip alternative is the nearby Cool Raúl Hostel. Alternative being the operative word here – this ‘rockin” hostel is geared towards fun freewheelers looking for an escape from the everyday routine.

-Dan Colasimone

La Casona de Don Jaime 1
Pte Roca 1051
Rosario, Santa Fe
Tel +54 (0341) 527 9964

La Casona de Don Jaime 2
San Lorenzo 1530
Rosario, Santa Fe
Tel: +54 (0341) 530-2020

Cool Raúl Hostel
San Lorenzo 1670
Rosario, Santa Fe
Tel: +54 (0341) 426-2554

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