Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
170
While the to wn is small and conv enient for walking, almost nothing in the center of
Colonia is handicap accessible. It is a difficult visit for any one in a wheelchair, except to
see the exteriors of important structures.
Start your tour at
Plaza Mayor,
the principal squar e that ser ved as the center of the
colonial establishment. To explore Colonia's Portuguese history, cross the Calle M anuel
Lobo on the southeastern side of the plaza and enter the
Museo Portugués
(Portuguese
Museum),
which exhibits E uropean customs and traditions that influenced the to wn's
beginnings. Its most important holding is the final P ortuguese royal medallion to grace
the city walls befor e the city finally fell into S panish hands. Leading behind the M useo
Municipal is the
Street of Sighs,
or the
Calle de Los Suspiros,
so called because it was
where the prostitutes worked their trade in olden days, when the militar y barracks were
just off the P laza Mayor. It remains the most intact colonial str eet in the city , with its
angled cobblestone drain leading to the water front. You also see side b y side the differ-
ence between Portuguese and Spanish colonial construction. If the roof is flat, it is Span-
ish. If the roof is angled with tiles, it is Portuguese. Nearby are the
Ruinas Convento San
Francisco
(San Francisco convent ruins).
Dating from 1696, the San Francisco convent
was once inhabited b y J esuit and F ranciscan monks, two br otherhoods dedicated to
preaching the gospel to indigenous people. You can crawl o ver the r uins, or climb the
adjacent 100-foot-high
Faro
or
Lighthouse
after paying the $1 (70p) fee. The wind is
strong up there and gives a view to Buenos Aires on a clear day. The lighthouse is open
daily from 10am to 8pm and is overseen by the Uruguayan navy, which has a small base
just off Plaza Mayor.
Around the corner is the
Casa de Brown
(Brown House),
which houses the
Museo
Municipal
(Municipal Museum).
Here, you will find an impr essive collection of colo-
nial documents and artifacts, a must-see for histor y buffs. For those with a more artistic
bent, make sure to check out the
Museo del Azulejo
(Tile Museum),
close to the water-
front on Calle Misiones de los Tapes at Paseo de San Gabriel, a unique museum of 19th-
century E uropean and U ruguayan tiles housed in a gorgeous 300-y ear-old countr y
house. Upon exiting the museum, turn right for a walk along the water and then make
a right onto Calle de la Playa, enjoying the shops and cafes along the way, heading up to
the
Iglesia Matriz,
originally dating fr om 1680. Fighting meant the chur ch was recon-
structed several times, and today's building is a mix of colonial and neoclassical styles. To
the side of the church is
Plaza de Lobo,
with its excavated
Ruinas Casa del Gobernador
(House of the Viceroy Ruins),
built b y the P ortuguese and destr oyed in 1777 b y the
Spanish. The H ouse of the Viceroy captur es something of the city 's 17th- and 18th-
century magistrates, when the port was used for imports, exports, and smuggling. Com-
plete your walk by heading back toward the Plaza Mayor. To the left, you'll see the
City
Gate
or
Portón de Campo
and what remains of the ramparts that once served to protect
the city. Climbing them and contemplating, while looking out to the Río de la Plata and
the world beyond, will help you understand that in spite of its tiny siz e, Colonia played
a pivotal role in the global struggle between two European empires to dominate a conti-
nent an ocean away.
6
WHERE TO STAY
Colonia
Hotel La M isión
This hotel o verlooking the P laza M ayor was par tly r enovated in
2008, adding new bathrooms and rooms that mix modern and traditional. An antiques-
filled lobby leads to a small courtyard dripping with bougainvillea. The original building
dates from 1762.
