Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Barrio Histórico
Colonia's Barrio Histórico is filled with visual delights. Picturesque spots for wandering
include the narrow, roughly cobbled
Calle de los Suspiros
(Street of Sighs), lined with
tile-and-stucco colonial houses, the
Paseo de San Gabriel
, on the western riverfront, the
Puerto Viejo
(Old Port) and the historic center's two main squares: vast
Plaza Mayor 25
de Mayo
and shady
Plaza de Armas
(the latter also known as Plaza Manuel Lobo).
A single UR$50 ticket covers admission to Colonia's eight
historical museums
(
4523-1237;
www.museoscolonia.com.uy
;
11:15am-4:45pm)
. All keep the same hours, but
closing day varies by museum.
Portón de Campo
GATE
(Manuel de Lobos)
The most dramatic way to enter Barrio Histórico is via the reconstructed
1745 city gate. From here, a thick fortified wall runs south along the Paseo de San Miguel
to the river, its grassy slopes popular with sunbathers.
Iglesia Matriz
CHURCH
(Plaza de Armas)
Uruguay's oldest church - begun by the Portuguese in 1680, then com-
pletely rebuilt twice under Spanish rule - is the centerpiece of pretty Plaza de Armas. The
plaza also holds the foundations of a house dating from Portuguese times.
Faro
LIGHTHOUSE
(admission UR$20; 11am-sunset)
One of the town's most prominent landmarks, Colonia's
19th-century lighthouse provides an excellent view of the old town and the Río de la
Plata. It stands within the ruins of the 17th-century
Convento de San Francisco
OFFLINE MAP
GOOGLE MAP
, just off the southwest corner of Plaza Mayor 25 de
Mayo.
Teatro Bastión del Carmen
THEATER, GALLERY
OFFLINE MAP
GOOGLE MAP
(Rivadavia 223; 10am-10pm)
Incorporating part of the city's ancient fortifications,
this theater and gallery complex hosts rotating art exhibits and periodic concerts.
Museo Portugués
MUSEUM
