Barrio Historico
Barrio Historico, Colonia del Sacramento: Address, Phone Number, Barrio Historico Reviews: 4.5/5
Barrio Historico
Barrio Historico
4.5
Neighbourhoods • Historic Walking Areas
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About
This historic section of town takes you back to the 17th and 18th centuries, with an array of interesting museums, an historic lighthouse and Uruguay’s oldest church.
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Top ways to experience Barrio Historico
The area
Best nearby
We rank these restaurants and attractions by balancing reviews from our members with how close they are to this location.
Restaurants
141 within 5 kms
DOS 22 Restaurante
1,419
0.3 km$$ - $$$ • Italian • Vegetarian Friendly • Vegan Options
SIO Sushi & Cocina
68
0.4 km$$ - $$$ • Japanese • Peruvian • Sushi
Colonia Sandwich Coffee Shop
317
0.3 km$ • Fast food • International • Vegetarian Friendly
NAPO
1,030
0.2 km$$ - $$$ • Pizza • Fast food • Neapolitan
La Florida
447
0.4 km$$$$ • Fusion
Lentas Maravillas
667
0.3 km$$ - $$$ • Cafe • International • Contemporary
Charco Bistro
2,841
0.1 km$$$$ • Steakhouse • Latin • Wine Bar
Casa Viera
85
0.3 km$$ - $$$ • Healthy • Vegetarian Friendly • Gluten Free Options
La Choperia Colonia
550
0.2 km$$ - $$$ • Brew Pub • Bar • Fast food
Queriendote casa de Te y Bistro
508
0.2 km$$ - $$$ • Dessert • Cafe • Contemporary
Attractions
51 within 10 kms
Amigos del Museo Municipal Bautista Rebuffo
9
21 mMilitary Museums • Speciality Museums
La Calle de los Suspiros
4,090
26 mPoints of Interest & Landmarks
Galeria de los Suspiros
534
38 mPoints of Interest & Landmarks
Bastión de San Miguel
179
46 mHistoric Sites • Ancient Ruins
Puerta de la Ciudadela
2,394
64 mBridges
Faro de Colonia del Sacramento
4,941
0.1 kmLighthouses
Plaza Mayor
441
60 mNeighbourhoods • Historic Walking Areas
Basilica De Santisimo Sacramento
694
0.2 kmChurches & Cathedrals
Museo Municipal Dr. Bautista Rebuffo
188
0.2 kmSpeciality Museums
Iglesia Matriz
795
0.2 kmChurches & Cathedrals
Contribute
Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
Popular mentions
4.5
8,598 reviews
Excellent
5,770
Very good
2,450
Average
329
Poor
34
Terrible
15
CCC
Dunedin, FL256 contributions
Beautiful little historic district with enough strolling areas to warrant an overnight. There are beaches to see and lots of quiet streets with beautiful views to the river. We wish we'd stayed overnight.
Written 25 April 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
TandTSwitzerland
Zurich, Switzerland1,027 contributions
Being an UNESCO world heritage site, I was wondering how it will be - I must say it did not disappoint, the town is really charming with some nice streets, houses, shops etc.
I recommend to visit during the week as it is much less crowded.
I recommend to visit during the week as it is much less crowded.
Written 21 April 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Ben F
Bloomington, IN1,257 contributions
The old parts of Colonia are breathtaking and really similar to taking a trip back in time to Portuguese conquest back in the 1600s. When I visited, I was pleasantly surprised to notice that I was essentially the only tourist in the whole area…aside from maybe only two or three others. Ghost towns have the connotation of being scary and run-down, but here was sort of like a beautiful, historic ghost town where I could have the alleys to myself and admire the architecture and ruins. Is it normal for mid-March to be so empty??
I recommend that visitors devote pretty much a whole day to seeing the town. This is why Colonia is such a popular day trip from Buenos Aires, although spending the night is fun as well. Ferries regularly make the trek to/from Argentina, so accessing this historical gem is straightforward. Prices here are not bad either.
Wheelchair users: do note that surfaces are very rough and bumpy. You may need to stick to the main roads instead of the sidewalks, since curb cuts are not frequent. But there’s not a worry about traffic—there really isn’t any here, or so it seemed!
The district is extremely safe, even though so few tourists were in sight. I never felt like I was in a sketchy situation. I recommend exploring Colonia to anyone—families, couples, solo travelers, and all people alike. It’s a gem waiting for you to discover it!
I recommend that visitors devote pretty much a whole day to seeing the town. This is why Colonia is such a popular day trip from Buenos Aires, although spending the night is fun as well. Ferries regularly make the trek to/from Argentina, so accessing this historical gem is straightforward. Prices here are not bad either.
Wheelchair users: do note that surfaces are very rough and bumpy. You may need to stick to the main roads instead of the sidewalks, since curb cuts are not frequent. But there’s not a worry about traffic—there really isn’t any here, or so it seemed!
The district is extremely safe, even though so few tourists were in sight. I never felt like I was in a sketchy situation. I recommend exploring Colonia to anyone—families, couples, solo travelers, and all people alike. It’s a gem waiting for you to discover it!
Written 10 April 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Florian254
Norddeutschland1,387 contributions
Kept in style over centuries and nice to walk and enjoy the historical architecture and the flora, maybe have a nice drink with a view on the river, stroll around a bit it makes for a nice afternoon
Written 22 December 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
MonasTable
Calgary, Canada92 contributions
The Historical Centre of Colonia is beautiful and intersting. We took a day trip there from Buenos Aires. We took an early morning boat with a return late afternoon, that was too much time. I would recommend planning a half-day in Colonia. You will get to see the sites but then can get back to BA for better food options, or just chilling at your hotel.
Written 24 November 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Dan M
Wigan192 contributions
What a wonderful location to wander through (with good footwear or if you are stady on your feet) as there's lots of cobbled roads (no real pavements) . An easy and inexpensive day trip from Buenos Aires, the port is walking distance (so you don't necessarily need to book as a specific excursion. The centre is small enough to explore, stop off and explore the range of museums, church, lighthouse and cafe/bars as well as picking up the odd gift/souvineer. Great for photography too and a total contrast to BA.
Written 11 August 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
jonahNJ
Pennington, NJ10,858 contributions
While in Buenos Aires, Argentina, my wife and I took the ferry over to Uruguay and spent a beautiful February 2020 day exploring this gorgeous historical neighborhood. From the lovely cobblestones, to the various historic sites such as the lighthouse and convent ruins, to the cannons, there is much to see during a day trip to Colonia del Sacramento. There is also a lot of fascinating history to learn while exploring Barrio Historico.
Written 12 July 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Milena Ailen
Buenos Aires, Argentina8 contributions
I've been here many times, and never get bored, I love to walk around this neighbourhood, take pictures and buy some coffee.
Written 6 May 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
WImom
Fond du Lac, WI2,339 contributions
Took the 7:45 AM bus from Tres Cruces Terminal in Montevideo for about $11 per adult through COT buses. Arrived in Colonia at 10:35 AM. There are multiple buses that one could take from Montevideo to Colonia but we wanted to get an earlier start as we had 5 PM reservations on the ferry to go to Buenos Aires. It was ample time to visit the historic area, visit the lighthouse, see the many small museums, church, have lunch, and just walk around in the district and by the waterfront. Arriving at the bus terminal in Colonia, there is a good tourist office where I would recommend to obtain a city map. There is also a place to store your luggage in the bus terminal. The baggage storage only accepts Uruguayan pesos in cash only. The cost is 0-2 hours-60 pesos, 2-4 hours-90 pesos, 4-6 hours-120 pesos, 6-12 hours 150 pesos, 12-24 hours-180 pesos. Note that they close at 8PM. There is also a reasonable restaurant in the bus terminal but I would suggest to try the traditional Uruguayan chivito at Los Farolitos restaurant stand. It took about 20 minutes to walk to the historic district. After seeing the above, we walked back to the bus terminal which is about a 5 minute walk to the ferry terminal. Would suggest to get to the ferry terminal about 50 minutes before departure. Need to register, check your identification, go through security, then through Uruguay and Argentina border patrol, and stand in line to get a better seat on the ferry. Nice to get a window seat on the left side of the ferry where you will get a better view of Buenos Aires upon arrival.
Written 7 April 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
IN_Travelers47906
West Lafayette, IN4,716 contributions
Nice If in the Area. Don’t Make a Special Trip
If you are in Buenos Aires and considering taking a ferry to Colonia so that you can get the Uruguay stamp in your passport, don’t. It isn’t worth the hassle unless you have seen EVERYTHING worth seeing in Buenos Aires itself.
Don’t get me wrong, Old Town and the adjacent shopping district are not a bad way to spend a ½ day, if they were a local attraction. Not a bad stop if along the route of a driving tour, but certainly nothing worthy of the hassle and inconvenience that can be associated with a ferry ride there.
The Old Town resembles a deserted set for old western movies. The lighthouse is nice, but pales if you’ve visited other lighthouses. The associated shopping district is perhaps 5 blocks long and probably won’t take most shoppers more than 2 hours to navigate. There are a couple of nice ice cream shoppes and restaurants are so-so. It was not a displeasing place, but after a couple of hours, we asked ourselves “Why did we bother?” “Why did we lose a day in Buenos Aires for this?”
If you are in Buenos Aires and considering taking a ferry to Colonia so that you can get the Uruguay stamp in your passport, don’t. It isn’t worth the hassle unless you have seen EVERYTHING worth seeing in Buenos Aires itself.
Don’t get me wrong, Old Town and the adjacent shopping district are not a bad way to spend a ½ day, if they were a local attraction. Not a bad stop if along the route of a driving tour, but certainly nothing worthy of the hassle and inconvenience that can be associated with a ferry ride there.
The Old Town resembles a deserted set for old western movies. The lighthouse is nice, but pales if you’ve visited other lighthouses. The associated shopping district is perhaps 5 blocks long and probably won’t take most shoppers more than 2 hours to navigate. There are a couple of nice ice cream shoppes and restaurants are so-so. It was not a displeasing place, but after a couple of hours, we asked ourselves “Why did we bother?” “Why did we lose a day in Buenos Aires for this?”
Written 14 March 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Hola! el recorrido de la ciudad conviene contratarla o hacerla independiente? sólo la veo ofrecida en buquebus como parte del paquete-
Gracias
susafeli25
33 contributions
Hola... es un lugar muy chico lo podes recorrer sólo, a menos que quieras conocer más a fondo su Historia. Es conveniente recorrerla a pie o bicicleta, sus calles son empedradas (de adoquines)
PorArgentinaPrimero
Buenos Aires, Argentina125 contributions
Hola a todos! Quisiera saber qué recorridos guiados se ofrecen los horarios y los precios.
Hay alguno que sea gratuito?
Gracias
karcla
Concon, Chile170 contributions
Hola, todos los tours o guías que vimos venían desde otro lugar como Montevideo o Punta del Este. Nosotros arrendamos un auto eléctrico por el día (9am - 5pm app) y ahí nos dieron un mapa donde se señalaba cual era el casco histórico. Nosotros mismos buscamos la información y fuimos conociendo, a nuestro ritmo y preguntándole a los lugareños. ¡Y nos funcionó muy bien!
Vanesa C
Quilmes, Argentina1 contribution
Aceptan en general pesos argentinos o hay que comprar moneda de allá o dólares?
RubenDC22
Buenos Aires, Argentina144 contributions
Aceptan pesos, pero siempre te conviene pagar con tarjeta porque te aplican un cambio más favorable. El billete te lo toman muy bajo.
MiriamPrieto
Buenos Aires, Argentina11 contributions
La visita al barrio Historica gratuita es todos los dias? En el mes de abril.
Mariela C
Argentina28 contributions
Podes recorrerla por tu cuenta no te cobran entrada. También en muchos hoteles ofrecen citytours gratuitos, si te hospedas con ellos, donde te cuentan un poco más sobre el casco historico.
camiloc835
Guarapuava, PR128 contributions
Alguma recomendação econômica (custo/benefício) para ficar hospedado em colônia?
E quais são os restaurantes e atrações imperdiveis do local??
Marina Pires
Sao Paulo, SP45 contributions
Nós apenas passamos o dia em Colônia de Sacramento, mas nós almoçamos no Charco Bistro e eu super recomendo.
A comida, o atendimento e a localização de lá são incríveis. Sei que lá também tem uma pousada, mas não tenho como dizer qual é o valor.
Também recomendo comprar o passe dos museus, são pequenos, mas são muito interessantes.
abs
ROSE C
Rio de Janeiro, RJ61 contributions
Oi! O dia 01 de janeiro de 2018 é um dia bom para visitar a Colônia?
Maria Regina M
Belo Horizonte42 contributions
Rose, se vc conseguir hotel pode ir, pq o número de turistas é sempre alto. No Uruguay os estabelecimentos costumam fechar em datas festivas por isso é bom certificar, mesmo se vc tem intenção de fazer um bate volta. Boas festas!
TravelingLibrary
Needham, MA163 contributions
Hello. Did you take the walking tour and/or audio tour and if so was commentary in English? Thank you.
teddw2ds
Tulsa, OK142 contributions
I bought the English walking tour through the ferry company Buquebus. I did not GET the English walking tour, however, since they didn't have anyone available to provide it in English! So buyer beware. Fortunately, my Spanish is adequate enough I was able to get something out of it nonetheless, but just know that buying the English touring doesn't necessarily mean you'll get it.
vickyv1999
Province of Cordoba, Argentina145 contributions
Hola,
queria preguntar si una tarde les parece lo correcto para llevarse una vista express de la ciudad o me recomiendan mas dias
gracias.
Juan Manuel L
Concordia, Argentina112 contributions
Hola Victoria, en una tarde alcanzaría para visitar el casco histórico y el Real de San Carlos pero realmente sería una visita express. Tendrías una idea de lo que es la ciudad. Pero como te dice StellaMaris te quedaría gusto a poco.
Saludos
Vinicius T
Balneario Camboriu, SC356 contributions
Olá, a noite é seguro sair na rua? da pra passear a vontade? att.
Esdras Junior
Guarapari, ES46 contributions
Sim. Estou aqui agora, fevereiro de 2019 e, tirando o vento frio da noite (que é um charme) é muito seguro sim andar pela cidadela à noite. Sem problemas.
Margô O
Mossoro, RN622 contributions
É necessário fazer câmbio para ir a Colônia ou o real é bem aceito por lá?
Ligia L
Vitoria, ES268 contributions
Como passei antes por Montevideo, fiz o câmbio em casas de câmbio locais, pois é mais lucrativo do que fazer a conversão no comércio.
Mas devido ao desconto de 18% no cartão de crédito internacional, quase todos os meus pagamentos foram feitos no cartão, mesmo com o IOF.
Frequently Asked Questions about Barrio Historico
- We recommend booking Barrio Historico tours ahead of time to secure your spot. If you book with Tripadvisor, you can cancel up to 24 hours before your tour starts for a full refund. See all 10 Barrio Historico tours on Tripadvisor
- According to Tripadvisor travellers, these are the best ways to experience Barrio Historico:
- 2-Days and 1 Night in Colonia (From $687.30)
- Small-Group Day Trip to Colonia from Buenos Aires (From $414.61)
- Private Tour: Colonia del Sacramento Day Trip from Buenos Aires (From $398.67)
- Day Trip to Colonia from Montevideo (From $135.55)
- Day Trip to Colonia de Sacramento premiun with lunch (From $318.93)
- Hotels near Barrio Historico:
- (0.08 km) La Posadita de la Plaza
- (0.10 km) Charco Hotel
- (0.16 km) Posada El Capullo
- (0.16 km) Posada Plaza Mayor
- (0.21 km) Posada Boutique Las Terrazas
- Restaurants near Barrio Historico:
- (0.01 km) Don Pedro
- (0.03 km) Vintage Resto
- (0.05 km) Heladería El Cali
- (0.05 km) Bike & Coffee
- (0.05 km) Bohemia Bistro