Barrio Historico
Barrio Historico
4.5
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.
Suggest edits to improve what we show.
Improve this listingTours & experiences
Explore different ways to experience this place.
Full view
What is Travelers’ Choice?
Tripadvisor gives a Travelers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travelers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
Top ways to experience Barrio Historico
The area
Reach out directly
Best nearby
Restaurants
135 within 3 miles
Attractions
50 within 6 miles
Contribute
Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
4.5
8,640 reviews
Excellent
5,798
Very good
2,461
Average
332
Poor
34
Terrible
15
These reviews have been automatically translated from their original language.
This service may contain translations provided by Google. Google disclaims all warranties, express or implied, with respect to translations, including any warranties of accuracy, reliability, and any implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, and freedom from forgery.
JohnP72
London, UK544 contributions
Mar 2020 • Solo
The old town with cobbled streets and nice colonial architecture is a UNISCO world heritage site.
I visited by taking the ferry from Buenos Aires which was easy to do as a day trip by booking the ferry via the “Sea cat” website, but actually the ticket was for a ferry on the “Buque bus service” and strangely for a cheaper price than booking direct. But everything ran smoothly. The old town is a left turn from the ferry port and a 10 minute walk.
The old town itself is very small and can be walked in a couple of hours. There are lots of places for lunch which all take credit cards (although not as cheap as BA), so unless staying in Uruguay there’s no need to change cash.
There’s a lighthouse you can climb and the remains of an old fort. It was nice that the place wasn’t overcrowded with tourists. I took the lunchtime ferry (12.15) and the 17.01 return and felt that was adequate time. I didn’t feel there was enough to see for a full day. It was a nice enough day trip but not a must see, so if you are short on time in Buenos Aires, I’d pass. And don’t forget your passport!
I visited by taking the ferry from Buenos Aires which was easy to do as a day trip by booking the ferry via the “Sea cat” website, but actually the ticket was for a ferry on the “Buque bus service” and strangely for a cheaper price than booking direct. But everything ran smoothly. The old town is a left turn from the ferry port and a 10 minute walk.
The old town itself is very small and can be walked in a couple of hours. There are lots of places for lunch which all take credit cards (although not as cheap as BA), so unless staying in Uruguay there’s no need to change cash.
There’s a lighthouse you can climb and the remains of an old fort. It was nice that the place wasn’t overcrowded with tourists. I took the lunchtime ferry (12.15) and the 17.01 return and felt that was adequate time. I didn’t feel there was enough to see for a full day. It was a nice enough day trip but not a must see, so if you are short on time in Buenos Aires, I’d pass. And don’t forget your passport!
Written March 10, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
andream0402
Melbourne, Australia4,050 contributions
May 2023 • Couples
A nice place to visit, have a walk around and enjoy the peace. There are a few little museums you can visit. Buy a ticket for 150 pesos at the government museum and the ticket will get you into all of them. They’re very small, no English anywhere so won’t take you long if you can’t read Spanish. A good way to pass some time. A very pretty and peaceful area with small shops , cafes and bars. A UNESCO site.
Written May 13, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jasmine D
California435 contributions
Dec 2022
If you're into UNESCO World Heritage Sites, this historic old town is not to be missed. We took the ferry across from Buenos Aires. The Barrio Historico is only a few blocks walking distance from the ferry and bus terminals. If you arrive with luggage and need a place to store it for a few hours while you explore Colonia, the Viaggio rental car shop across from the ferry terminal will store luggage for a small fee. As of December 2022, luggage storage is not available at the bus terminal.
Spend a few hours ambling through the old cobblestone streets, appreciating the old buildings with Spanish and Portuguese architectural influences, and stop into the myriad of cafes and restaurants for refreshments. The ice cream at the shop across from the old city gate is divine!
Spend a few hours ambling through the old cobblestone streets, appreciating the old buildings with Spanish and Portuguese architectural influences, and stop into the myriad of cafes and restaurants for refreshments. The ice cream at the shop across from the old city gate is divine!
Written January 3, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Robert H
30 contributions
Mar 2020 • Couples
Spent a few days in Colonia del Sacramento in a nice B&B in the historic area. Great to walk around and see the architecture, shops, restaurants and people as there are lots of locals living and working there.
The sunsets are colorful as you watch the sun set over Argentina across the Rio de La Plata.
The sunsets are colorful as you watch the sun set over Argentina across the Rio de La Plata.
Written March 11, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
IN_Travelers47906
West Lafayette, IN4,718 contributions
Jan 2020
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 March 14, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
sm05060
4,471 contributions
Apr 2019
We took a day tour here from our cruise ship, a very busy area for tourists. This beautiful, historic town is a UNESCO world heritage site. A wonderful place to walk around and look at all the old architecture. We were happy that we were there on a tour as our guide was able to point out things and tell us the history of the town and buildings. A lovely place to spend the day.
Written March 13, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
1962globetrotter
Lutterworth, UK326 contributions
Jan 2020 • Couples
We went with a guide and I'd advise this as it largely looks like a bunch of old (and some run down) buildings unless it's historical significance is explained. When you hear 'UNESCO world heritage site's you imagine it to be amazing, but don't build your hopes up as a lot of the area has been rather left to go to rack and ruin rather than being carefully restored. An interesting place to visit nonetheless but you won't need more than a few hours or a one night stopover
Written January 25, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Samadhi Muller
Sao Jose Do Rio Preto, SP292 contributions
Aug 2023 • Family
The historic neighborhood of Colônia Del Sacramento is very cool, you can do it in just over 1 hour and has great restaurants and bars, if you can afford it, it's worth sleeping for a night or two. We did a round trip from Montevideo, and you can come on the Buenos Aires Ferry, it takes around 1:15. It's very worth it.
Written September 10, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
trevecov
Santiago, Chile126 contributions
Aug 2023 • Friends
I have always really liked the historic neighborhood of Colonia de Sacramento. It had not been very clean, very well maintained and comfortable to move around in for years. The only thing I don't like is that the cars park inside, which would be nicer if they parked in the points located for this purpose and not on the historic streets.
Written August 23, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
LosPichusArgentina
Buenos Aires, Argentina3,747 contributions
Apr 2024 • Couples
Colonia del Sacramento declared a World Heritage Site in 1995. Museums and historic buildings of Spanish, Portuguese and post-colonial style can be visited in the historic centre. There are also plenty of gastronomic venues, art galleries and souvenir shops.
Automatically translated
Written June 23, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Sou cadeirante. É fácil alugar um carrinho de golfe no porto de Montevideo saindo de Buenos Aires? Sabem o preço?
Written August 11, 2023
Hola! el recorrido de la ciudad conviene contratarla o hacerla independiente? sólo la veo ofrecida en buquebus como parte del paquete-
Gracias
Written July 8, 2019
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)
Written July 8, 2019
Hola a todos! Quisiera saber qué recorridos guiados se ofrecen los horarios y los precios.
Hay alguno que sea gratuito?
Gracias
Written June 14, 2019
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!
Written June 15, 2019
Aceptan en general pesos argentinos o hay que comprar moneda de allá o dólares?
Written July 24, 2018
Aceptan pesos, pero siempre te conviene pagar con tarjeta porque te aplican un cambio más favorable. El billete te lo toman muy bajo.
Written July 30, 2018
La visita al barrio Historica gratuita es todos los dias? En el mes de abril.
Written January 31, 2018
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.
Written January 31, 2018
Alguma recomendação econômica (custo/benefício) para ficar hospedado em colônia?
E quais são os restaurantes e atrações imperdiveis do local??
Written January 25, 2018
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
Written January 28, 2018
Oi! O dia 01 de janeiro de 2018 é um dia bom para visitar a Colônia?
Written December 17, 2017
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!
Written December 21, 2017
Hello. Did you take the walking tour and/or audio tour and if so was commentary in English? Thank you.
Written February 1, 2017
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.
Written March 6, 2017
Hola,
queria preguntar si una tarde les parece lo correcto para llevarse una vista express de la ciudad o me recomiendan mas dias
gracias.
Written December 27, 2016
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
Written December 27, 2016
Olá, a noite é seguro sair na rua? da pra passear a vontade? att.
Written December 22, 2016
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.
Written February 3, 2019
Showing results 1-10 of 19
Is this your Tripadvisor listing?
Own or manage this property? Claim your listing for free to respond to reviews, update your profile and much more.
Claim your listing