Founded by the Portuguese in 1680, Colonia, Uruguay, with its UNESCO World Heritage historic quarter is an easy ferry ride from Buenos Aires and a picture-perfect way to spend a day away from the bustle of the city. Doing a little research, I chose the Buquebus ferry service over ferries operated by Colonia Express. Buquebus operates out of a large modern terminal in Puerto Madero.
I bought Buquebus tickets online, opting for Business Class as it was only about $10 more per person and allowed first on and first off privileges. I’d read there could be a line at immigration at times and, since I only wanted to do a daytrip and didn’t have time to waste, that was a deciding factor.
Business Class on Buquebus turned out to be a surprisingly posh experience. We breezed through security and customs (exiting Argentina and passing Uruguay passport control a few feet apart in the Buenos Aires terminal) and initially missed the special Business Class lounge behind a door just in front of us before turning left around the open atrium of the terminal, then to the right towards the large Turistica Class waiting area. Realizing our mistake, we returned to the Business Class lounge just in time to board. True to the billing, all Business Class passengers were ushered onboard first and to the second deck Business Class seating overlooking the small ship atrium with its duty-free shop. Crew handed out flutes of sparkling wine at the top of the steps indicating the open seating beyond consisting of large leather chairs clustered around tables, all surrounded by large windows. Very nice!
duty-free shopping and money exchange below
The trip to Colonia from Buenos Aires takes about 1h15m and we were soon docking. David and I were first off the boat. We stopped by the nearby tourist center (just across the parking lot and to your left as you leave the terminal), grabbed a map of the historic walled city and were off. We walked past the old wooden Colonia train station down a road towards the main gate to the old city a short distance beyond. Crossing over a footbridge and through the gate, we were soon in the large main cobblestoned plaza flanked by colonial buildings. Palm trees, flowering plants and orange trees heavy with fruit adorned the area. Vendors had set up tables offering trinkets and souvenirs. Guitar music played and a scattering of people enjoyed the sunshine in cafes that dotted the left side of the plaza that leads to the iconic lighthouse.
Historic Colonia is small and easy to walk. The “must-sees” really aren’t and you could enjoy the town without climbing the lighthouse, going inside the colonial church or walking down cobbled Calle de los Suspiros (the Street of Sighs). We did visit the church (Iglesia Matriz) and check out Calle de los Suspiros, but we opted to skip the lighthouse other than to view it from outside.
churches dating back to 1680. It is one of the oldest churches in Uruguay.
We enjoyed just roaming the streets, enjoying empanadas and cold local craft beers (gluten free by default) in a café, browsing the shops, and admiring the wide tree-line avenues just outside the historic center (Someone planted a lot of trees a long time ago and would be pleased to see how they’ve grown!)
In warmer weather and if the spirit moves you, I understand there are nice beaches nearby. There are also wineries to visit with tours on offer for those who want to spend more time in the area. I’m sure an enjoyable overnight in Colonia can be had, but we preferred to get back to Buenos Aires before dark and were very happy with our afternoon in Uruguay.
Practical info:
Obviously passports are necessary to cross the border between Argentina and Uruguay, so don’t forget to bring those.
I bought tickets online just a day or so prior to our daytrip. I’d been checking and saw that the ferries were not full. This could change in the summer. Buquebus offers other destinations from Buenos Aires, including Montevideo.
Buquebus asks that travelers arrive 90 minutes prior to departure of their ferries. We did so, but had plenty of time to spare. We were there in September (roughly equivalent to March in the northern hemisphere), though, and I could imagine crowds being larger in the summer.
Since we were traveling Business Class, we avoided a long line of people waiting to board in Colonia, and were allowed on the ferry as soon as we arrived (about an hour prior to departure). Passport control was quick and efficient (but again, we were traveling in September, not the height of summer).
Most places we visited took credit cards, but otherwise prefer Uruguayan pesos. Most would also take Argentine pesos and US dollars, but exchange rates might not be good. We didn’t change money given our short visit, but there was a currency exchange service on the Buquebus ferry.
We used Uber to get to Puerto Madero from our apartment in Recoleta. It was rush hour when we returned and no Ubers were available. There were taxis around the port, but we opted for a longish (40 min.) ramble back as it was a beautiful evening. Still, just a heads-up for anyone wanting to return during rush hour.
September 2025