Cruising the Coast of Colonia, Uruguay

After an amazing road trip through Uruguay’s beach towns, we spent a few nights in Montevideo, Uruguay’s capitol city. We wanted to spend more time in this city and yet we needed to turn in our rental car in a couple of days in Colonia, Uruguay.

Colonia is a UNESCO world heritage site. It lies along the Rio Plato river across from Buenos Aires. It is a charming old town with romantic sidewalk restaurants and boutique shopping. It’s quiet streets in old town are perfect for leisurely strolls and the river walk is a gathering place to watch the sunset.

We walked down the cobblestone street along the river and enjoyed a delightful lunch at a restaurant in a century old renovated building overlooking the river. It was the perfect place to order a bottle of wine and spend a leisurely afternoon. The antique cars, which are a fixture on the streets of Uruguay, add a touch of fun and whimsy to any stroll through the old streets.

After lunch we toured the historic lighthouse and the old church. We meandered through the town looking for a place to stay. We found a nice little boutique hotel with antique furnishings overlooking main street. After getting settled, we set off on a short walk to the waterfront for the sunset.

The next morning we found a small cafe for breakfast. We were sitting outside enjoying the perfect fall morning when a dapper gentleman struck up a conversation with us. He told us that he was a retired Captain with Argentinian Airlines. He seemed like he wanted to practice his English with us. He told us stories about living all over the world. He currently lives in Colonia and spends time in his native Buenos Aires.

He then offered to take us on a driving tour of Colonia. He wanted to show us the interesting sites in his adopted hometown. We gladly accepted his offer and we spent the afternoon touring the historic city. He acted as our personal tour guide and even wanted to show us his home. As we were leaving he even gave us a nice bottle of wine from Mendoza, Argentina.

After our private tour, we decided to visit a winery just outside the city. The winery was one of the oldest in Uruguay. It was set deep in a mature vineyard and surrounded by century old stone structures that once housed workers who tended the vines.

The winery was furnished with antique tables, bottles, and barrels, and looked as though it had not changed since its opening.

After a brief visit, we then headed back to Montevideo where we had changed our return for our rental car. We decided that we would stay another week in Uruguay before we would catch the ferry to Buenos Aires. Uruguay was captivating us and we wanted more time to experience this beautiful country.