Colonia del Sacramento

Getting Here and Around

Hydrofoils and ferries cross the Río de la Plata between Buenos Aires and Uruguay several times a day. Boats often sell out, particularly on summer weekends, so book tickets at least a few days ahead. The two competing companies that operate services—Buquebus and Colonia Express—often wage a reduced rates war in the low season.

Buquebus provides two kinds of service for passengers and cars: the quickest crossing takes an hour by hydrofoil or catamaran (135.50 pesos one-way, four daily services in each direction), and the slower ferry takes around three hours (95 pesos, two daily services). The Buquebus terminal is at the northern end of Puerto Madero at the intersection of Avenida Alicia M. de Justo and Av Córdoba (which changes its name here to Bulevar Cecilia Grierson). It's accessible by taxi or by walking seven blocks from Leandro N. Alem subte station along Trinidad Guevara.

Colonia Express operates the cheapest and fastest services to Colonia but has only two daily services in each direction. The 50-minute catamaran trip costs 124 pesos one-way or 248 pesos for a same-day return, but there are discounts of up to 80% if you buy tickets several weeks in advance. The Colonia Express terminal is south of Puerto Madero on Av. Pedro de Mendoza, the extension of Avenida Huergo. It's best reached by taxi, but Bus 130 from Avenidas Libertador and L.M. Alem stop outside it.

At this writing, Colonia's ferry port is being renovated; work is slated to continue until 2010, so the port will be rather chaotic until then. The shortest way to the Barrio Histórico is to turn left out of the port parking lot onto Florida—it's a six-block walk. Walking is the perfect way to get around this part of town; equally practical—and lots of fun—are golf carts and sand buggies that you can rent from Thrifty.