Founded in 1680 by Portugal as Colónia do Sacramento, what is commonly called simply Colonia is a quick and comfortable 45-minute ferry ride from Buenos Aires, Argentina — it’s easy enough to visit that some people do it as a day trip from Buenos Aires, or else as a stopover en route to Montevideo and Punta del Este. I just paid my first visit here in several years (as part of a tour organized by Borello Travel & Tours), as the first stop of my swing through Uruguay’s most popular destinations. While wandering among the quiet cobblestone streets of this UNESCO World Heritage Site, I decided to jot down a few noteworthy finds for shopping and accommodations.
Almacen La Carlota
This small shop stocks some very cool stuff, including photobooks, handmade crafts, original artwork and handmade toys.
Calle Real y de la Playa; tel. +598-052-26717
De La Plaza
The most interesting items here are original photographs of beautiful, urban Uruguayan scenes. Most are made by the owner himself, a Brazilian photographer named Eduardo Alvares. This Porto Alegre native moved to Colonia and opened this store in 2009; his work is complemented nicely by photographs made by his uncle, as well as interesting memorabilia like old-fashioned Matchbox cars vintage advertisements from South America.