Colonia on the Río de la Plata: Where River Meets Sea
Colonia del Sacramento sits on the widest river estuary in the world — the Río de la Plata stretches 220 km wide at its mouth; the town's waterfront, the ferry crossing to Buenos Aires, and the sunsets over the brown water define life in Colonia
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The world's widest estuary
The Río de la Plata – formed by the Paraná and Uruguay rivers – is the widest estuary in the world at its mouth; opposite Colonia, Buenos Aires is 50 km away across the water; on clear days the skyline of Buenos Aires (with the distinctive obelisk) is visible from Colonia's lighthouse and waterfront
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Ferry to Buenos Aires
The fast ferry from Colonia to Buenos Aires takes 1 hour — Colonia is the most popular destination for day trips from Buenos Aires; the ferry crossing of the Río de la Plata, with the Argentine skyline approaching or receding, is part of the Colonia experience; the city essentially serves as Buenos Aires' historic weekend escape
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The beach promenade
Colonia's waterfront - a promenade along the banks of the Río de la Plata overlooking Argentina - is the city's favorite evening promenade; the combination of the wide brown river, the colonial city behind, and the setting sun over the water creates a unique atmosphere in the Atlantic
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River Beaches
Colonia's waters have several small beaches on the Río de la Plata — the water is brown (from the river sediment carried by the Paraná) rather than blue, but the beaches are popular with local families in the summer; Playa Ferrando south of the historic quarter is the most popular
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Sunsets over Argentina
The Colonia sunsets—when the vast Río de la Plata reflects orange and the skyline of Buenos Aires is silhouetted against the darkening sky above the water—are among South America's most distinctive atmospheric experiences; the city's western waterfront location captures the full drama of the estuary sunset
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River Wildlife
The Río de la Plata has surprising wildlife – the franciscana (La Plata dolphin), one of the world's smallest dolphins, lives in the estuary and is sometimes seen near Colonia; the river is also rich in corvina fish (the basis of Uruguayan coastal cuisine) and various waterfowl species