One of the town’s most prominent landmarks, Colonia’s 19th-century working lighthouse provides an excellent view of the old town and the Río de la Plata. It stands within the ruins of the 17th-century Convento de San Francisco, just off the southwest corner of Plaza Mayor 25 de Mayo.
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
Centro Cultural Bastión del Carmen
0.27 MILES
Incorporating part of the city’s historic fortifications, this theater and gallery complex adjacent to Colonia's Puerto Viejo hosts rotating art exhibits…
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0.12 MILES
The most dramatic way to enter the Barrio Histórico is via the reconstructed 1745 city gate. From here, a thick fortified wall runs south along the Paseo…
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0.07 MILES
In this old house on Colonia's main square you’ll find Portuguese relics including porcelain, furniture, maps, Manuel Lobo’s family tree and the old stone…
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0.05 MILES
Houses an eclectic collection of treasures including a whale skeleton, a re-creation of a colonial drawing room, historical timelines and a scale model of…
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0.03 MILES
This teeny colonial home is evocative of Colonia's early days, with period furniture, thick whitewashed walls, wavy glass and original lintels (duck if…
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0.15 MILES
Uruguay’s oldest church – begun by the Portuguese in 1680, then completely rebuilt twice under Spanish rule – is the centerpiece of pretty Plaza de Armas…
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0.01 MILES
Off the southwest corner of Plaza Mayor 25 de Mayo are the ruins of the 17th-century Convento de San Francisco, within which stands the 19th-century faro…
Nearby Colonia del Sacramento attractions
0.01 MILES
Off the southwest corner of Plaza Mayor 25 de Mayo are the ruins of the 17th-century Convento de San Francisco, within which stands the 19th-century faro…
0.03 MILES
This teeny colonial home is evocative of Colonia's early days, with period furniture, thick whitewashed walls, wavy glass and original lintels (duck if…
0.05 MILES
Houses an eclectic collection of treasures including a whale skeleton, a re-creation of a colonial drawing room, historical timelines and a scale model of…
0.07 MILES
In this old house on Colonia's main square you’ll find Portuguese relics including porcelain, furniture, maps, Manuel Lobo’s family tree and the old stone…
0.07 MILES
This dinky 17th-century stone house has a small sampling of French and Catalan tilework.
0.08 MILES
On the northwest edge of Plaza Mayor 25 de Mayo, the tiny Archivo Regional contains historical documents along with pottery and glass excavated from the…
0.12 MILES
The most dramatic way to enter the Barrio Histórico is via the reconstructed 1745 city gate. From here, a thick fortified wall runs south along the Paseo…
0.15 MILES
Uruguay’s oldest church – begun by the Portuguese in 1680, then completely rebuilt twice under Spanish rule – is the centerpiece of pretty Plaza de Armas…