Overview
Take a trip to Colonia on your Uruguay Vacation
Colonia, located in southwestern Uruguay, facing Buenos Aires, is the country’s oldest city. It serves as the capital of the Colonia Department and is renowned for its UNESCO World Heritage Listed historic quarter which should be visited on Uruguay vacations.
The city was originally established as Colônia de Sacramento by the Portuguese in 1680. Its strategic location in the Rio de la Plata region allowed the settlement to become a successful smuggling port resulting in control of Colonia being contested at various times between Spain and Portugal. The area was given the designation “Villa” (village) in 1809 before achieving the status of “Cuidad” (city). Between 1822-1828, Colonia was subject to Brazilian control before Uruguay gained independence. After independence, Colonia continued to expand in the north and the east but maintained its original historic centre, Barrio Histórico, as built by the Portuguese.
Today Colonia retains its status as a port city and is also a trading centre. The Barrio Histórico is popular amongst tourists on Uruguay vacations as the architecture found there are a unique blend of Portuguese, Spanish and postcolonial influences. The area has been very well preserved and the variety of buildings and styles is remarkable. UNESCO celebrated the rich historical heritage of Colonia’s central quarter, naming it a World Heritage Site in 1995.
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