colonia, uruguay

As all non-portenos living in Argentina know, we are granted an automatic 90 day tourist visa upon our arrival. This means that 90 days after our arrival we have to leave the country (whether it has to be for a day, night, or just enough time to get your passport stamped is up in the air) to renew it, or else pay a fine. The fine used to be only AR$50, which didn't exactly make us expats run to the border after 3 months, but now that it's jumped to AR$300 it's worth it to spend less on a boat ticket and make a day trip to Uruguay.

Just a quick boat ride away, the closest Uruguayan city to Buenos Aires is Colonia. Buquebus, the boat company, located in Puerto Madero at Av. Cordoba, gives you the option of the fast boat (1 hour) or the "slow" boat (3 hours), which is a little less expensive. A quiet town on the water with cobblestone streets, a lighthouse, and outdated cars, Colonia feels years away from the big city of Buenos Aires. The short travel time, plus the small size of Colonia, allows for an easy day trip.



Some of the main highlights include enjoying time on the water, walking (or riding around on a rented moto or go kart) the quaint cobblestone streets with their colonial houses, enjoying coffee in the main plaza, visiting the museums, the lighthouse, the historical city gate and wall with its cannons, and Iglesia Matriz (the oldest church in Uruguay). Even all of this will take no more than a few hours, since everything is small and centrally located, so taking your time and relaxing is key, and easy to do.

A beautiful city, and so easily accessible from Buenos Aires, a daytrip is definitely worth it.