Got up horribly early to catch a cab to Puerto Madero, the setting off point for the ferry between Buenos Aires and Colonia in Uruguay.
At the harbour it’s very much like an airport. First you need to convert your ticket to a boarding pass. There’s an opportunity to check-in luggage and then you have to go upstairs and through customs to the departure lounge. A short wait past the allotted departure time and you’re away.
There are two ways to cross the River Plate that lies between the two countries; a three hour boat, or for nearly twice the price, 45 minutes on a catamaran. Fortunately we’d opted for the latter and quickly arrived in the little port of Colonia.
Leaving the harbour you’re surrounded by car hire shops and shifty looking places renting out all sorts of little vehicles from scooters and golf carts to quad bikes and off-road vehicles Mad Max would be happy with. Given the size of the town these later looked pretty silly options for anyone fit enough to walk around for a few hours. That said, the cobbled streets aren’t very pushchair friendly so a golf cart is useful, although a hazard to pedestrians when silently zooming round corners.
Looking out of the harbour the old town is about 4 blocks to the left and what there is of the modern part is directly ahead.
We set off around the coast towards the old town, passing the view points on the map from where on a clearer day you should be able to see Buenos Aires. The day we went was very overcast and we could barely see the new lighthouse a few hundred meters out to sea.
The old town is a beautiful arrangement of little shops and cafes, scattered with nine museums. A single ticket gets you access to all nine, but we didn’t bother, preferring instead to either walk around the gentle hills slowly or recuperate in cafes.
The most amusing tea stop occured un a small bakers back in the new town. They offered a variety of cakes and drinks to take away, including a selection of tea bags to choose from. I paid for a coke and my selected tea. Turns out they don’t actually sell hot water so I was left wandering around town with a tea bag.
One tip: the mosquitos there are voracious. I rarely get bitten but they were all over me and brought out huge welts. Insect repellent may have helped considerably.
And another: if you’re running out of permitted time in Argentina the return from Uruguay will add another 90 days to your passport. You can also pick up Duty Free on the boat.
Quick update: If you book 20 days in advance you can get a ticket for the crossing for as little as AR$18, or £3.
thanks for the post…i will be in BA in april…..really want to try to make it to colonia. was wondering where to book in advance? thanks
Hi,
We travelled with http://www.buquebus.com. On the website change Idioma to English and you’ll be set.
Given you’ve got a bit of time make sure you look at the ‘Special Offers and Promotions’ section for some better deals.