Colonia del Sacramento...in style!

Earlier in the week, I got impulsive and bought a ticket to visit Colonia del Sacramento, Uruguay this weekend. I had been there a few times before and even took my parents there back in 2008, but it's still a great place to visit once or twice a year - especially this time of year when it's not too hot and not too cold.

Colonia is just a 40 kilometer boat ride form Buenos Aires, crossing over the Rio de la Plata, one of the widest river basins in the world. In fact, 1/2 way through the boat ride, you can't even see land on either side of the river. In the 1990's, Colonia was named a World Heritage Site by UNESCO and has a fascinating history. During the 1700's, it switched from Spanish to Portuguese hands nine times with Spain eventually winning out until Uruguay became independent in the early 1800's. The architecture is evidence of the Spanish/Portuguese battles as both building styles are prominent.

After renting a golf cart to get around the historical city and explore the old bullring on the outskirts of town, I retired to the Sheraton Colonia Hotel and Spa for some well-needed relaxation and pampering. It was too cold to swim outside, but the indoor pool did quite fine and I even got a massage at the spa.

I finished the afternoon with a chivito (a piece of steak served on a roll with ham, bacon, cheese, fried egg, tomato and lettuce) - a traditional favorite with the Uruguayos. To see more photos from the trip, click here.