Visiting Uruguay from Buenos Aires: Montevideo and Colonia del Sacramento
If you’re visiting Buenos Aires, it’s a great idea to cross the RÃo de la Plata and explore Uruguay, the small but fascinating country on the opposite shore.
Uruguay is known for its green landscapes and a coastline full of beaches. Its capital, Montevideo, is built around Plaza Independencia, the former site of a Spanish citadel. This leads into the Old City, filled with art deco buildings, colonial homes, and the Mercado del Puerto, famous for its meat restaurants.
Another must-see destination from Buenos Aires is Colonia del Sacramento, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The RÃo de la Plata: General Information
The RÃo de la Plata is formed by the union of the Paraná and Uruguay rivers, located in the Southern Cone of South America.
It has:
A triangular shape and stretches 325 km
An inner shallow sector and an outer deeper estuary influenced by the Atlantic
A hydrographic basin covering 3,250,000 km²
A northwest-southeast course, forming a natural border between Argentina and Uruguay
Its basin gathers water from major rivers like:
Paraná
Paraguay
Uruguay
…as well as large wetlands like the Pantanal, Esteros del Iberá, and Bañado la Estrella.
1516: Juan DÃaz de SolÃs called it Mar Dulce due to its low salinity.
1527: Sebastián Caboto founded San Lázaro, the first Spanish outpost.
1536: Pedro de Mendoza founded Buenos Aires.
1537: Juan de Salazar founded Asunción.
A legend of silver began when a young Spanish survivor, Francisco del Puerto, claimed that local Indigenous people wore silver ornaments from Upper Peru. This gave rise to the name “RÃo de la Plata”, or “River of Silver”.
Getting from Buenos Aires to Montevideo and Colonia
From Buenos Aires, there are several ferry companies offering daily crossings to:
Colonia del Sacramento
Montevideo
How to Visit Montevideo and Colonia from Buenos Aires
The main ferry operators are:
Buquebus: The most popular, departing from Puerto Madero. It offers:
Direct boats to Colonia and Montevideo
Combo: Ferry to Colonia + bus to Montevideo (less ideal for day trips)
Seacat: A sub-brand of Buquebus, often using the same boats but with lower prices.
Colonia Express: The cheapest option, departing from La Boca. It does not offer direct ferries to Montevideo—only via bus from Colonia.
Travel times:
Buenos Aires to Colonia: About 1 hour
Buenos Aires to Montevideo (direct): Around 2 hours and 15 minutes
Via Colonia: About 4 hours total (includes bus + customs)
Ferry services run daily with multiple departures.
Contact us to find the option that best suits your travel plans.
Tours to Uruguay from Buenos Aires
Ask us about day tours or longer packages to visit:
Montevideo
Colonia del Sacramento
And other destinations in Uruguay
Book a full day visit to Colonia de Sacramento from Buenos Aires
