Top Things to do in Colonia Department
Top Hotels in Colonia Department
What to do and see in Colonia Department, Colonia Department: The Best Historic Sites
Discover the best top things to do in Colonia Department, Uruguay including Bastion de San Miguel, Plaza 1811, Casa Evans, Plaza de toros Real de San Carlos, Molino Quemado.
Restaurants in Colonia Department
1. Bastion de San Miguel
2. Plaza 1811
3. Casa Evans
4. Plaza de toros Real de San Carlos
Overall Ratings
3.5 based on 2,164 reviews
Reviewed By davidvmcgillivray
Anyone visiting Buenos Aires should take the one hour Seacat trip across the Rio de la Plata to Colonia, Uruguay. (Take your passport. You won't travel without it). The Barria Historica, a short walk from the port, is full of interesting sights, including the City Gate, complete with wooden drawbridge, and the pretty Calle de los Suspiros (Street of Sighs). You can then take a bus to the Plaza de Toros. We had no idea what to expect but were overwhelmed. In the middle of nowhere, now occupying the centre of a roundabout, is the crumbling remains of a bullring. An official sign informed us that it was constructed with wrought iron from England. The seating accommodated 8,000 spectators. The bullring opened in 1910 with a performance by the Spanish brothers Rafael and Ricardo Torres. Later tango celebrity Carlos Gardel sang here. But in 1912 bullfighting was banned by the President of Uruguay. The bullring closed and has been in decay ever since.It is surrounded by debris that has fallen from the walls. It was clearly a construction of some magnificence, designed in Moorish style. It is now fenced off and several signs warn tourists not to trespass. I would have finished my review here. But at least two other reviewers have mentioned that they crawled through a hole in the fence to view the interior. So honesty compels me to reveal that we did too. There are many entrances under the imposingly dilapidated seating and from here we found ourselves in the ring itself, feeling like gladiators in the Colosseum. The grass appeared to have been cut recently and there was graffiti on the walls. We shot a video, which will be posted on Facebook, before we made our escape. Nearby there is an antique market and a couple of shops, although a supermarket is now closed. This is a highly recommended attraction for the guerrilla tourist. The dismissive reviews claiming that there is nothing to see here are incomprehensible.
