Founded in 1680 by Manuel de Lobo in the name of the Portuguese crown, Colonia del Sacramento was swapped between the Portuguese and Spanish a number of times and was even snatched by the British briefly as well. This almost regular exchange left a unique mix of architectural styles in the riverside colony. Portuguese and Spanish designs collide in the layout and construction but what is most noticeable is the age. The original colony or modern day historic quarter was named a World Heritage Site in 1995 and it is a step backwards in time.
Ancient cobbled streets lined with low stone buildings and dotted with mature flowering trees, standing tranquilly on street corners or strung lazily over small stone doorways, dozing in the warm, sunny, autumn afternoon. The same long shadows and golden light that graced the old avenues of San Telmo in Buenos Aires, or the parks and gardens in Montevideo was once again present in the ancient laneways of Colonia del Sacramento. Tables and chairs under sun umbrellas filled the streets and lined the edge of the square or were strung out along the riverside esplanade beneath trees and the walls of an old stone tower. I was only here for a few hours, a few very enjoyable hours.