"COLONIA DEL SACRAMENTO – MONEY PIT FOR... " a Colonia del Sacramento Travel Page by mtncorg

Colonia exists today much as it has from the past – serving to cut back on extra BsAs cah holdings, though today the town seeks to do so via tourism instead of the past methods of smuggling and warfare. Established by the Portugese operating out of their Brazilian colony in 1680, with an eye on the riches emanating from the mines of upper Peru – Potosi – Colonia became a smuggling center. The town was the site of repeated invasions by the Spanish from the other side of the Rio Plata throughout the 18th century at great financial cost to both sides. The establishment of the Viceroyalty of La Plata making Buenos Aires a port open for foreign trade, relegated Colonia to the quiet backwaters in which it now resides. On the weekends, though, thousands of Argentine visitors come over to walk the colonial streets – the Barrio Historico declared a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site. Streets with sidewalks have a Spanish origin while those without – Portugese. A quiet day during the shoulder seasons is perfect to spend here.