Board Seacat Colonia for Your Day Getaway – BA to Uruguay
Photo: Travel In Culture
Fighting a little with the Seacat Colonia website, where our foreign credit cards are not accepted, we decide to wait and buy the ferry tickets by showing up once in Buenos Aires.
The Seacat Colonia agency is not at the ferry terminal but in the city centre at Avenida Córdoba 772. This is where we go to buy the tickets the afternoon before our intended trip to Colonia del Sacramento.
Fortunately, tickets for the next day are still available as it is a bit off-season. We must give passport details as we will be leaving Argentina – even if only for the day.
The agent informs us we must look for the Buquebus ferry terminal at the Puerto Madero harbourfront. We now realise that there are two different companies, the Seacat Colonia and the Buquebus, selling tickets for the same ferry from Buenos Aires to Uruguay – but surprisingly enough different in price! The cheapest tickets by boat to Colonia from Buenos Aires are offered by Seacat, at least today!
Online, we have read various descriptions of how problematic the immigration procedure can be. It is comparable to going through immigration in an airport. However, after travelling through five South American countries and doing a similar number of border crossings with immigration challenges varying in degree, we believe that the crossing from Buenos Aires to Uruguay cannot be more frustrating than some of the others we have done.
Photo: Travel In Culture
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Taking the early morning Buenos Aires – Colonia del Sacramento ferry to Uruguay, we turn up at the harbour in due time for departure, more precisely an hour before (as advised by the Seacat Colonia agency). Puerto Maduro is only a few kilometres from our hotel, and we have decided to walk down there, avoiding the intense Buenos Aires morning traffic with congestion and possible delays.
Photo: Travel In Culture
As expected, the immigration procedure is a bit cumbersome. Nevertheless, all passengers finally come through, and with a delay of only 15-20 minutes, the Seacat ferry seems ready to leave Buenos Aires in the direction of Uruguay!
We are going to cross Río de la Plata or the River Plate in English. The river has long ago become the natural border between Argentina and Uruguay. At the inner and narrowest part, it is only about 2 kilometres (1.2 miles) wide, and at its mouth, it widens about 220 kilometres (140 miles) – and therefore holds the record of being the widest river in the world! Surprisingly enough, it is pretty unknown to people outside South America! Whether it is a genuine river, an estuary or rather a freshwater gulf is apparently subject to discussion and something there definitely are distinct opinions on, depending on who you ask. All three designations are used interchangeably.
We are crossing the Río de la Plata | Photo: Travel In Culture
The total area of the river is about 35,000 square kilometres (13,500 square miles). Throughout history, the surrounding lands have been among the most densely populated in Argentina and Uruguay. Buenos Aires is on the northern shore, and Montevideo is on the southern.
From our spot here at Puerto Maduro, the river or estuary unquestionably looks like an ocean. On the horizon, not the faintest sign of land is within view, although Uruguay and Colonia del Sacramento on the other shore are slightly less than an hour away by the Seacat ferry. However, unclear waters suggest we are not precisely at the Atlantic Ocean.
We are approaching Colonia del Sacramento in Uruguay | Photo: Travel In Culture
The river is remarkably rich in history. Before the arrival of Europeans, the surrounding land was inhabited by the indigenous South American people. From the 16th century onwards, Spaniards and Portuguese arrived to trade and settle in the fertile areas along the river with abundant natural resources for agricultural purposes. Little by little, the population along the banks increased, and cities arose. At the end of the European colonisation and rule, the newly established port cities continued to exploit the river areas.
The harbour features interesting, old vessels in the brownish water | Photo: Travel In Culture
At the beginning of the 19th century, British invasions made, as part of the Napoleon Wars, several attempts in vain to conquer Buenos Aires and Montevideo. Each time, they were expelled by the strong resistance of the local people.
Also, today, the port cities of Río de la Plata are significant for the two countries. To a large extent, the exports continuously pass through the ports, which has given rise to lucrative industries along the banks of the greyish-brown estuary.
‘Board Seacat Colonia for Your Day Getaway – BA to Uruguay’
On board the modern ferries is a cafeteria and a duty-free shop. We immediately find a row of comfortable reclining seats with a river view for the crossing. Again, we can’t believe we are on a river. The estuary is broad – where we pass, it is around 50 kilometres (slightly more than 30 miles) wide. Once more, when we look down into the water, we get proof that it is not the ocean but a river mouth: the water is not clear at all!
All of a sudden, we spot the contours of a marine animal under the surface. Without a clue what it is, we wonder if it may be one of the endemic La Plata dolphins!
Picturesque river bank with colonial remains | Photo: Travel In Culture
The name of the river has roots in an old myth. According to the legend, there was a silver mountain somewhere upstream. This fabled Sierra del Plata, which may or may not have existed, was said to be rich in silver mines.
The first European to cross through the Latin American continent to arrive at the Andes Mountains in search of the silver mountain was the Portuguese explorer and conquistador Aleixo García. Silver was brought back to the coast from this expedition, indicating the finding of a silver source as in the legend.
Consequently, the broad river and adjacent country were named after the myth and the silver, namely Río de la Plata and Argentina, respectively. Both names are related to the Spanish and Latin terms for silver (plata and argentum).
Remains of the old colonial buildings are still in use | Photo: Travel In Culture
Still today, the population on both sides of the banks of Río de la Plata embraces the legend. Both Argentina and Uruguay feature football clubs with names taken from the myth. Teams like River Plate, Estudiantes de la Plata, and Platense are present-day evidence of the fabled roots in Buenos Aires and Montevideo.
Our Seacat Uruguay ferry ride seems short. The freshwater gulf ends, and within a few minutes, we set foot on Uruguayan land and set out for an exciting day in Colonia del Sacramento at the broadest river in the world.
Read about visiting the colonial city Colonia del Sacramento: Cool Colonial Style in Colonia del Sacramento, Uruguay
Read next: When You Fly into Galapagos and Land on Baltra Island
‘Ferry BA to Uruguay’
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Board Seacat Colonia BA to Uruguay:
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