Carmelo + Colonia del Sacramento

The Barrio Histórico, or historic neighborhood of the colonial city of Colonia is one for the picture books. This UNESCO site, which for years flip-flopped between Spanish and Portuguese rule is one of the jewels in Uruguay’s crown, and is easily accessed either from Buenos Aires by boat, or from other parts of Uruguay such as nearby Carmelo, or from a bit farther away in the country’s capital of Montevideo.

In many “colonial” cities, it is only through careful cropping that you get the perfect picture postcard. Not so in Colonia del Sacramento, where over 16 hectares of cobblestoned streets laid out on a peninsula that juts out into the Río de La Plata, you can stroll and photograph this city of yesteryear to your heart’s content. Start your tour by walking through the gate of the city, the Portón de Campo, which dates back to 1745. Visit the lighthouse for an expansive view, and also the charming ruins of the Convent of San Francisco and the Basilica. To tie it all together and better understand the city’s history, visit the the Municipal Museum which explains the many twists and turns in the town’s past, and be sure to take a break in the main square under shade trees that bloom bright pink in spring and summer. Ice cream is optional, but recommended.

Uruguay, unlike Chile and Argentina, organizes its wine regions by department as opposed to by valley. In the department of Carmelo, the Wine Lodge Narbona is one of the best-established wineries, with original construction dating back to 1909. They work mainly with Tannat, a grape that originated in South West France, and which is now considered to be the national grape of Uruguay. But of their 50-hectare property, only 15 of them are planted with wine grapes, and Wine Lodge Narbona also grows Pinot Noir, Petit Verdot, Viognier and Syrah. Harvest here is in February and March, and careful pruning leads to low-yield production and handmade wines. Narbona also makes grappa, which is a fine bajativo, or digestif after a meal in their rustic but elegant restaurant.

A visit to Wine Lodge Narbona is to visit the Uruguayan countryside, and learn about culinary traditions, not just of winemaking, but also cheesemaking, and other pursuits from colonial times. Here from the sweet milk the dairy provides, they also make dulce de leche, and from local fruit, jams and preserves. The concept at Wine Lodge Narbona is old school meets new school. All the craftsmanship of yesteryear is ensconced in the comfort of today.

Get to know Uruguay on two wheels on a day trip on bike in Uruguay’s department of Carmelo. This area, renowned for its wine, is also the perfect place to take a spin. Uruguay is fairly flat, which means casual as well as serious cyclists can take their pick of places to ride here. For traffic-free rides among the vineyards or through a pine and eucalyptus forest, Carmelo has what you’re looking for. If you’d rather a longer road route with the ocean your faithful companion, then consider a ride starting or ending in José Ignacio, Uruguay’s understated beachfront town made for seeing and being seen. For example, you could start out on the hill in Punta Ballena, sweeping past Punta del Este with its giant hand reaching out of the sand, and continue on to José Ignacio, with the glorious Atlantic Ocean over your right shoulder the whole way. The department of Rocha to the northeast has a few notable hills you can mountain bike up and over (or just down), with views of Uruguay’s wildest landscape near Cabo Polonio.