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In terms of atmosphere, the historic Uruguayan town of COLONIA DEL SACRAMENTO is a universe apart from the hustle and bustle of Buenos Aires, but it's only a short boat-ride away, across the Río de la Plata, and is a popular day-trip or weekend destination with Porteños. A visit here offers an introduction, albeit fairly atypical, to Argentina's small neighbour, as well as an enticing blend of colonial history, museums and a laid-back ambience. Although Portugal officially ceded Nova Colônia do Sacramento, founded in 1680 by Manoel Lobo, to Spain in 1750, its Portuguese settlers resisted and the Spanish Viceroyalty took possession only in 1777, destroying part of the town in the process. Meanwhile Colonia was established as a prime smuggling centre, exploited mainly by the British, while the Spanish were busy building up their colony in Buenos Aires. A stop was put to this when Uruguay was created in 1828, as a buffer state between Argentina and Brazil, both of which wanted its territory.

Colonia enjoys a superb location 180km west of Montevideo, perched on a diminutive promontory jutting into the great expanse of the Río de la Plata opposite Buenos Aires, and the warm light reflected off the bronze water, especially at dusk, further enhances the town's remarkable beauty. While its detractors complain that Colonia has been over-restored or that this once sleepy old town is now a playground for wealthy Porteños treating it like a suburb of Buenos Aires, it has managed to cling on to its charisma thanks to the sheer quality of its architecture - both old and modern - now protected by UNESCO. With its immaculate yet luxuriant parks and gardens, quiet cobbled streets and miles of beaches nearby, Colonia is a relaxing and well-tended place, without being sterile like some other "museum towns" around the world. Another asset is the warm welcome of the inhabitants: Uruguayans are among Latin America's friendliest peoples