Day 1 Arrive Colonia
Arrive today to Colonia del Sacramento by ferry from Buenos Aires and begin a walking city tour along the cobbled streets of the old town of Colonia. This is an exciting opportunity to visit the best sights of the city. Enjoy a mate tasting at a typical Portuguese house and some of the local specialties. Due to its Colonial beginnings, the city's layout is different from the majority of Uruguayan cities. It's a very picturesque city with cobbled streets and quaint stone houses alternating with small bars, excellent restaurants, art and craft shops, and museums.
Day 2 Drive to Montevideo | Walking tour of city
This morning enjoy a private transfer from Colonia to Montevideo, where you can enjoy lunch at the Port Market. After lunch, take a walking city tour of the Ciudad Vieja (the colonial historic neighborhood) and visit some local museums. The evening is free to enjoy dinner at one of Montevideo's restaurants or the nightlife that ranges from cozy tango bars to trendy, modern discos.
Day 3 Culinary Experience
Enjoy a “Uruguayan day of local tastes” carefully planned to introduce you gastronomically into the culture. You have the opportunity to enjoy a mate tasting and learn the importance of this drink which is almost a ceremony for Uruguayans! Enjoy a typical “Uruguayan picada” with regional cheeses, olives and salamis followed by lunch featuring a traditional dish (or assorted dishes) that are selected according to guests' taste. Assorted desserts include the typical dulce de leche, butia and chocolate “salchichon." Everything is paired with the right wines on a tasting guided by a specialized sommelier who teaches you how to choose your wines and build your cellar. Finish with Uruguayan liquors and cigars locally-sourced.
Day 4 Olive Oil Tasting & Vina Eden
- Hotel
- 1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner
After breakfast, transfer to the small town of Pueblo Eden. Enjoy an olive oil tasting and lunch at Viña Eden. Continue onto Posada Mosaico. Enjoy dinner with a private chef who prepares a meal just for you!
Day 5 Cabo Polonio Sand Dune Trekking
After breakfast, transfer to the small fishing village of Valizas, the starting point of today´s trekking adventure. After exploring this small village, cross the Valizas Stream and dive into the Uruguayan desert. Climb the high sand dunes until you arrive at the highest point of the “Cerro de la Buena Vista," where you have stunning views over the Atlantic Ocean, the dune system and the surrounding wetlands. Start your descent and walk along the beach until arriving to Cabo Polonio, the small village surrounded by sand dunes which cannot be accessed by car. Enjoy lunch in one of the small restaurants and watch the sea lions sprawling on the rocks next to the lighthouse. In the afternoon, take one of the 4-wheel-drive trucks out of Cabo Polonio. Transfer back to Posada Mosaico for dinner this evening.
Day 6 On to Jose Ignacio | Day at Leisure
Transfer to Jose Ignacio after breakfast this morning. The rest of the day is a free day to enjoy the area. Stroll through the village, climb the lighthouse, enjoy good food in one of the many local restaurants or just lay back and relax on the beach.
Day 7 Jose Ignacio
Enjoy a horseback riding/ kayaking or biking tour along the countryside, ocean and unspoiled coastal lagoons. Reach the last corner of the Province of Maldonado, where the territory becomes the Province of Rocha bordering the west arm of Laguna Garzon, known as "La Lengüeta." On arrival to the protected area "El Caracol," enter the forest by a trail of acacias, cactus and local native plants before arriving to your destination where the fire pits are burning under the stars. Enjoy an unforgettable dinner under the moonlight within the middle of the forest and with the noise of the waves, which reminds you that the sea is only a few meters away.
Day 8 Return to Montevideo
Enjoy breakfast this morning before taking your private transfer back to Montevideo. From here you can connect with a ferry to Buenos Aires or your return flight home.