Puerto municipal de Carmelo
Facilities & Weather Forecast

The port of Colonia has located 177 km. from Montevideo, on the shores of the Río de la Plata, in the department with the same name. It is the main port of the country in terms of the movement of passengers and vehicles. It connects the cities of Colonia and Buenos Aires with daily frequencies. Colonia has a free zone "Zona Franca de Colonia" and a population of more than 115,000 inhabitants. It is a tourist destination and an entry and exit point for tourism to and from Buenos Aires, Montevideo and Punta del Este. Colonia is a city of historical interest, as it is home to Colonia del Sacramento, an old Lusitanian bastion from the 18th century, named a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.

This port currently attends businesses linked to Mercosur, serving ferries that transport merchandise stowed in cargo vehicles between Colonia and Buenos Aires. The Uruguayan shipping company Línea del Plata has a ship, the "Expreso Delplata I", which will be able to transport up to 20,000 trucks per year. Due to its draft, which does not exceed three meters, this vessel fulfils the service with any tide condition and can enter and leave the port of Juan Lacaze without the service being affected. Likewise, the port provides services to bulk carriers and intervenes in the fluvial transit of fuels. To allow the circulation of cargo, as of October 30, 2004, the Ministry of Transport and Public Works (MTOP) signed Resolution 2002/7/4815, which it resolves: 1° Authorize the circulation of vehicles with triple axle of 12 tires for 25.5 tons, in the following road sections: Route No. 9, Route 8 - Rocha junction section, Route No. 54, Route 1 - Juan Lacaze junction section.