There's not much that gets us excited over here at HuffPost Travel quite like an abandoned place in some part of the world. While the idea of an abandoned structure is certainly saddening and often times a bit eerie, there is still something magical about a venue, home or even full-on town left exactly as it was, preserved in time... sorta.
This certainly can be said for Plaza de toros Real de San Carlos in Uruguay. The bullring once saw fights from the famous Torres brothers of Spain, Ricardo and Manual, more affectionately known as Bombita Grande and Bombita Chico. Colonia del Sacramento, a relaxing vacation-esque town along the Rio de la Plata, is where the bullring was erected in the early 1900s only to be abandoned two years after it first opened, when the government banned bullfighting in Uruguay. There were only eight fights held prior to it being shut down.
The structure is really quite breathtaking, even with its crumbling bricks and dilapidated facade. Unfortunately, going inside the bullring is forbidden for safety reasons and there is a fence with barbed wire surrounding the Moorish style structure that prevents you from getting an up close and personal look. You can still peek inside and let your imagination run a little wild for a moment during your full 360 degree view of the arena, as it's plopped down in the middle of a driving circle.
Plaza de Toros is only about 4 kilometers (or almost 2.5 miles for us American folk) from the famous historical quarter in Colonia and worth a little trip out of the city center if you like abandoned things as much as we do. We'd suggest a nice bike ride from town along the waterfront for the most scenic and enjoyable route.
