Buquebus

Buquebus is a company from Uruguayan that runs ferry boats on the River Plate. Their ferries travel between Buenos Aires in Argentina and cities like Montevideo and Colonia del Sacramento in Uruguay. One special feature of these trips is that passengers can shop without paying taxes inside the ferry, known as duty-free shopping.

Besides the ferries, Buquebus also offers bus services to many places, connecting with the ferry rides. This makes travel easier and more convenient for people moving between these cities. The company helps bring people and goods across the river, playing an important role in the area.

History

The company started in 1979. Some of its first ferries were the Eladia Isabel and Flecha De Buenos Aires between Buenos Aires and Colonia del Sacramento in 1986. In 1998, the company was acquired by Los Cipreses.

Buquebus also operated in Spain, making journeys in the Strait of Gibraltar (between Algeciras and Ceuta), and in the Mediterranean between Mallorca and the Peninsula. Since 2014, the company receives 66 tons of LNG per day from 7 production units at a facility in San Vicente near Buenos Aires, sufficient for two round-trips per day for the Francisco ferry on the 146-nautical-mile (270 km; 168 mi) sea route between Buenos Aires and Montevideo. The LNG is sent in LNG-powered tank trucks to the ship.

As of 2026^[update], the company is building a $350 million 90,000 m² (970,000 sq ft) transportation hub in Puerto Madero in Buenos Aires, with a 150-room hotel and gardens with underground parking for 850 cars.

Fleet

Buquebus has three fast ferries for travel.

The newest ferry is named Francisco, after Pope Francis. It was finished in 2013 and can go very fast. It can carry many people and cars.

Buquebus also used to have more ferries.

The company’s buses help people travel to many places near the Río de la Plata. From Montevideo, you can go to Piriapolis, Punta del Este, and La Paloma.

From Colonia del Sacramento, buses go to Carmelo and Nueva Palmira.

Before, there were also bus trips to relaxing spots and seaside towns.

Ship	Built	Entered service	Route	Speed (knots)	Tonnage	Flag
Atlantic III	1993	1993	Buenos Aires - Colonia, 30 nmi (56 km; 35 mi)	38	4,994 GT	Uruguay
Silvia Ana L	1996	1996 - 2000 2007 -	Buenos Aires - Colonia/Montevideo	42	7,895 GT	Uruguay
Francisco	2013	2013	Buenos Aires - Montevideo, 146 nmi (270 km; 168 mi)	58	7,109 GT	Uruguay
Under construction 2026
China Zorrilla	2025	Under construction 2026	Buenos Aires - Colonia, 30 nmi (56 km; 35 mi)	25	13,000 GT

Ship	Built	Service	Route	Tonnage	Flag
Juan Patricio	1995	1995	Buenos Aires - Montevideo	1,760 GT	Argentina
Eladia Isabel	1986	1986-2016	Buenos Aires - Colonia	7,799 GT	Uruguay
Albayzin	1994	1994—2022	Buenos Aires - Colonia	3,265 GT	Uruguay
Luciano Federico L	1997	1997	Buenos Aires - Colonia	1,737 GT	Uruguay
Patricia Olivia II	1998	1998	Buenos Aires - Colonia		Uruguay
Flecha De Buenos Aires	1986	1996	Buenos Aires - Colonia		Uruguay
Thomas Edison	1999	1999	Buenos Aires - Colonia		Uruguay