Plaza de Toros

Colonia, Uruguay

Plaza de toros Real de San Carlos is a bull ring in Colonia del Sacramento, Uruguay. It is currently a derelict building that is crumbling down. It is forbidden for safety reasons to access the bull ring. When in operation it could host 10,000 spectators. It is designed in typically Moorish style. It officially opened on January 9, 1910, featuring the most famous Bullfighters of the time, Ricardo Torres and his brother Manuel (a.k.a. Bombita Chico) from Spain. Although originally scheduled to open on January 8, the opening was postponed as the owners feared they did not have the necessary comforts and services required for the event. Due to public uproar, mainly from Buenos Aires, they yielded to public demand and opened the following day to no less than 7,000 spectators. The arena hosted a total of eight fights before bull fighting was prohibited by the Uruguayan national government in 1912. The bull ring was part of a tourist complex including a jai alai court, a hotel, and racecourse. Currently only the racecourse is still in operation.