From the river end, a short detour leads to the Faro de Colonia — the lighthouse — which rises from the ruins of the 17th-century Convento de San Francisco on the Plaza Mayor. Built in 1857, it is a modest structure by lighthouse standards, but the view from the top over the barrio's roofline, the peninsula, and the wide brown expanse of the Plata is the best in the city. The convent ruins at its base are a reminder of how much of the original Portuguese settlement was destroyed and never rebuilt.
From the lighthouse, the walk west along Paseo de San Gabriel leads to the Bastión de San Pedro, the southernmost point of the peninsula and the best viewpoint in the city. Built in the 18th century as part of the city's defensive ring, the bastion now sits in a small park at the water's edge, its strategic position — controlling the entrance to the old port — legible from the panorama alone. On a clear day, the skyline of Buenos Aires is faintly visible 50 kilometres across the Plata.