Corrientes: Unmissable Experiences in Iberá National Park

Eyes wide open, sharp ears, and camera at hand because you’re getting into Iberá National Park, one of Argentina’s most important protected areas. Immersed into de Iberá Natural Reserve (of 1,300,000 hectares), it is home to local flora and fauna, and its landscape is made up of lagoons, estuaries, rivers, pastures, mounts, and palm groves. Walking along trails, navigating the water in canoes, and enjoying the night atmosphere are part of the immersive experience in Corrientes, to the northeast of the country. What’s the best? The climate welcomes tourists all year round and invites you to get immersed in the ecosystem’s calmness.

The immensity of this unmissable has several entrance halls, called Portales, and each allows for an array of possibilities. Yet, they all have the same purpose: absorbing Corrientes’ vibes and surprising curious visitors who embark on the adventure of visiting the world’s second-largest wetland, Esteros del Iberá. So much so that the famous US newspaper The New York Times included Iberá National Park among the recommended destinations to visit in 2022, occupying the 6th position out of 52 places. This selection highlights places in which travellers can be part of the solution to problems like overtourism or climate change, apart from the spectacular rich landscapes.   

To reassert its position and to make the most of this tourist attraction, we provide the following list, which includes Iberá Park’s main activities:

Hiking among Sceneries

If the territory’s scenery is based on lots of vegetation, water mirrors, and exotic animals, then hiking will always be the main activity par excellence. Different low-and-medium-difficulty trails break through the flora and fauna and offer the ideal alternative for gazing at the landscape. The 360° portrait takes a unique colour through paths laid out to captivate whoever decides to walk them, and hundreds of animals pose for pictures with the most amazing pastures and mounts in the background.

Photographic Safaris 

The ultimate destination for photography lovers. In this National Park, you’ll have more than enough opportunities to train your eye and capture the most fascinating pictures of local fauna. Mammals, birds, and reptiles: the protected area stands out for the species variety, and they can all be watched. The best way to go on the safari is with tour guides, who give first-hand information, and the perfect time of the day to see the animals in action is in the morning or sunset. Bear in mind that you always have to be quiet.

What animals can you find? The Pampas deer, caiman, marsh deer, maned wolf, Argentine giant tegu, giant anteater, capybara, black howler, rheas, and more than 400 bird species, including the cocoi heron, and brown-and-yellow marshbird, the Argentinian symbol. With such a number of plants and creatures, the park is the ideal meeting point for experts.

Horse Riding

Another way of visiting the park —crossing brooks, climbing the hills, and moving about on four legs has never been so good. You can ride a horse from the various Portales, getting access to further places faster. What’s more, the horses are used to going through brooks and forests so that you have a closer look at the rest of the animals.

Punting Tours or Horse-Drawn Canoeing 

Do you picture yourself in a canoe drawn by horses? That’s possible in Iberá, and actually, one of the typical activities. Groups of people get on small wooden boats that move about thanks to horses rode by gauchos. The best version of the circuit is among water mirrors, and you also have the possibility of going on punting tours (boating in a punt which a person propels by pushing against the river bed with a pole). Both experiences are classic in the region, and therefore, unmissable.

Kayaking

Adventure tourism is here. The Portales of Carambola, San Nicolás, San Antonio, and Laguna Iberá offer this activity for tourists looking for a surge of adrenaline in their itinerary. Getting into the water gives you a completely different view of the scenery, moving you closer to water animals. Make the most of this experience and record these landscapes in your memory.

Night Walks and Camping 

The night calmness, the natural stars’ light, and the distant sound of animals... Estero del Iberá provides a night version when the sun goes down, offering a spectacle different from what we see during the day. The Laguna Iberá Portal allows you to have this experience under the moonlight, with a specialised guide working as the tour compass. This experience tests your senses and connects you to the place’s quiet and calm side.

You can also camp on the shores of the lagoon in the Camping Municipal de los Esteros del Iberá, in a superb environment with room for tents and with grills, tables, chairs, toilets, and stores.