The very best option to enjoy a
nd discover the Interior Atlantic Rainforest after visiting the Iguazu Falls.
Two hours from the world famous Iguazu Falls, Yacutinga Lodge and it’s wild life refuge, is located deep in the pristine part of the Misiones jungle, almost entirely surrounded by the upper Iquazu river, – the same river that curves through the Nataional Parks of Argentina and Brazil, and continues to flow southward to form a gigantic horseshoe, that becomes the majestic waterfalls.
This green forest by day and copper forest at sunset, with its water and densely contrasting Misiones red soil, reveals the excellent state of conservation of the reserve, that has hardly felt the impact of agriculture and livestock expansion; mainly due to the use of high standards in sustainable tourism.
Its deep forests of native trees, lianas, orchids, and impressive sounds of nature, is the home of several species of plants and animals, such as the Palmeto Palms and Rosewoods. Also conserved, a third of the country’s bird population, that coexist in perfect harmony with colorful toucans and more than 570 species of butterflies. (Among them, one new subspecie to science).
At Yacutinga, the immeasurable force of nature touches the tourists that come together from around the world with the expectation of seeing the miracle of life itself. Delight, respect, admiration, and a strong magical feeling that leaves you wordless, is repeated with each experience. It is what everyone wants to hear and to watch, the dance of life that nutures butterflies, toucans, reptiles, monkeys, and tiny insects that swarm a fog by the thick green; between drops, glitter and rainbows, lights and shadows.
The Lodge
This eco-tourist resort, is a display of style and creativity, ensuring that the architecture “nests” among the lush vegetation . It is therefore, only 10 acres of the 1408 acres declared as Private Nature Reserve were used for constructing the lodge area, achieving an exceptional management of surface and land use. Yacutinga protects 1408 acres of Sub-Tropical Rainforest
Amongst the green, the lodge is a comfortable refuge in complete harmony with the environment. The buildings, with soft, rounded lines, accompanied by natural terrain slopes, blend in perfectly with the environment. Materials collected from the site, such as rocks and fallen trees were included in the design, strenghtening the conservation philosophy of the enterprise.
In the Jungle
Those who want to live this experience participate in a diversity of activities guided by ecologists and native Guarani people. All of the guides have a high level of training in the interpretation of nature and its processes.
Throughout Yacutinga’s 22 kilometers of trails, walks become a true experience of knowledge and enjoyment of one of the most important wildlife sanctuaries in the the world, the Paranaense or Misiones jungle.
Each step there is a living being, from a magical dragonfly to a curious mammal, that at any time come together in the trails, and share their home with visitors, whether it be a rodent or a mischievous monkey Capuchino or Carayá, that uses its loud voice to mark its territory.
In the Water
Another option is the navagation of kayaks on the upper Iguaxu river or on the San Francisco stream, these are the waters surrounding the Yacutinga Reserve.
Without a doubt, this is a challenge to the senses of the viewer. These running waters are autherntic corridors of life and it is common to find tracks and traces of wildlife along the muddy shores. At first sight, the guides will show you how to read and understand the behavior of the animals, that they seem to understand- much better than people-, this is a delicate and perfect natural balance.
For the more adventurous, it is possible to take a night walk through the forest or go for a stroll through one of the marshes on the reserve, where the humidity offers the best condition for the development of life.
Conserving Nature
It is hard to believe that once the second largest jungle in South America, with its superior natural beauty, today suffers from threat of extinction.
Due to the agricultural frontier expansion and forest exploitation, in only 50 years more than 60 percent of the original forest has been replaced by crops and farms; the native trees, pines and eucalyptus, providing fast growing timber that was later cleared. Added to this is the change in the dynamics of rivers caused by the installation of dams, sedimentation, illegal hunting and occupation of land, social inequalities and lack of awareness among the population. All these factors are increasing the fragmentation of the forest and its consequent limitation on the ability to not properly disperse seeds, as well as compromising the the genetics of native fauna.
In this context, Yacutinga is one of the only guardians of the last remaining remanents of this ecosystem know as the Interior Atlantic Forest.
For more information visit: www.yacutinga.com/en
