What to see
Colonia Carlos Pellegrini
120 km from the city of Mercedes, this small rural town of 900 inhabitants on the shores of the Iberá lagoon, is the base for exploration of the Esteros. It is accessed by crossing an old bridge with viewpoints, near the Interpretation Center, where it is recommended to stop to obtain all the necessary information for the visit.
In Colonia Carlos Pellegrini there are cultural tours on foot and guided horseback riding, boat, canoe and kayak tours. It is a very picturesque place that invites you to explore its dirt streets —named in Guarani—, eat chipá and enjoy its silence.
A tip: from the municipal camping pier and from the viewpoints on the access bridge, you can see the most beautiful sunsets in Iberá. Ideal to wait for them with a mate.
Wildlife
Iberá is one of the best wildlife and bird watching destinations in Argentina. This portal in particular surprises with the large quantity and variety of wildlife concentrated in one place: there are capybaras, swamp deer, roe deer —small and stealthy deer—, caraya monkeys, alligators, curiyú boas, ñandúes, foxes, mulitas , vizcachas, butterflies, insects and some 400 species of birds, including the Strange-tailed Tyrant, the emblem of the estuaries. At night, under starry skies, night safaris also take place.
Activities and trails
The Esteros del Iberá is a large natural reserve where the Great Iberá Park is located, made up of the Iberá Provincial Park and the Iberá National Park. From the Laguna Iberá Portal you can visit both and live different experiences in nature:
- Within the Iberá Provincial Park you can take excursions by boat, canoe and kayak along the coast of the Iberá lagoon, starting from the piers of the lodges and the municipal campsite. There are several circuits of different length and duration. Along the route you can see birds, capybaras, alligators and more animals. The reservoirs and their aquatic plants also attract attention. The best time to do these outings is first thing in the morning and at sunset. Another attraction are the trails that start from the Interpretation Center: "Cerrito" (through a footbridge you go through pajonales and the edge of the lagoon), "De los Montes" (between mountains and pastures you can appreciate the typical vegetation of each environment) and “Carayá” (runs through a mountain where families of carayá monkeys live).
- Within the Iberá National Park, 5 km from Colonia Carlos Pellegrini, there are two walking trails: “Monte de los Lapachos” (runs through a small mountain of lapachos where you can see carayá monkeys) and “Lobo Cuá” (borders a canal and passes through the typical landscapes of Iberá). It is a good place for bird and wildlife watching. There is also a circuit to do on horseback —especially interesting for bird watching— that crosses the native mountains of the Iberá coast.
Cambá Trapo
15 km from Colonia Carlos Pellegrini you can visit Cambá Trapo, a scenic road that crosses estuaries and caranday palm groves. It is ideal for bird watchers and photography lovers in search of an iconic species: the yellow cardinal. You can also take excursions to the Cambá Trapo Private Nature Reserve, dedicated to ecotourism (important: along the route there are several gates that must be closed when passing).
Traditional crafts, legends and chamamé
In Colonia Carlos Pellegrini you can also learn about its great cultural heritage, as well as legends and the unmistakable chamamé, the popular rhythm of Corrientes. Traditional crafts are one of its strengths: basketry in wire mesh, palm, reed and ysypo, textiles made of wool, knives, Creole ropes and the carving of animals in wood are some of the most representative expressions of these lands.
