LOCATION AND DESCRIPTION

Yacutinga Lodge & Wildlife Nature Reserve is located on the Iguazú River in the northeast of Argentina, a country full of contrasts and traditions; Patagonia and its glaciers in the south, the Andes and its peculiar geological formations along the spine of the country, the Pampas and the gauchos, Buenos Aires with its tango and the subtropical Rainforest in the north with its richness of wild fauna and the spectacular Iguazú Falls situated 52 km (32 miles) away from Yacutinga Lodge.

The Iguazú National Park in the northeastern province of Misiones is a region of large rivers, humid tropics, red soil and bright green jungle, full of giant and ancient trees, peculiar endemic flora and a large presence of wild fauna. Iguazú itself means 'large waters' in Guaraní language. The park, located on the Argentine border with Brazil and Paraguay, presents a pristine area of subtropical rainforest, with more than 2000 identified plant species, more than 400 species of birds, mammals and reptiles and of course also contains the impressive Iguazú Falls, one of the worlds natural wonders featured in Coppolas' famous movie "The Mission". The rainforests of Misiones consist of multiple levels of distinctive bio-systems ranging from more than 30 meters high descending through various levels of trees down to the herbaceous plants on the ground.

Parks to reach the Yacutinga Lodge & Wildlife Nature Reserve, you are completely surrounded by the sights and sounds of the jungle. As the nature reserve is surrounded on three sides by over 5 km of the Iguazú River, the final leg of your journey to the lodge is by boat. The Lodge can be reached easily from Puerto Iguazú (Argentina) or Foz do Iguaçu (Brazil).

THE WILDLIFE NATURE AND RESERVE

To describe, with words, the rainforest to someone who has never witnessed such majesty with their own eyes is near impossible.

The overwhelming presence of various layers of vegetation overlapping from the ground up to the highest canopy formed by giant trees, the profusion of vines of all types and sizes creating an inextricable web with numerous epiphytes plants clinging to everything that can provide support, balancing in space trying to fill the void, and in the end the impressive variety and infinity of species, shapes, dimensions and colors that are the result of this natural chaos all constitute a whole that is so extraordinary as to defy description and can only be comprehended by someone who has seen and admired something similar, never to be forgotten.

The tropical jungle is imposing in its whole, admirable in its parts and curious in its details. The majestic silence that at times reigns over the jungle can at once be enjoyable and awesome yet overwhelming. The songs of the birds, the buzz of the insects and the howl of the breeze through the branches all conspire to break the oppressive silence enhancing the calm.

The consciousness that one finds alone in a virgin jungle, far away from civilization, separated from all that is known by a vastness of green without end and in which we ourselves can only see some meters can produce profound feelings that can not be explained by reason.

Certainly, the forest can offer endless hours of interest and unique enjoyment. The spectacle that presents the lively morning with the light of the sun flooding over the green glistening with morning dew, surrounded by the awakening birds is surely seductive. Moreover, the enjoyment of the fresh morning can extend to midday as the suns rays conquer the canopy of the forest and penetrate the dense cover. The evening in the jungle is no less attractive or fascinating. A whole world of life awakens with a stretch during the brief sunset to commence their nocturnal lives. On days that are very hot or windy, the night arrives with greater noise and activity. Mammals, birds and insects all take advantage of the darkness and cool of the night to hunt or gather for their survival, creating a concert of diverse and curious sounds that continuously attracts the attention of both the experienced and the amateur ear.

As soon as the cool of late afternoon descends upon the forest the nature lover will be lured by the life of the jungle to observe the many creatures as they go about their daily chores. One of the most likely places is near water where the soil is rich in alkaline salts and minerals. It is here that peccary, tapir, capybara and many other mammals can be seen licking the salts from the soil and bathing in the ponds. The palmetto groves and various other plants surrounding the waters attract several types of birds such as: toucans, parrots, caciques and jays for a feast on their many fruits. It is at this time too that the curious guest may come across one of the elusive predators of the jungle. These creatures at the end of the food chain such as; jaguar, puma, ocelot and foxes are endangered species threatened with losing their natural habitat. Yacutinga Nature Reserve and the surrounding protected areas provide a sanctuary for these rare hunters.

One needn't stray far from the lodge to enjoy this spectacle of nature as the common areas have a high concentration of butterflies, which create clouds of colors.

Yacutinga Nature Reserve is home for hundreds of species of mammals, birds and reptiles

Packages 
3 DAYS / 2 NIGHTS YACUTINGA WILD LIFE AND PRIVATE RESERVE