Jungle Lodge in Iguazu

It’s not just about Iguazu Falls themselves, there is a whole jungle out there!

Our 2 or 3 night extensions allow you to spend some quality time in the pristine jungle that covers a lot of this area and get to know more about this ecosystem and its native people. Below we detail some of the activities that we can easily combine with your visit to Iguazu falls on both sides of the border.

First Day – 2.30 PM leave for Jungle Lodge.

We leave at this time in the afternoon so you can have a half day visit to the falls in the morning. Many of our clients do a full day visit to one side of the falls and then a half-day the next day, this fits well with the lodge departure.

Kayaking and exploring the rainforest from your Iguazu jungle lodge
Kayaking and exploring the rainforest from your Iguazu jungle lodge

The landscape is very picturesque en-route and the journey is interesting and an adventure in itself. The area is characterized by very red soil, this contrasts nicely with the various shades of green produced  by cultivation and in particular the Yerba Mate farms. When you arrive at the lodge you are welcomed by staff and will be taken to settle into your rooms. There will then be a presentation on the activities open to you and an introductory talk on the challenges faced in this rainforest and the conservation steps being taken by the lodge management. Then its time for dinner and a healthy sleep in fresh air.

Second Day – Activities in the Jungle

After an early breakfast we will enjoy paddling along the San Francisco stream, which flows into the Natural Reserve and the upper Iguazu River. This photo-safari will give us around 3 hours in the jungle spotting animals and birds plus a massive range of fauna. Then its back to the lodge for lunch.

Whether exploring on foot or by boat our expert jungle guides will explain this incredible environment.
Whether exploring on foot or by boat our expert jungle guides will explain this incredible environment.

After eating you will have some free to wander around and also enjoy the facilities of the lodge, for example the swimming pool, observation tower and the all important bar! In the afternoon we will have some interpretative walks, conducted by expert guides who provide in-depth information on the specific natural environments you find yourselves in, and their flora and fauna. After this we are back to the lodge for dinner. After dinner our guests can enjoy the night walk, a new, exciting experience for most of us.

Third Day – Activities in the Jungle

After breakfast you will have some free time to explore around the lodge or relax and saok in the atmosphere before we have to leave for Puerto Iguazu at some point during the morning with arrival planned for around 1pm.

It is important to note: A guest at Yacutinga Lodge does not need to be an expert bird watcher or a naturalist to really get the most from the experience, and certainly not a Rambo-type adventurer! During our tours we put an emphasis on learning about forest dynamics, ecology and importance of such complex ecosystems to our planet.

This is a highly biodiverse environment, ancient trees, medicinal plants, orchids, bromeliads, butterflies, beetles, birds and mammals that all combine to provide a very intense natural experience within the forests and jungles of the Misiones region. Streams are highly important for this Ecosystem, they are true corridors of life and paddling along them in kayaks is extremely relaxing and gives us the opportunity to move in silence. The sounds of nature produce a very complex symphony and we sharpen our senses.

Staying for 3 nights – Extra Activities

If you have time to stay an extra day we can show you a little about the people that inhabit the region and their culture, both colonists and the original people.

Enjoy some up-close-and-personal time with a culture that thankfully is not modernized
Enjoy some up-close-and-personal time with a culture that thankfully is not modernized

Pioneers of the late twentieth century came to the Missiones region in hope creating new opportunities in work, commerce and life. They tamed the jungle to a certain degree through hard farming work and sacrifice. Stories about jaguars and giant snakes, living in pristine environments, jungle noises, the Yerba Mate plantations and enduring local culture are still told today in tales written by Uruguayan author Horacio Quiroga. We will see some of the fruits of this hard work in the Yerba Mate plantations along the way.

Today you will enjoy a visit to the Kagui Pora Guarani Community who still cling to some of their ancient traditions and culture in this modern world we live in. Without the use of medicinal native plants from the Atlantic forest colonization would not have been possible. So here in this community we can learn how locals use these native plants for homeopathic medicine and using the traditional mate infusions as ways to enhance the homeopathic benefits that some of the plants of the jungle affords them.

The age-old traditions of this very seldom visited part of Argentina are explained by your local guides and this visit to the Kagui Pora Guarani Community will certainly enrich the overall experience of being in this remote part of the world and help you more fully understand the lifestyle of these isolated people.