Ituzaingo

Water, water everywhere: the stepping-stone to Argentina’s wild and wonderful wetlands

For those seeking adventures in the greatest of outdoors, put Ituzaingó on your Argentinian itinerary. At the northern tip of the country, in Corrientes province, it feels pleasantly far flung – where you’ll find everything from quiet coves to rivers speckled with wading capybaras. Follow in their wake on kayaking voyages through lagoons and marshes. Shadow the splashing hooves of horses and their gauchos along waterways. Explore the vastness of the Iberá Wetlands and the gallery forests of the Apipé Islands archipelago. Then return to dry land, and a luxury eco-lodge.

Things to do

WATER
Spanning just over three million acres, and with everything from caimans to giant anteaters in residence, the Iberá Wetlands are truly epic. Naturally, the best way to travel is by boat, as hundreds of different bird species fly overhead, and jaguars stalk the forests that fringe the waters. You can even take a trip at nightfall, spying nocturnal creatures by the light of the moon.

CULTURE
The pulse an Ituzaingó summer is set to the beat of drums, as Carnavale comes to town. Flamboyant, festive and feathered, it’s a time of dazzling parades as sequinned costumes shimmer and samba provides the soundtrack. And if you’ve only just dried off after adventures in the wetlands, prepare to be soaked once again – the carnivals here often begin with water fights.

FOOD & DRINK
Ituzaingó is a cobweb of waterways – making a riverbank picnic the perfect way to enjoy the food of the region. You’re close to the border between Argentina and Paraguay, so pack empanadas and cheesy chipá, with zingy tereré to sip in the sunshine. Later, when you go out to dinner, expect river fish to be the stars of most menus.