Esteros del Iberá – Argentina (the Northeast)

Esteros del Iberá is one of those places that everyone wants to visit, but very few actually make it there. The truth is that it is a bit of a tricky place to get to, it is a couple of hours by 4×4 or by a bumpy bus ride from the closest towns and civilisation…. Mercedes is the usual and easiest starting point and here you can book a transfer or take a bus. For adventure addicts it’s also possible to organize a transfer from/to Posadas, a really rough and challenging alternative!

Yacaré in the Esteros del Iberá.

But its remoteness is what makes it such a special place. In the middle of humid wetlands, the Esteros del Iberá have cultivated one of the most important and one of the most unique ecosystem’s in the Americas. A prime spot for nature spotting, here you can do walks, horseback rides and boat tours to see over 360 bird species, lots of alligators (yacarés), the world’s largest rodents (carpinchos/capybaras), wild deer and the floating islands of the world’s second largest wetlands.

Doing a boat tour is a perfect way to spot the amazing wildlife at the Esteros del Iberá.

The base to stay here is the small town of Colonia Carlos Pellegrini. With a small population and only a couple of shops and restaurants, this is a very relaxed and slow moving town, but its tranquility is the best way to enjoy the nature and relax in Argentina’s wild wetlands.

Hornero Bird in its oven-like mud nest.

No ATM and limited petrol in Colonia Carlos Pellegrini

Where to sleep in Los Esteros del Iberá