YACUTINGA LODGE

For those can afford it, an even better way of getting to know the Misiones selva is Yacutinga Lodge, set in a 750-hectare private ecological reserve about an hour east of Parque Nacional Iguazú. While the reserve is much smaller than the park, its remaining (and recovering) subtropical rainforest provides a far more up-close-and-personal view of the natural environment, in remarkable accommodations that are far superior to the Sheraton.

For bird-watchers, Yacutinga offers a list of more than 300 species, plus many mammals, reptiles and butterflies; it also, under the sponsorship of the Fundación Vida Silvestre Argentina, operates a small captive breeding program for capybaras. Eight separate nature trails, one of them self-guided and the rest open with local guides, range from 500 meters to eight kilometers (round-trip). There is also a short but fascinating catwalk through the forest canopy, leading to a platform that’s an ideal spot for observing birds and other flora (do not, however, encourage the semitame coatimundi, who tries to nibble on your clothes and anything else within reach).

The lodge proper deserves special mention. Using the maximum possible of materials salvaged from the forest, the Argentine owners have created a Gaudiesque combination of tranquility, comfort, and style that amounts to five-star rusticity. The main building is an idiosyncratic architectural masterpiece, with a large living room, dining room, and bar. There are 20 tasteful rooms sleeping up to four people each in five secluded units, but except during major holidays such as Holy Week, the proprietors prefer to have only a small percentage of this capacity occupied to ensure a quality experience. Accommodations are available on a full-board basis only (drinks extra); day excursions are not offered.

Yacutinga also meets many standards for appropriate development as, except for the owners themselves, all 17 employees (including the guides) come from the nearby community of Andresito and from Puerto Iguazú. Insofar as possible, the food is either raised on the reserve or purchased locally; the main exceptions are beverages such as beer, wine, and soft drinks. There is electricity 6–11 p.m. only.

Yacutinga’s food is very good, though if you stayed longer than a week it might seem repetitive. Unlike in Argentina’s pampas heartland, the beef comes from relatively chewy (though tasty) Zebu cattle. Vegetarian menus are available on request, though sometimes the main dish is vegetarian for everyone. The cinnamon rolls at breakfast deserve special mention.

Yacutinga makes accommodations arrangements and quotes prices through the Internet only (www.yacutinga.com), but it is not cheap. Passengers get picked up at Puesto Tigre, the Gendarmería (Border Guard) post just outside Puerto Iguazú’s airport; the transfer vehicle is a high-clearance open-sided truck, which allows views of the selva for 45 kilometers en route to Bahía la Blanquita. Here guests board a motorized raft for the last eight kilometers to Yacutinga, seeing the Río Iguazú gallery forest en route. The return to Puesto Tigre is by road on the same vehicle.