Right by the mysterious Iberá Wetlands, find a colonial and cozy natural environment, home-made meals and daily activities in the first touristic estancia in Corrientes, with the personalized attention of its owners.
Located northeast of Corrientes province, on the banks of the Iberá Wetlands and close to the San Ignacio Jesuit ruins, the Estancia San Juan Poriahú is a traditional ranch, nowadays dedicated to breeding cattle.
Once upon a time a Jesuit residence itself, its origins date back to the 17th century when the Society of Jesus founded its famous townships in Paraguay, Brazil and Argentina. Today, Ana María is the current owner of the estancia and Marcos -her son- is the one who takes care of it. The story goes that Marcos’ grandfather, Don Ernesto, surprisingly inherited the colonial farmhouse and 5.000 hectares from a friend that passed away. In time, more land was acquired to reach the final 13.000 hectares that the estancia occupies now.
Marcos used to spend his summer vacations here when he was a child and today he has become a renowned naturalist and expert of the area. Also he may be one of the guides that take you on a boat ride, drive or hike through this ecosystem and tell you everything he knows about it.
Visiting and staying at Poriahú is to travel back to colonial times. The aged Jesuit farmhouse has thick adobe walls, a palm roof (typical of this region), a gallery and an outdoor pool to relax and contemplate nature. There are also nine wide and simple twin rooms with private or shared bathroom. The family keeps an eye on the details and makes an effort to create a homey atmosphere in the rooms and common areas, such as the shared dining room and the living room. Meals are always homemade and include regional dishes. You may even taste our traditional asado!
Surrounded by an ancient and exuberant grove and the characteristic humidity of the marshlands, Poriahú is the best alternative to not only visit the historic ruins nearby but to take part on any ecotourism activity available at the region.
Among the activities that the estancia has to chose from, you can´t miss the boat ride through the wetlands. Jump onto a canoe conducted by a guide and navigate this magic aquatic environment girdled by colorful vegetation and rich native wildlife that you will be able to see and listen everywhere. You may spot roseate spoonbills, maguari storks, whistling herons, yacarés (caymans), marsh deers, aguará guazú (maned wolves), river otters and the cute capibaras or carpinchos.
Other daily options include horseback riding joined by the resident gauchos, photographic safari, guided hikes for bird and fauna watching, night tour for yacaré watching, off-road 4×4 ride within the ranch and rural activities such as cattle branding and bath, among others. Keep in mind that the activities are subject to weather conditions.
After an active day you will certainly enjoy to relax by the pool and share a mate while the sun sets in this enchanting place, where nature and wildlife have open access at anytime.
Please, contact your Kallpa Tour executive for more information about the 4 days / 3 nights program with accommodation and activities at Estancia San Juan Poriahú in Esteros del Iberá.
After a twenty minutes transfer from the hotel to Puerto Pañuelo we board a Catamaran to navigate for an hour the Nahuel Huapi Lake to get to Puerto Blest. The magnificent views of the andean mountain range. The snowed peaks, the seagulls flying around to get a cookie from the hands of travelers. The way the sun warms the mountains and sweeps its light on landscapes are a highlight in itself. A great way to experience the Patagonian history at Puerto Blest Hotel
We arrived at Puerto Blest and disembark. This pier located at the end of the Blest tributary of the Nahuel Huapi Lake is a spectacle in itself, At this point you can see how the green waters of the Frías River blends with the cool blue waters of Nahuel Huapi Lake resulting in a surreal view., Surrounded by a dense Valdivian rainforest that only leaves space to enjoy the quiet beach that allows us to enjoy the Blest harbor.
At the hotel´s surroundings we can enjoy various activities such as biking and hiking. There is a circuit that will take you to Los Cantaros Waterfall by doing a lovely two hours´ trekking and going up a stepped terrain of more than 800 steps bordering the cascade that begins in the Los Cantaros Lagoon, That effort is crowned visiting the “grandfather” a 1,500 years old tree. From this point we continue our trekking on this trail through the rainforest to get back to the Hotel.
A historical place where the remains of Francisco Pascasio Moreno were laid down to rest on the Centinela Island, which can be seen from the catamaran during the trip in the National Park that was founded by him..
A private initiative with the purpose of preserving and displaying the remains of the “paranaense” rainforest and located 32 kms away from Saltos de Moconá is one of the main purposes of the Rainforest experience at Chacra del Agua (Mocona Waterfalls) at the entrance to the Yaboti Reservation which is protected by the UNESCO.
For a couple of days we stayed in one of the cabins that is a part of this “home lodge” as they call Chacra del Agua. The cabins were built using native wood and the design is an example of the traditional architectural style you will find in Misiones Province which combines German techniques from the XIX century with a strong influence from the Brazilian lifestyle. The cabins were built 1 meter above the ground and are separated 40 meters from each other, for privacy which is one of the main purposes. They are also perfect to enjoy the rainforest in absolute tranquility. Each cabin has a unique and distinctive view. You can gain access to your cabin by taking the wooden footbridge which communicates the cabins with the main building where breakfast and dinner is served. There you can enjoy a relaxing time sharing experiences with the owners Sebastian and Mariana, enjoying a glass of good wine and relaxed talk while they cook. It is really nice being able to share the table with them and other travelers who are staying there.
We enjoy the activities of Chacra del Agua during the day, There are several options such as mountain bike and trekking through the 2.5 km of trails found in the Chacra, One of the most exciting activities was kayaking through the Uruguay river on seat-on-top kayaks. Sebastian, who is also the guide for this experience, took us to remote locations at the entrance of the Yabotí Reservation (Yabotí means turtle in guarani language) guiding us and explaining the environment and the importance of preserving the natural reserve. Sebastian is also a professional photographer, you’ll see him capturing moments with his camera during the activity so travelers can take them back home. The activity takes between 2 and 3 hours. This is the time they’ve estimated for us to enjoy a personalised and unique experience; the good thing about the proposed activities is that they can be adapted to the needs and requests of the travelers, regardless of any earlier experiences they could have had with kayaking.
There is also a pool where you can enjoy a relaxing time reading, while seating on the deck, or refreshing yourself when the weather is hot.