This is an example of our preferred hotel, though availability is not guaranteed. If a given hotel is not available for your tour date, we will reserve you a room at a hotel of similar appeal and quality in the same area.
Sit back and relax after a long day of adventure
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The Yacutinga Lodge aims to have a low impact on the environment while providing excellent facilities and services to guests. Staying at Yacutinga Lodge means entering into a communion with Nature on your Argentina tour. Their sustainability policy for managing one of the last untouched private rainforest reserves in Argentina includes using local guides, recycling, using alternative energy systems, and developing native plant seeding programs, among other ecologically sound practices.
The lodge buildings were designed to maintain harmony with the surrounding jungle and have been built to follow the natural terrain. While the Yacutinga Reserve covers 570 hectares, a nominal 4 hectares of forest were disturbed to accommodate the lodge facilities. Special care has been taken to use local materials, such as stone and large wood pieces gathered from naturally fallen trees.
Highlights of the lodge include an indoor restaurant and an open-air terrace bar, surrounded by Palmetto palm forest. A nearby observation tower and raised catwalk allow you to wander at your leisure while observing the area's birdlife. The central botanical area boasts a barbeque, pool, and herb garden.
Separate sleeping areas, called "Butterflies," are spread throughout the forest surrounding the common areas. Each Butterfly contains four large private suites, each with its own entrance, porch, bedroom, and private bathroom with warm water. In the winter, the Butterflies are heated by wood stoves.
The Lodge
Native materials, such as stones and large logs from fallen trees have been successfully incorporated into the architectural concept of the place, which integrates completely with the natural Environment.
Only 4 hectares out of the 570-hectare area of the property have been used to build this unprecedented ecotourism complex in Argentina. During the construction process special care has been taken to minimize negative impacts on nature.
The main building, which includes the Reception, the main Restaurant, the Grill and the Sitting room, provides a special atmosphere because it is surrounded by a Palmetto (Euterpe edulis) stand, which is an endangered species endemic to this area.
From the Main Building, you can go to the garden down a huge log stair, where you will find the eccentrically shaped swimming pool that mimics the environment perfectly.
To the left is the Bar with its large fireplace. It is here, in the fireplace area, where Yacutinga Environmental guides generally meet the visitors to start the organized walks, or simply to exchange information on fauna observations performed during the walks.
Accommodations
Accommodations consist of independent lodging modules. The rooms are dispersed throughout the Forest and surround the main building from a certain distance. Each lodging module has four rooms.
The very comfortable, rustic-style rooms have private bathrooms with 24-hour hot water service . There are matrimonial, double and triple rooms.
Recently a special room has been added which is called “Suite Yatei”. It is located about 150 meters away from the main building surrounded by jungle. This room is extremely ample and comfortable , specially designed for couples with sophisticated and adventurous spirit.
Mornings can be cold in the Forest during the winter season (June/August), therefore each room also has a wood burning stove.
All the rooms have an exclusive view to the Forest.
While comfortably sitting in the room porch it is common to see hummingbirds, several bird species and even Agouties (Dasyprocta azarae paraguayensis).
Yacutinga Lodge's aim is to provide the guest with a relaxed atmosphere in harmony with the surrounding Environment, thus achieving an intimate contact with Misiones Nature.
Food and Beverage
Yacutinga bases their services on respecting local culture while incorporating traditional food at international standards.
The ingredients for the food prepared at the Lodge come mainly from neighboring farmers who do not use chemicals and depending on the season, the lodge receives supplies from producers of local town Andresito.
The Lodge's food has that unique and distinguished taste of homemade food, prepared with fresh and balanced ingredients.
They offer vegetarian menus and in case a guest requests a special menu the lodge will accommodate it gladly.
The Concept
Keeping their commitment to live in harmony with Nature, Yacutinga considers each detail and tries to provide the best ecotourism service possible in the Forest. E-mail services through a leading edge satellite system to comfortable beds with natural cotton bedroom linen.
The main building is the starting point of the lodge's tours to Yacutinga wildlife Refuge. Early in the morning or in the afternoon, even in night hours, expert guides organize floating services or walks along the different interpretation trails.
No more than 12 people ever participate in each tour at a time. All trips are based on respect for the natural environment, its silence and interpretation.
Your guides, specialized in Misiones wildlife, are proficient at English.
At Yacutinga Lodge, services are based on respect for the local culture, offering traditional local cuisine with international-level preparation and presentation.
Local people also guide the tours, since they provide complementary information on the use of medicinal plants of the Forest, tracking and identification of wild animal footprints and many other topics of interest to the traveler.
You need not be an expert in environment or biology to enjoy your stay at Yacutinga Lodge. Much on the contrary, one of the conceptual keystones of the lodge's project is environmental education.
Yacutina Lodge strongly believes that all of us must be respectful of nature, since we are part of it.
From Misiones Forest, people at Yacutinga Lodge make an effort to transmit this environmental awareness in a completely natural way.
For those who are interested in specific environmental topics, the lodge has organized stays focused on bird watching and classification, entomology, medicinal plants, orchids and bromeliads.
In 2003 Yacutinga Lodge and its Wildlife Refuge was selected by the World Tourism Organization as one of the 60 model ecotourism enterprises at the World Level.
Location
Yacutinga Lodge and its Wildlife Refuge are located on the Upper Iguazú River, on the northeastern extreme of Argentina, only 60 km away from Iguazú Falls.
Iguazú National Park, in the northernmost area of the province of Misiones, is a region of wide rivers, reddish clay soil, mild (subtropical) weather, and mainly of luxuriant Forests with bright green colors, rich in giant old trees. These Conservation areas located in the border between Argentina and Brazil have pristine cores of Subtropical forest, and bear more than 2,000 species of identified vascular plants and more than 400 species of birds, mammals and reptiles.
Access to Yacutinga Lodge from the cities of Foz do Iguazú or Puerto Iguazú is easy, since there are airports in both cites.
Once you get to the site, you will feel surrounded by the sounds and details of Misiones Forest. Yacutinga Lodge has been designed to offer the highest comfort possible at the heart of Misiones Forest.
The Nature Reserve
The astonishing presence of several plant strata overlaying from the ground to the high tree tops; profuse vines of all types and sizes, creating an intricate and entwined frame for numerous epiphytes that hang from all that can serve as support.
At the same time this site is part of a global network of places recognized for their outstanding value to bird conservation.
The free space between the different vegetation layers is the home to colorful birds like toucans, black fronted piping guans, trogons and woodpeckers.
Life in one of its richest expressions within a frame full of species, shades, dimensions and colors, makes it almost impossible to describe this Forest with words.
This combination of such abundant biodiversity is the result of a natural chaos, which makes up a whole, and which can only be understood by someone who has seen and admired something similar and unforgettable.
The subtropical Forest impresses as a whole, is admirable in its parts and its details arouse curiosity.
The majestic silence that at times dominates the Forest lets our ears enjoy an immense sensation and, at the same time, warns us of a coming change of weather.
The song of birds, the buzzing of insects, and the rustle of breeze moving across branches create a conspiracy that may disrupt this silent and oppressive calm.
While staying at the Natural Reserve we reunite with our evolutionary roots, we discover our senses, which are almost atrophied by urban life.
It is greatly important for the visitor to understand that, although it is possible to observe larger animals, this is not usual.
Guests at Yacutinga Lodge must be ready to discover their senses, to feel amazed at all types of life expressions, since all this biodiversity generates a natural interconnection that makes Misiones Forest to live as a whole.
Yacutinga Wildlife Reserve offers protection to several endangered species, such as the South American Jaguar, Tapir, Ocelot and some severely threatened bird species.
Sustainable Development
Yacutinga Lodge is not just an ecotourism project located in the Argentine Jungle. The lodge believes that there is an important worldwide need of protecting nature while generating an economical income.
Yacutinga is doing it.
The ecotourism activity is one of the lodge's economic stilts, but there are also other sustainable projects, which are being developed in the Yacutinga area.
With the biological technical support of the Fundacion Vida Silvestre Argentina (WWF asociated organization) and the outcomes of the researches that have place at the Yacutinga Biological Station the lodge is conducting different projects to create a general use of the Private Reserve without spoiling Nature.
Ecotourism
Yacutinga Lodge's ecotourism concept is devoted to produce a wonderful relationship between the visitor and the surrounding Nature.
This means that everyone visiting and living at Yacutinga Lodge takes part in different environmental activities, such as environmental education-based walks, Native trees planting, Wildlife observation and classification, and interpretation of Natural processes to understand and discover this Forest.
The aim is to give the most complete information on Misiones Forest, and native traditions and habits. Also, to have the opportunity to communicate how and why the lodge is protecting this Natural Sanctuary, probably one of the last relics of the richest and most varied Eco-region in Argentina.
Activities
A guest at Yacutinga Lodge does not need to be an expert bird watcher or a Naturalist, not even a Rambo-like adventurer to enjoy this place.
The guest only needs to be someone wishing to open up his/her senses and spirit to get and understand the secrets and knowledge underlying in the Natural balance of Misiones Forest.
Basically, during tours, guides put an emphasis on the forest dynamics, its ecology and importance to man.
Yacutinga shares the concept that Nature around us is a living entity functioning as a whole.
Each plant or animal species has a specific role in this environmental balance.
Yacutinga Lodge simply helps the visitor to discover this complex and striking relationship.
Interpretive Walks
Your expert guides will lead you along the different environmental interpretation trails of Yacutinga Natural Reserve.
This is an environment highly rich in biodiversity, old-growth trees, medicinal plants, orchids, bromeliads, butterflies, beetles, birds and mammals that combine to provide the key to interpretation and astonish us with a very intense natural contact inside Misiones Forest.
Why do lianas spiral out as they grow?
This is one of guests' most typical questions. They are Nature lovers who wish to know its secrets and mysteries.
The Forest at night
We wait for the night to come. The sounds of Nature produce a very complex symphony. We silently take part of this scene.
The owls start their activities. Above us, the Milky Way becomes our ceiling.
This might be a suitable description of this walk organized by Yacutinga Lodge' s environmental Guides. The aim is to sharpen our senses.
Boating along the Iguazu River
The Forest water streams are highly important for the Ecosystem: they are true life corridors. Sailing this waters is extremely relaxing and gives us the opportunity to move along the Gallery forests in silence. In this environment, seed dispersal occurs differently. Root systems have adapted to flood soils.
Salt patches are very common on the shores of these streams, and wild animals often seek these places, therefore it is common to find animal footprints and traces in the muddy shores.
Isn't it interesting to learn to interpret these traces with the expert Guide and understand what has happened only a few hours before on the River shore?
Observation Tower
The lodge designed some constructions offering you the opportunity to be alone and in close contact with Nature.
These refuges are distributed in different areas of the Reserve.
Have you ever seen a flock of parrots flying only 5 meters above you? It is not only impressive to see these birds but also to hear their wings bat.
Special Services
Yacutinga Lodge & its Private Nature Reserve organize a variety of touristic services, including expeditions and ecotours through the Interior Atlantic Rainforest; in addition to highly specialized events designed to the Corporate tourism and TV productions.
These programs are characterized by the comfortable and peculiar lodging facilities of Yacutinga Lodge, the characteristic natural and cultural ambiance of the Yacutinga Private Reserve, as the creativity and professionalism we achieved in 9 years of experience. In case none of these services apply to your need please contact us with your specific request. Thank you.
