A thin bar of sand separates the sea from a long circuit of shallow lagoons which serve as a sanctuary for marine life and birds along Uruguay's eastern shore. Today we drove from Jose Ignacio north to Laguna Rocha, a 72 square kilometer body of water that appears as an endless sheen of blue glass stretching across the horizon. With an average depth of only 3 feet, this UNESCO Biosphere Reserve takes water in from the ocean during parts of the year, and then as the sand builds a barrier against the sea, the lagoon balances fresh and saltwater, creating a unique ecosystem ideal for shrimp, crabs, molluscs and the birds that feed on them. We drove to the southern end of the lagoon and waited for our guides to arrive, we peered across the lagoon and made out three figures that appeared to be walking on top of the water! The three silhouettes were walking through the calf-deep water over a half a mile away, pulling canoes behind them.
Our guides, Rosario and Mariana, were accompanied by Daniel, a park ranger who gave us every detail of the natural history of the lagoon and its flora and fauna. We stepped into the canoes and paddled into the center of the lagoon, which was so wide that the western edge melted away into the horizon. To our east, every few minutes white ocean spray would shoot over the sandbar, exposing the enormous waves crashing just beyond the edge of the lagoon. We paddled to a small island, and on the other side we watched as Black Necked Swans, Chilean Flamingos and countless other migratory birds fished in the shallow water.
We alternately paddled and walked through the lagoon to it’s northern shore, where we carried the canoes out of the water. We were met by bicycles for the next leg of our trek - mountain biking to the La Paloma lighthouse! We wound through hilly horse pastures, lush green fields dotted by broad Ombu trees, and sporadic views of the Atlantic. Hours later we reached the lighthouse, where we enjoyed a fresh picnic prepared by our incredible guides. We ended at the Pueblo Barrancas EcoLodge, where we shared a Pilsner and heartfelt goodbyes with Mariana and Rosario, thanking them for one of the most incredible days of our trip.
The travel specialists we've worked with for 2 vacations have made the trip planning process easy! They ask good questions to ensure they understand our goals and likes and have done an excellent job matching adventures with our preferences - even suggesting things we would not have thought about on our own!
Amy
1 day ago
Erin is great to work with on our adventure to Antartica. She gave us great choices and is very knowledgeable about the options. Her recommendations saved us from making some big mistakes.
Carla
2 days ago
A Mind Blowing Adventure!
Adventure Life kept me well informed and up to date in the lead up to my trip and Albatros delivered a once in a lifetime adventure in full. A totally awesome experience from start to finish.
Jan Price
2 days ago
Jane Packer helped us through the cancellation of our trip due to American Queen Voyages bankruptcy and then finding another cruise with American Cruise Lines.
Jane is very prompt in response, answers any questions, and makes good suggestions thereby making the process much easier!
Deb Donaldson
3 days ago
Adventure Life did an excellent job of planning, organizing and executing a great trip to Argentina. It was nice to have the trip with just the two of us which allowed for a more personable tour with excellent tour guides in all four locations visited. We learned lots of details of the beautiful sites in BA, Mendoza,Baliloche and Iguazu Falls. We want to do another trip with Adventure Life some day.