Iberá Project

Nearly 600,000 of the 1.3 million hectares that make up the Iberá Natural Reserve and basin correspond to the Iberá Provincial Park, created by a decree in 2009 and expanded in 2016 and 2021, while 158,000 belong to Iberá National Park, created by law in 2018 on lands donated by Tompkins Conservation and Rewilding Argentina.

Iberá Park is home to the largest population of strange-tailed tyrants and the second largest of marsh deer. It is also an essential refuge for endangered species such as the maned wolf, the pampas deer, grassland birds that are nearly extinct in Argentina due to agricultural activity, the caiman, and the neotropical river otter.

Due to its size and habitat quality, this conservation area is a unique opportunity for reintroducing locally extinct species such as the giant anteater, tapir, collared peccary, pampas deer, ocelot, giant river otter, and jaguar. In the park, national and provincial park rangers work together to preserve the quality and abundance of these native animals, guaranteeing a high-level tourism experience for visitors.

The park is surrounded by more than 600,000 hectares of private land—including the Iberá Natural Reserve—which are ideal for different types of sustainable economic activities and which also benefit from the tourist draw provided by the strictest conservation area.

Because it comprises protected areas of differing jurisdictions with different responsibilities and managers, we developed a management and public use plan for the provincial park and a management plan for the national park within Iberá. These two different planning processes shared some stages, such as classifying environments, determining conservation values, and defining common projects.

Rewilding Argentina, The Conservation Land Trust Argentina, and Tompkins Conservation purchased 158,000 hectares of old cattle ranches that border current-day Iberá Provincial Park, which include habitats not found in the park such as Espinal forests, a dense shrub-and-grass area called the malezal, and some forests.

The goal was to make these places into a national park, which was achieved on December 5, 2018 with the creation of Iberá National Park by law.

With the support of governments and private enterprises, this territory ensures the growth of a new regional economy rooted in nature-based tourism. Wildlife watching-related activities and local cultural values can only be strengthened by the increase in populations of reintroduced species.

The creation of Iberá Park necessitated a road network and access points (which we call gateways) to facilitate work and visits to this vast protected area. This infrastructure requires continuous maintenance. As of 2022 we have created ten gateways, constructed 500 kilometers of gravel roads, put in signage for the scenic route, and made improvements to two provincial routes.

Over time we have improved gateway access and made significant improvements to asphalt, while gravel road access from Mercedes and Ituzaingó to Colonia Carlos Pellegrini has been significantly improved. We have paved the new access points to San Antonio and Capivarí and have improved Route 22, which links Concepción del Yaguareté Corá with Chavarría.

Rewilding Argentina makes up part of the Iberá Committee, an interdisciplinary workgroup formed by government agencies and private organizations, which develops and implements infrastructure, promotion, and regulation plans for Iberá Park.

Since 2005 we have been working on creating the tourist destination of Iberá. The scenic route traces more than 1,000 kilometers and connects seven neighboring population centers and ten public-access gateways.

Thanks to the joint efforts of the national and provincial governments, municipal authorities, NGOs, and the media, Iberá is now positioned as one of the main nature tourism destinations in Argentina, where tourism is already a driving force for local development.

In general, when we mention a place, we immediately think of its landscape, an animal, or an experience. Iguazú is waterfalls, the Valdés Peninsula whale watching, Salta, the Spanish mansions and colored ponchos. What does Iberá mean for a tourist? Wildlife, aquatic landscapes, gauchos, capybaras, deer, caimans, and plentiful birdlife. 

Iberá means “shimmering waters” in Guaraní, reflecting the unrivaled beauty of its vast waterways framed by enchanting sunrises and sunsets. The brand “Iberá” arises as a simple brand with great meaning: the presence of grasslands and the strange-tailed tyrant reflect the healthy recovery of the ecosystem.

The Iberá brand has been adopted by local towns, tourism operators, businesses, and people who identify with this great region and want to be on the world stage. Today, being part of Iberá is a point of community pride and lends prestige to local businesses.

The scenic route that borders Iberá links gateways and communities via roadways that were built to show the most striking landscapes and cultural attractions, where the native wildlife and local traditions play a starring role. 

Signage was designed to reinforce this destination’s brand identity and blend in the landscape thanks to the use of local techniques and materials, such as flagstone and carved wood.

Since the beginning of the project we have worked on promoting the destination in conjunction with Argentina’s Secretary of Tourism, the Ministry of Tourism in Corrientes, and the nearby municipalities.The goal is to position Iberá Park at a national and international level and expand tourism visits through the different gateways and experiences. This strategy has led to the filming of numerous far-reaching documentaries, magazine and newspaper articles, and tourism publications.

Iberá Park forms part of the Litoral Ecotourism Corridor, comprised of Iguazú and Moconá in Misiones, Iberá in Corrientes, El Impenetrable in Chaco, Bañado de la Estrella in Formosa, Islas de Santa Fe National Park and Jaaukanigás in Santa Fe, and Pre Delta and El Palmar National Parks in Entre Ríos.

In addition, to help to position the destination at a global level, in 2019 we worked together with the Iberá Committee to publish three main works: an updated edition of the Iberá Park book, an Iberá investor relations guide, which shows different types of production in the province including the economy of nature, and a new edition of the Iberá Tourism Guide, available in our library.

In-depth work in the project’s region of influence strengthened the environmental and tourism areas within public institutions, developed proposals to improve productive practices, and changed the appreciation of the ecoregion’s natural and cultural heritage through long-term communication campaigns.

In order to mitigate negative environmental impacts, we worked with municipalities to resolve urban planning issues and collaborated in the development of public infrastructure, informative signage, and beautification of urban centers to enhance recreational and tourism opportunities.

In addition, we helped locals to regularize their land tenure and access electricity and running water.

We also held training for budding entrepreneurs with nature-based tourism businesses that are strengthened by their proximity to Iberá Park.

From the beginning of the Iberá project, Rewilding Argentina has supported training for local community leaders to strengthen their role as guardians of the natural and cultural values that make up Iberá’s identity.

This training consists of conducting awareness and environmental education tours in the towns and villages along the scenic route. We have presented plays and given talks in schools, participated at stands in fairs, and produced promotional and educational material in Spanish and Guaraní, which students, teachers, and the general public still use.

Additionally, through different publicity campaigns and events, we teach the communities about rewilding and the economy of nature so they can learn about and participate in the work we do to recover local wildlife.

It is therefore important to point out that the species reintroduction projects that we carry out in Iberá are possible thanks to the support from local communities and their training on environmental issues.

Training local leaders and entrepreneurs is an integral part of the work we do in Iberá and all of our projects. Implementation consists of different activities, cultural exchange visits to established nature-based tourism destinations, and specific courses with renowned experts.

We also work together with the Iberá Committee to develop classes and workshops related to the economy of nature model and the possible tourism offers that could be developed in and near the park, such as serving local dishes, lodging, horseback riding, boat trips, and hiking.

In 2019 we worked with twenty-nine new entrepreneurs related to Iberá Park. Through the years we have also assisted in the formation of entrepreneur-based groups such as Iberá Cooks.

Finally, we helped to prepare materials for new tertiary (post-high school) educational programs in tourism and gastronomy so that potential students do not need to leave the area to study these topics.

Forming associations and cooperatives motivates locals to organize and share experiences that help to begin and sustain activities over time. Government programs help them acquire supplies and other investments to launch a new business, in addition to training on food handling, how to form suite guides, and dealing with tourists.

Protected areas lend their value to local products and services through the denomination of origin. An example is the Iberá Cooks, a network that connects more than 130 mostly female cooks and producers, who make dishes and products that reflect their cultural identity using the Iberá brand to strengthen their products and services. 

Over time, they have built their experience and reputation. Today the Iberá Cooks are in demand at events, presentations, and high-end national fairs, and their products are included in festive baskets and bags that are sold. Their food truck (a mobile store) is an attraction that drives from town to town and is taking the food of Iberá to the next level of food tourism.

Iberá Artisans is a social-productive project that seeks to raise the value of the cultural heritage of traditional artisan products, folk art, and other artisanal items that represent the region’s nature and culture. 

Through their products, the artisans show the relationship between the landscape and their culture as a way to keep their traditions alive, value local wildlife, and generate meaningful jobs. 

Part of the state policies of the provincial government include promoting a master plan to develop Iberá Park, as prepared by the Iberá Committee, which is aimed at strengthening and developing ecotourism in the region on the basis of its cultural and natural heritage.

As of 2022, the program consists of more than sixty artisans who receive trainings on commercializing and technical assistance on working with local materials such as a long-bladed grass called espartillo, palms, and a local climbing plant called ysipó, as well as with raw, hand-spun wool.

In the towns of Colonia Carlos Pellegrini and San Miguel, we worked together with Habitat Humanitas and the National Ministry of Social Action to carry out a community diagnosis with regard to the seventeen sustainable development goals. Here we measured the well-being and the most pressing needs of the localities’ inhabitants according to OECD (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development) goals.

The purpose of this diagnosis was to build, together with key community stakeholders, a productive and social plan that would allow us to aim towards a new economy through the promotion of infrastructure work and actions. This vision is included in a book prepared with the participation of the municipality.

In Concepción de Yaguareté Corá we worked specifically with the rural inhabitants of Carambola and Ñupy to integrate them into tourist activities. Today they find themselves in  the best place and shape to receive visitors.