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Misiones, El Chaco & Mesopotamia
The Misiones Province has a subtropical climate and is nearly surrounded by Paraguay and Brazil. It is most famous for its Jesuit missions and the spectacular Iguazú Falls. El Chaco is a sparsely populated area of nature reserves and parks. Mesopotamia usually refers to the area between the Paraná and Uruguay rivers and comprises the provinces of Entre Ríos and Corrientes.
POSADAS: The capital of the Misiones Province is joined to Paraguay by a modern bridge. The province is well known for its old Jesuit missions, and the most impressive Jesuit ruins can be visited at San Ignacio Miní, some 50km (32 miles) east of Posada. Jesuit carvings and art are on display at Posada’s Museo Regional. The gigantic Yacyreta Dam lies 200km (125 miles) upstream from Posada.
IGUAZÚ FALLS: Puerto Iguazú is the gateway to the majestic Iguazú Falls (parts of which are located in neighbouring Brazil). The falls are located within the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Iguazú National Park, whose subtropical rainforest provides a habitat for over 2000 identified plant species and 400 bird species (for details of hiking trails, see the Sport & Activities section). The Iguauzú Falls are formed by the River Paraná which, before reaching the edge, divides into many channels. The most impressive of these is the Garganta del Diabolo (Devil’s Throat), which can be approached via a system of catwalks (some of which may occasionally be closed owing to flooding). At their highest point, the falls have a vertical drop more than one and a half times the full length of Niagara Falls. Visitors can catch a good view of the falls from a tower near the visitor centre, which also organises free trips to the Isla Grande San Martín, another good lookout point from which to catch an extensive and crowd-free view.
EL CHACO: The capital of the Chaco Province is Resistencia, which prides itself on being a ‘city of sculptures’ (there are over 200 of them), and is a major crossroads for Paraguay and excursions through the Chaco to the northwest. The Chaco National Park is a large expanse of swamps, grasslands, palm savannahs and forest, which is rarely visited as camping is the only available accommodation. Interesting nature reserves within the area include Estricta Colonia Benittez (in eastern Chaco) and the Pampa del Indio Provincial Park. Campo del Cielo is an area famous for its meteorite fragments dating back some 6000 years.
FORMOSA: The capital of Formosa Province is a good starting point for excursions to the northern Chaco. Interesting buildings in the city include the Casa de Gobierno, which has been declared a national monument. Apart from Formosa’s annual week-long Fiesta del Río (a nocturnal religious procession), one of the main regional attractions is the massive Río Pilcomayo National Park, an area of swamps, marshland and savannah on the Paraguayan border, whose Laguna Blanca is an ideal spot for birdwatching.
CORRIENTES: Corrientes, the capital of its namesake province, is one of Argentina’s oldest cities. The General Belgrano Bridge over the Paraná River joins the city to Resistencia, the capital of the Chaco Province (see above). Among Corrientes’ oldest churches, the Santísima Cruz de los Milagros and the Convento de San Francisco are worth a visit. In the north of the province lies the Esteros del Iberá, an area of marshland, lagoons and lakes providing a refuge for hundreds of bird species, reptiles and mammals such as swamp deer and capibara (the world’s largest rodent). There are numerous remains of Jesuit settlements in the vicinity, notably at Yapeyú, the birthplace of José de San Martín. Cattle ranches (estancia) can be visited at San Gará, Atalaya and San Juan Poriahú. Well known for its fiestas and carnivals, the Corrientes is also the land of the chamamé, a characteristic type of rhythmic music derived from the polka, celebrated in the annual National Chamamé Festival.
PARANÁ: The capital of the Entre Ríos Province can be reached from Santa Fe via the Hernandarias Tunnel under the River Paraná. East of Paraná, near the border with Uruguay, Concepción del Uruguay has numerous spas and river beaches (on the River Uruguay), notably at Banco Pelay and Itapo. The nearby city of Gualeguaychu is famous for its carnival, which rivals those of Rio and Bahía in Brazil. Further north, some 360km (225 miles) from Buenos Aires, lies the El Palmar National Park, whose main attractions are the old yatay palms, some of which are nearly 800 years old.
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