What is the Scenic Route?

The Scenic Route of Iberá is a regional project initiated by CLT together with the 10 municipalites included within the Provincial Reserve of Iberá. The ultimate goal of the Scenic Route is to promote ecotourism within the Reserve. The beautiful landscapes of the Reserve along with the diverse and easily observable wildlife create an incredible spot for ecotourism. The Scenic Route would provide public access to each of the 10 municipalities as well as fantastic ecotouristic opportunities along its 1300 kilometer trajectory.

In the town of Colonia Carlos Pellegrini, ecotourism already serves as a fundamental part of their society. Currently 90% of its population lives and works for touristic activites centered around the creation of the Provincial Reserve. Pellegrini serves as a model to start similar processes in the other 9 municipalites that surround Iberá. It curently has the lowest unemployement rate in the Province of Corrientes and is one of the few places where the younger generations do not leave the land to move to neighboring cities. Keeping in mind that Iberá is 400 kilometers from the waterfalls of Iguazú, where more than a million visitors travel each year to see its beautiful landspace, it is possible for the development of Iberá to be a wildlife destiny associated with the waterfalls.

Public access instalations in Colonia Carlos Pellegrini

Similarly, the reintroduction of emblematic species that are currently extinct in Corrientes, such as the giant anteater, pampas deer, tapir and jaguar, would allow the attractions of Iberá to rival those of the Brazilian Pantanal, one of the most important wildlife watching destinations in the world. All of this, in addition to the current protection of 700,000 hectacres within the Great Iberá Park, good climate year round, proximity to the city of Buenos Aires, and convenient accessibility by land or air, give Iberá incredible potential to generate a unique ecotourism destination in South America.

Why develop a scenic route?

Scenic routes are roads placed in areas of high scenic or environmental value, where the visitor not only can observe sites from the window of their vehicle, but also can participate in different interpretive activities located throughout the route’s trajectory. Scenic routes are identified by a unified style of infrastructure and signage, and a themed development of the attractions that define it. In this case, the defining attractions are nature and the culture of the Iberá wetlands.

The 10 municipalites that are part of the basin, those that would benefit from the development of an eco-touristic destination, need to be integrated into the vehicular circuit that connects public access to the Iberá Park and Reserve, all with signs and installations of high visual and aesthetic quality.

Sign at the gate of Laguna Iberá

Sign at the gate of Uguay

To travel around the entire Iberá Reserve implies traveling more than 1300 kilometers over a wide range of landscapes, traversing forests, palm groves, and grasslands, or to boat through the wetlands and lagoons. The visitor could experience a direct contact with nature in its purest state with and abundance tame animals, and at the same time can be in contact with the people of Iberá, those who watch over the conservation of these beautiful lands.

This productive project based on the non-extractive and sustainable use of natural resources of Iberá and the enjoyment of them, offers the best option to generate and redistribute local wealth in an effective and equal manner amongst some of the poorest regions on Argentina. There are no other productive options that better create this intrinsic potential of the land, allowing generation and distribution of money that does not destroy natural or social capital of the region.

Tourist traveling in boat around Iberá, watching caymans

How do we work?

With the objective of creating a common framework in Iberá in each of the public access roads and municipalitities, CLT is working on the infrastructure of park rangers, camping sites, and signe, using materials and designs from the area, made by local artesans. The design and color choise of the signs fits perfectly with the landscape and the natural framework of the area.

The park ranger stations of San Nicolás and San Ignacio, have the same arcitectrual and visual design. They were donated by CLT to the Province of Corrientes to encourage the presence of responsible government agents to control and keep watch over the natural reserve, as well as helping the visitors to each area. In the town of Carlos Pellegrini (Portal Lagoon Iberá), CLT constructed a camp site and donated it to the town in 2010, and in San Nicolá, CLT built another one which was donated in 2011. We hope to continue the construction of campsites in Cambyretá in 2012, and the placement of signs and roads, with the goal of creating a unified system of signage that allows the visitor to be within a continuous and integrated Iberá from wherever they are within the Reserve.

Ranger station in San Ignacio

Ecotouristic activity in Iberá

Equally important is to foment coordinated participation of each municipality in this large, community oriented project. This is achieved through periodic meeting with the Secretaries of Tourism and the Mayor of each town, and for them to have a continuous dialogue with their citizens. Also, we have organized training trips with local leaders in tourism, bringing them to natural areas where a scenic route is already developed, such as the Natural Sanctuary Pumalín in Southern Chile.

With the goal of achieving a Scenic Route and increaseing ecotourism, CLT is accompaning the municipalities in fairs and patronage festivals, putting up stands with attractive designs, pamphlets, DVDs, and posters that promote the wildlife, landscape and cultural attractions of Iberá Reserve. Additionally, we organize parties for the community, to celebrate ranger station and campsite openings, inviting the locals, authorities, journalists, and other important individuals that make tourism a feasible means for conservation.

A local dance group in the grand opening of a gate in the Scenic Route

We strongly promote the Iberá Natural Reserve as a national and international destination for superior wildlife observation. Through constant work with national and international journalists from both radio and television, we educate them about the Scenic Route, the reintroduction projects of extinct species, and about the creation of the Great Iberá Park. These news reports, in addition to periodic bulletins and technical documents are informative to the public.