Yacutinga Lodge travel tips and stories. Vacations ideas, cruises, spa and resorts

Many travelers visit Argentina‘s Iguazu Falls, an unbelievable quantity of water roaring over a vast chasm, but few explore the magnificent nearby forest. Just 96 km above the falls, where the Iguazu River flows wide and calm, five cabins that make up Yacutinga Lodge are hidden within pristine rain forest, thick with lianas and bromeliads. 

Romantic and rustic, but very comfortable, there guests sleep to the sound of the forest all around them. Step out in the early morning, and the vermilion earth is strewn with confetti of fragrant blossom, and monkeys swing effortlessly from branch to branch. A visit there is a rare chance to take part in a conservation project that protects 4,000 species of plant and more than 50 species of butterfly – one of the world’s most biodiverse areas. 

The adventure begins with a gentle boat trip down the river, guided by Guarani boatmen. Caiman alligators bask on the banks. Expert nature guides take guests deep into the forest to discover how the elements of this fragile ecosystem interrelate. As darkness descends, guests gather around the fire in the open-air bar, then set off on night walks to find the forest transformed into the habitat of a whole new set of creatures. 

Photos by: y A Lexus