Step inside one of the world’s newest and most water-drenched national parks.

Imagine a blend of the Everglades and the Serengeti—this is what the Iberá Wetlands in northeastern Argentina resemble.

Around 1.8 million years ago, the Paraná River—South America's second-longest river after the Amazon—carved a winding path through Argentina’s Corrientes Province, before eventually shifting westward, according to scientists.

The vast freshwater basin left behind became the world’s second-largest wetland (after the Pantanal in Brazil), home to about 4,000 species of plants and animals—nearly 30% of Argentina’s entire biodiversity.

Despite its remarkable features, Iberá remained largely unnoticed until December 2018, when it was designated as one of the newest national parks in the Americas and, with its surrounding Iberá Provincial Park, became Argentina’s largest protected area at 1.76 million acres.

International travelers have now discovered the hidden maze of swamps, bogs, and floating islands in northern Argentina, perfect for safari-style explorations.

“Iberá won’t stay a secret for much longer, so visiting now is truly a privilege,” says Rafa Mayer, founder of Say Hueque, an Argentine adventure company that offers tours combining Iberá with nearby Iguazu Falls, one of South America’s top attractions.

Venturing into this remote region is like stepping into a vast grassland, pierced by 75 shallow lagoons. Within this wild expanse, you’ll find everything from mud-splattered marsh deer to howling monkeys, sunning caimans, and the world’s largest rodent: the capybara.

Despite growing interest, Mayer notes that the wildlife-rich park still attracts only a modest number of visitors, “which is why the local culture remains so genuine and the wildlife so thriving.”

The birth of a new national park.

The creation of Iberá National Park is closely tied to the efforts of Rewilding Argentina, a branch of Tompkins Conservation.

Founded by Kris Tompkins, former CEO of Patagonia, and her late husband Doug, co-founder of The North Face, the organization focuses on establishing national parks in Argentina to fight biodiversity loss. The Tompkins have also spearheaded the creation of 10 million acres of new national parks in neighboring Chile.

Iberá National Park was the result of a two-decade-long effort. The project began with the purchase, restoration, and donation of 395,000 acres of former cattle ranches and rice farms, which were then given to the federal government to ensure their permanent protection.

Kris Tompkins, who spends several months each year residing in the park, designed it based on American national parks, featuring rustic lodges built from natural materials, well-marked hiking trails, and numerous educational opportunities.

Her vision is most prominently seen at Rincon del Socorro, the most luxurious of the lodges operated by Rewilding Experience, a nonprofit tour company affiliated with Rewilding Argentina.

The lodge, located on a historic estancia (cattle ranch) from 1896, exudes a National Geographic ambiance. Stunning wildlife photos adorn the walls in heavy wooden frames, while expansive books on sustainability, conservation, and wildlife turn every corner into a mini-library.

Guests can hike around a caiman-filled lagoon just steps from the lodge or race ostrich-like rheas on mountain bikes down red dirt roads that wind through the grasslands. They’re also offered informative talks on local biodiversity, regional conservation projects, and the significance of protected areas.

Rewilding Experience also offers a more affordable option at Posada Uguay, located by the Fernández Lagoon, ideal for kayaking, as well as a rental property called Estancia Iberá near the Iberá Lagoon, perfect for boat tours.

As the name suggests, the purpose of visiting these properties is to immerse oneself in the newly thriving wildlife, much of which has been 'rewilded' and is now accustomed to the presence of humans who pose no threat.

The return of the animals.

'Rewilding' refers to the process of restoring natural ecosystems and reintroducing species that have been lost. Iberá is currently home to the largest and most ambitious rewilding project in the Americas.

Since the project began in 2007, five species that were either locally extinct or endangered—such as the giant anteater, green-winged macaw, and pampas deer—have been reintroduced. In early 2020, the project will take a major step forward with the release of up to five jaguars into the wild.

“For an ecosystem to thrive, apex predators—those at the top of the food chain—must be present,” explains Rafael Abuin, the project’s communications director.

A dedicated jaguar reintroduction center, opened in 2015 on San Alonso, a secluded island within the park, currently houses seven jaguars.

The older jaguars, coming from zoos, can’t be safely released back into the wild. However, their offspring (two born in 2018) will join young orphans from Brazil, marking the return of big cats to the area after nearly a century’s absence.

Abuin believes this will be a game-changer, both in restoring ecological balance and in sparking a growing eco-tourism industry that could revitalize the local economy.

“From South Africa to India, the allure of wildlife tourism is driven by the opportunity to encounter a big cat,” he says, adding that Iberá “has the potential to become the world’s premier destination for seeing jaguars in the wild.”

Watch out for caimans and piranhas.

Although the Tompkins name is closely associated with Iberá, tourism in the region really began three decades ago in the small town of Colonia Carlos Pellegrini (population 900). It was here, thanks to local efforts to establish a new provincial park, that former pelt hunters traded their rifles for binoculars and started new lives as park rangers and wildlife guides.

To this day, Carlos Pellegrini remains the heart of the wetlands' tourism industry, boasting a collection of locally-run inns, campgrounds, restaurants, and shops offering handmade crafts like wood-carved animals and handwoven baskets. Local adventure companies provide hiking, kayaking, or boat tours to the floating reed islands in the Iberá Lagoon.

The indigenous Guaraní navigated Iberá’s lagoons using pole-driven canoes. Modern tour operators have added motors, but still rely on poles to maneuver through the shallower parts. This is because the lagoons have a maximum depth of about 10 feet, depending on rainfall.

Trails departing from Carlos Pellegrini include Sendero de los Lapachos, which winds through a forest often visited by howler monkeys, and Sendero Paso Claro, where you can find shelter beneath the region’s iconic caranday palms.

All trails skirt the Iberá Lagoon, home to abundant caimans and piranhas (as well as local legends of missing hunters), which might make you think twice about taking a swim.

How to get there.

The excitement generated by the new national park has prompted nearby communities at the entrances to Iberá (accessible from a ring road surrounding the wetlands) to diversify from agriculture into tourism.

Portal Cambyretá has added campgrounds and short trails to view the reintroduced green-winged macaws. At the colonial-style village of Concepción (near Portal Carambola), visitors can now find chic accommodations, such as La Alondra’i, alongside gaucho-style horseback riding and horse-drawn boat rides into the heart of the wetlands.

Accessibility remains a challenge no matter where you choose to stay. The nearest airports to Iberá are in the regional capitals of Posadas (to the northeast) and Corrientes (to the northwest), both of which can be more than four hours away, depending on where you're heading.

Many travelers choose the comfortable (by overland standards) sleeper bus from Buenos Aires to the city of Mercedes, located south of the park, where they can arrange onward travel to Carlos Pellegrini or the three Rewilding Experience lodges.