The most visited portal in the Iberá. More than 50 lodgings, award-winning cuisine and visitors from all five continents.
Located in the picturesque village of Carlos Pellegrini, within the General San Martín Department. 120 km from Mercedes (about 50 km paved and 70 km of gravel) and 360 km from the Corrientes capital.
It is the most developed portal in terms of tourism, with two top-tier campsites.
Activities: boat excursions, kayaking, photo safaris, birdwatching, day and night hiking, horseback riding, stargazing and visits to local artisans.
Provincial Park trails, from the Interpretation Centre: Cerrito-Pasarela (850 m, 45 min, easy), Carayá (600 m, 25 min, easy) and De los Montes (2 km, 90 min, moderate). National Park, Lobo Cuá sector (3 km from the Tourist Office): Monte de los Lapachos (800 m, 30 min) and Lobo Cuá (5 km, 2 h, bike-friendly, sign in on site). On the water, always with a licensed guide: boat along the Corriente stream (12 km, 2 h), the Miriñay circuit (18 km, 2.5 h) or the long circuit (31 km, 3 h); kayak on the South circuit (10 km, 2 h), the North (16 km, 3 h) or the Horquilla crossing (33 km, 6 h); pole-driven canoe (10 km, 2.5 h). Scenic road to Cambá Trapo: 9 km to the start, with gates (Municipality map, March 2026).
How to get there
From Mercedes (120 km): partly paved, partly gravel to Colonia Carlos Pellegrini.
What to do
- 🛥️ Boat excursion
- 🚣 Lagoon kayaking
- 🌙 Night safari
- 📸 Photo safari
- 🦜 Birdwatching
- 🥾 Hiking
- 🐴 Horseback riding
- 🚴 Cycle touring
- 🌟 Stargazing
- 🧵 Visit to artisans
- 🗺️ Cultural guides
- 🎵 Chamamé shows
What to see in Colonia Carlos Pellegrini
- 🧵 Artisan fair
- 🎵 Chamamé shows
- 🗣️ Guaraní workshops
- 🧺 Handicraft workshops
- 🏕️ Horseback rides through palm groves
- 🌕 Full-moon program in the Cambá Trapo wetlands
Wildlife you will see
- Capybara
- Caiman
- Marsh Deer
- Maned Wolf
- Jabiru
- Bare-faced Curassow
- Strange-tailed Tyrant
- 350+ bird species
Where to sleep and eat
More than 50 options for every budget: municipal camping by the lagoon, family-run lodges and all-inclusive boutique hotels with their own excursions.
Cocineros del Iberá network: in Pellegrini, lamb and lamb stews, regional orange and seasonal fruit preserves, and yerba mate loaf cakes. Jajetopa Experience: an immersive culinary offering rooted in the food identity of the Iberá.
Featured places to stay
- Casa Pirí
Exclusive house on the shore of Laguna Iberá with a private deck and a brazier over the marsh. Two rooms, a full kitchen, a covered grill with a wood-fired barbecue and a wooden walkway to the lagoon. The whole house is rented (price per night, up to 4 guests).★ 5.0 - Casimiro Iberá - Boutique Hotel
Adults-only boutique hotel on Provincial Route 40: five rooms, two pools and its own restaurant. It offers cultural tours and cooking classes, plus an annex, Casimiro Casa de Campo, 2 km from the village center.★ 5.0 - Costa Iberá - B&B
Bed & breakfast run by its owners, with homemade breakfast included and parking. Rooms with TV, bed linen and towels. It is the lodging side of Costa Iberá, the same house as the coffee shop.★ 5.0 - Amanecer Mágico - Cabins
Cabins on Route 40, at the entrance to Carlos Pellegrini.★ 5.0 - Hospedaje Doris
Family-run guesthouse in the town of Carlos Pellegrini.★ 5.0 - Cabaña Arandú Po
Cabin on Panambí street, in the town of Carlos Pellegrini.★ 5.0
Best time to visit
All year round. The most versatile portal thanks to its complete infrastructure. Best birdwatching in autumn and spring. Clearest stargazing from May to August.
The night outings combine telescopes with the magic of the village: some eateries offer live music during dinner.
The portal in photos
Why Portal Laguna Iberá is the most visited
Carlos Pellegrini is the only town in the world whose main square is separated from a lagoon by nothing more than a wooden boardwalk. That boardwalk is also your first contact with the wildlife of the Iberá: capybaras graze at the water's edge metres from the houses, caimans float on the surface and herons fly past at head height. There is no zoo and no artificial feeding: it is the wetland exactly as it has always been.
The town has around 800 permanent residents and more than 50 lodging options, which makes it the most accessible portal in the system. A day visitor can drive in from Mercedes (120 km along RP 40: about 50 km paved and 70 km of consolidated gravel, two and a half hours in total), take a two-hour boat safari at dawn, have lunch in town and head back. A traveller who stays three nights has time for the canoe, horseback rides through the palm groves, the night safari, a visit to the artisans and a night of astrotourism over the lagoon.
Entry to the Iberá Provincial Park requires buying a ticket, valid for five consecutive days of stay. It is sold at the park's Interpretation Centre on RP 40: coming from Mercedes, just over the bridge and before entering the town. Buy it before booking any excursions. The municipal campsite, right on the lagoon, is one of the best equipped in the system and one of the best low-budget experiences in the Iberá.
How long to spend at Portal Laguna Iberá
The recommended minimum stay is two nights. That is enough for two boat safaris (dawn and dusk), a night excursion and the activities within the town. With three nights you can add a half-day horseback ride, an independent kayak outing and free time to walk the Artisans' Fair and the Red Cocineros del Iberá. Travellers who come back tend to stay between four and five days.
July, October and November are the months in highest demand: the Iberá is in high season for wildlife and the days are short and cool. Booking accommodation at least 15 days ahead in those periods is essential. The rest of the year there are enough beds to arrive without a reservation, though it is always worth confirming.
How to reach Portal Laguna Iberá without a car
There are daily coaches from the city of Corrientes to Mercedes (about three hours), and from Mercedes a remis or tourist transport leaves for Pellegrini (the verified options are in Iberá Experience). There is also the option of flying into Corrientes or Posadas airport and taking a direct transfer: several providers at the portal offer the trip from both airports.
Other portals of the Iberá
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