El portal de la canoa a botador: las excursiones a la laguna salen sin motor, empujadas con tacuara por el baqueano.
163 km from Corrientes via RP5 to the town of San Miguel, then 27 km of sand and dirt road to the portal. High-clearance vehicles are recommended.
The portal has a campsite, shelters with fire pits and bathrooms with hot-water showers. Overnight stays are possible. There is no shop or drinking water, so bring your own supplies and essentials.
Activities: pole-driven canoe, kayaking, birdwatching, hiking (on foot, by bike or by vehicle). Two trails to explore on foot or by bike, and one vehicle trail that reaches the port, where motorless lake excursions set off.
How to get there
High-clearance vehicle recommended. In the rain, 4×4 traction.
What to do
- 🛶 Pole-driven canoe
- 🚣 Kayaking
- 🦜 Birdwatching
- 🥾 Hiking
- 🚴 Cycle touring
- 🐴 Horseback riding
- 🏛️ Cultural visits
Wildlife you will see
- Marsh Deer
- Maned Wolf
- Strange-tailed Tyrant
- Yellow Cardinal
- Saffron-cowled Blackbird
- 300+ bird species
Where to sleep and eat
San Miguel (27 km): at least 3 eateries with traditional Corrientes dishes. Chipá, sandwiches, pizzas and empanadas to go. There are also options in Loreto.
Featured places to stay
- Posada Mbareté
Family-run inn in the San Nicolás portal. Home cooking, marsh excursions and the warm welcome of the deep Iberá.★ 5.0 - La Roca del Iberá
Lodging with a local stamp in San Miguel, Corrientes.★ 5.0 - Casa Jabirú Ogá
Guest house in San Miguel with the spirit of the Iberá.★ 5.0 - Hospedaje Kavuré
Family lodging in San Miguel.★ 5.0 - Posada Mboy Cuá
Inn in the San Nicolás portal, with direct access to Laguna Paraná and the park trails. Rural comfort and local guides.★ 4.7 - Victoriano Apart
Apart-hotel in San Miguel, an ideal base for the San Nicolás portal.★ 4.7
Best time to visit
April to October. Peak birdwatching in spring. Avoid the rainy season without a 4×4 vehicle.
The portal in photos
Portal San Nicolás: the Iberá without crowds, with Neotropical Otters
San Nicolás is one of the newest portals of the Great Iberá Park and remains one of the least visited, which is exactly its greatest appeal. Its lagoons are practically pristine: no boardwalks, no crowded campsites, no noise from other groups during the excursion. The pole-driven canoe, moved by pure human muscle and advancing in almost total silence, is the way to move around this corner of the wetland. The only sound is the lapping of the water, the birdsong and the occasional snort of a capybara on the bank.
The density of wildlife in the Portal San Nicolás sector is exceptionally high. The marsh deer has one of its most visible populations in the system here: it is possible to see between five and fifteen individuals on a single two-hour excursion. The Neotropical Otter, shy at other portals, shows up frequently along the channels. And the Strange-tailed Tyrant, a bird threatened with extinction, has one of its last safe strongholds in Argentina in this area.
Access to the portal requires stopping at the San Miguel Tourist Information Office to get the providers' contacts. There is no turn-up-and-go excursion system: everything has to be arranged ahead. The road from San Miguel, 27 km of sand and dirt, requires a high-clearance vehicle, and 4x4 in the rain. The portal has camping, covered BBQ areas with fire pits and bathrooms with hot showers. No general store and no drinking water: stock up in San Miguel before going in.
The surroundings of Portal San Nicolás
San Miguel, 27 km from the portal, is a town with a cultural life of its own. It has quality Corrientes cooking (Galpón La Empalizada and Koe Mimbi are local references), crafts at the Casa del Artesano, and a waterfront along the stream. Combining a day of excursion at the portal with an afternoon in town makes San Nicolás a complete option for the traveller after the Iberá without the crowds of Carlos Pellegrini.
Other portals of the Iberá
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