Rincon del Socorro

The Rincón del Socorro Lodge is a 12,000-hectare former cattle ranch located on the edge of the Iberá wetlands in Argentina that has been made into a nature reserve.

The main house at Rincón del Socorro has a large indoor living room, a screened veranda living room, a large indoor dining room, a terrace dining area, and a children’s game room.

On the grounds are a swimming pool, a screened barbecue house, and a barn with tack room from which all rides depart. Meals are prepared mostly with organic fruit and vegetables, most from the kitchen garden. Meat is all free-range. The main house is equipped with a professional kitchen and offers full bar service.

When the weather is good, lunch and dinner can be served outdoors. Once settled you will take a walk around the main house and its surroundings, to get to know a little more about the history of the place and the recovery of the environment that takes place in Ibera.

Activities include: Wildlife spotting, day and night outings, boat and canoe trips on the Iberá Lagoon, horseback riding, nature walks, bird watching (over 350 species, some endangered), cattle roundups at the nearby Estancia Ibera.

This is ideal horseback riding country and guests are encouraged to give it a try even if they’re not seasoned riders.

From the saddle you can see lots of wildlife; riding is the quickest, easiest and most pleasant way to get to know this ecosystem. The horses are well-behaved and the guides competent and accommodating.

Rincón del Socorro is an excellent place for birding If you are not already a birdwatcher it is very easy to become one here! In the four different habitats of this large former ranch, you can see an amazing number of different types of birds in a short time, including endangered species from the surrounding region that have found shelter here.

You will learn about their behavior, habitats, migrations, and the problems caused by the degradation of their environment.

The Estancia offers boat trips. Groups are small (no more than six people); if necessary there may be several trips per day. Most guests prefer to make these trips in the early morning or early evening, when you can spot more wildlife.

The boat ride takes 1½ hours, depending on conditions and guests’ preferences. After a morning outing, a barbecue lunch is served in the beautiful hut beside the boat dock, weather permitting.

Good wildlife watching is possible right by the barbecue area for those who would rather relax there and wait for the others to return.

Guided or self-guided nature walks around the estancia are easy and you don’t have to go far to see a lot of wildlife. Day hikes on easy to follow dirt roads and trails will take visitors by many different creatures and, if ones gets lucky, maybe see the illusive Maned Wolf!

Go in the early evenings and you’ll be surrounded by resident birds returning to sleep for the night. Go on a night excursion and see hundreds of masked vizcachas come alive once the sun goes down. All meals and activities are included.