Villa Paranacito
Encyclopedia
Villa Paranacito is a town in the southeast corner of the province
of Entre Ríos
, Argentina
, head town of the Islas del Ibicuy Departament. It is located in the third section of the delta
at the heart of the low-lying Ibicuy Islands
in the Paraná Delta
and is the administrative centre for the dispersed inhabitants of the islands and the delta's timber producers. Many of the town's inhabitants live on outlying islands, and several thousand more live across the whole group of islands.
and San Fernando
in Buenos Aires
and the occasional steamboat to Gualeguaychú
. In 1937 "hopscotch" dirt roads arrived and in 1971 the town was connected to a supply of electricity. Amateur radio
is still in use today.
Formerly, the third section was populated by island cottage
s nestled amidst well-manicured gardened parks and by Travelers Rest Guesthouses (Inns) for recreation and lodging. Some still stand radiating the charm of a bygone era, well known where Lietuva, Sagastume and Carlos Jahn in Arroyo Martínez, once they were used by the sport fishermen who indulged themselves in this paradise where fish of all type, specially golden dorado, surubíes, chafalotes, tarariras and boga thrived.
Until recently it was possible to get here by commuter boats
, the Galofré line had been doing it since the early 1930s, they would start from either Tigre
and/or from the San Fernando
channels in Buenos Aires
, the journey took all of Saturday morning and the return trip most of Sunday afternoon, it crossed the majestic Paraná River
and the most inhospitable sections of the delta until finally arriving at Villa Paranacito, sandwiches and refreshments in white-clad servers where served on board.
Nowadays you may get there by bus or car, located at 182 km from Buenos Aires, through the Zárate-Brazo Largo Bridge
, turning off the highway, the last stretch being unpaved pebbled road. Within the epicenter of Villa Paranacito, several guest accommodations are still available that are used mainly for recreational activities. The one furthest apart which conserves a remarkable nostalgic air and is accessed by water taxi is Hostería
Rose Marie, name of the daughter of a Hungarian who was proprietor of so beautiful large house constructed in the first decade of the twentieth century, strategically located in an area well known for fishing, just a short distance from the mouth of Arroyo Martínez.
A very peculiar custom with folks that reside along the rivers is the delivery of mail, with a long cane which has a groove in the end where mail is attached, the boat without stopping by the pier delivers the mail to the hand of the islander (or vice versa) with no need to berth the ship on pier, this "marine mail delivery" has been a long tradition in the delta.
Villa Paranacito is a base to explore the Paraná Delta
. A small tourist office is located in the town.
Provinces of Argentina
Argentina is subdivided into twenty-three provinces and one autonomous city...
of Entre Ríos
Entre Ríos Province
Entre Ríos is a northeastern province of Argentina, located in the Mesopotamia region. It borders the provinces of Buenos Aires , Corrientes and Santa Fe , and Uruguay in the east....
, Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
, head town of the Islas del Ibicuy Departament. It is located in the third section of the delta
River delta
A delta is a landform that is formed at the mouth of a river where that river flows into an ocean, sea, estuary, lake, reservoir, flat arid area, or another river. Deltas are formed from the deposition of the sediment carried by the river as the flow leaves the mouth of the river...
at the heart of the low-lying Ibicuy Islands
Ibicuy Islands
The Ibicuy Islands are a maze of low-level islands in the east of the Paraná Delta, within Entre Ríos Province, Argentina. They are located between the Paraná and Uruguay Rivers. The islands are part of the Islas del Ibicuy Department and have scattered but important settlements, like their...
in the Paraná Delta
Paraná Delta
The Paraná Delta is the delta of the Paraná River in Argentina. The Paraná flows north–south and becomes an alluvial basin between the Argentine provinces of Entre Ríos and Santa Fe, then emptying into the Río de la Plata....
and is the administrative centre for the dispersed inhabitants of the islands and the delta's timber producers. Many of the town's inhabitants live on outlying islands, and several thousand more live across the whole group of islands.
History and Tourism
The town was officially founded on 25 May 1906 and was settled by European colonists, many from central and eastern Europe. Communication with the rest of the province was originally by boat, principally boats to CampanaCampana, Buenos Aires
Campana is a city in the Buenos Aires Province, Argentina, in the Campana Partido. It is located about from Buenos Aires City, on the right-hand margin of the Paraná River, Its population is 84,000 inhabitants as per the ....
and San Fernando
San Fernando, Buenos Aires
San Fernando de la Buena Vista is a city in the Gran Buenos Aires, in Argentina, and capital of the San Fernando Partido, north of the city of Buenos Aires.- Geographic Data:...
in Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires Province
The Province of Buenos Aires is the largest and most populous province of Argentina. It takes the name from the city of Buenos Aires, which used to be the provincial capital until it was federalized in 1880...
and the occasional steamboat to Gualeguaychú
Gualeguaychú, Entre Ríos
Gualeguaychú is a city in the , on the left bank of the Gualeguaychú River . It is located on the south-east of the province, approximately 230 km north-west of Buenos Aires...
. In 1937 "hopscotch" dirt roads arrived and in 1971 the town was connected to a supply of electricity. Amateur radio
Amateur radio
Amateur radio is the use of designated radio frequency spectrum for purposes of private recreation, non-commercial exchange of messages, wireless experimentation, self-training, and emergency communication...
is still in use today.
Formerly, the third section was populated by island cottage
Cottage
__toc__In modern usage, a cottage is usually a modest, often cozy dwelling, typically in a rural or semi-rural location. However there are cottage-style dwellings in cities, and in places such as Canada the term exists with no connotations of size at all...
s nestled amidst well-manicured gardened parks and by Travelers Rest Guesthouses (Inns) for recreation and lodging. Some still stand radiating the charm of a bygone era, well known where Lietuva, Sagastume and Carlos Jahn in Arroyo Martínez, once they were used by the sport fishermen who indulged themselves in this paradise where fish of all type, specially golden dorado, surubíes, chafalotes, tarariras and boga thrived.
Until recently it was possible to get here by commuter boats
Water taxi
A water taxi or water bus, also known as a commuter boat, is a watercraft used to provide public transport, usually but not always in an urban environment. Service may be scheduled with multiple stops, operating in a similar manner to a bus, or on demand to many locations, operating in a similar...
, the Galofré line had been doing it since the early 1930s, they would start from either Tigre
Tigre, Buenos Aires
Tigre is a town in the Buenos Aires Province, Argentina, situated in the north of Greater Buenos Aires, north of Buenos Aires city. Tigre lies on the Paraná Delta and is an important tourist and weekend attraction, easily reached by bus and train services, including the scenic Tren de la Costa...
and/or from the San Fernando
San Fernando, Buenos Aires
San Fernando de la Buena Vista is a city in the Gran Buenos Aires, in Argentina, and capital of the San Fernando Partido, north of the city of Buenos Aires.- Geographic Data:...
channels in Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
, the journey took all of Saturday morning and the return trip most of Sunday afternoon, it crossed the majestic Paraná River
Paraná River
The Paraná River is a river in south Central South America, running through Brazil, Paraguay and Argentina for some . It is second in length only to the Amazon River among South American rivers. The name Paraná is an abbreviation of the phrase "para rehe onáva", which comes from the Tupi language...
and the most inhospitable sections of the delta until finally arriving at Villa Paranacito, sandwiches and refreshments in white-clad servers where served on board.
Zárate-Brazo Largo Bridge
The Zárate-Brazo Largo Bridges are two cable-stayed road and railway bridges in Argentina, crossing the Paraná River between the cities of Zárate, Buenos Aires Province, and Brazo Largo, Entre Ríos Province....
, turning off the highway, the last stretch being unpaved pebbled road. Within the epicenter of Villa Paranacito, several guest accommodations are still available that are used mainly for recreational activities. The one furthest apart which conserves a remarkable nostalgic air and is accessed by water taxi is Hostería
Hostel
Hostels provide budget oriented, sociable accommodation where guests can rent a bed, usually a bunk bed, in a dormitory and share a bathroom, lounge and sometimes a kitchen. Rooms can be mixed or single-sex, although private rooms may also be available...
Rose Marie, name of the daughter of a Hungarian who was proprietor of so beautiful large house constructed in the first decade of the twentieth century, strategically located in an area well known for fishing, just a short distance from the mouth of Arroyo Martínez.
A very peculiar custom with folks that reside along the rivers is the delivery of mail, with a long cane which has a groove in the end where mail is attached, the boat without stopping by the pier delivers the mail to the hand of the islander (or vice versa) with no need to berth the ship on pier, this "marine mail delivery" has been a long tradition in the delta.
Villa Paranacito is a base to explore the Paraná Delta
Paraná Delta
The Paraná Delta is the delta of the Paraná River in Argentina. The Paraná flows north–south and becomes an alluvial basin between the Argentine provinces of Entre Ríos and Santa Fe, then emptying into the Río de la Plata....
. A small tourist office is located in the town.
External links
(Spanish)- Entre Ríos tourism guide (Spanish)
- Análisis. 26 November 2005. Intendenta de Villa Paranacito rechazó el traslado de papeleras. (Spanish)