El Soberbio

El Soberbio sits on the Uruguay River, with Brazil on the opposite bank, among hills of tea, tobacco and yerba mate. Upstream, inside the Yabotí biosphere reserve, are the Saltos del Moconá: a geological fault in the riverbed that makes the river fall sideways along a front of almost three kilometres, parallel to its course. The Guaraní name is said to mean "it swallows everything", and when the river rises it does, covering the falls entirely.

Two nights in a lodge in the forest near the falls are what the place needs. A boat trip along the Uruguay to the face of the falls, kayaking on the quiet Yabotí stream, trails through the forest and birdwatching fill the days. El Soberbio fits in the middle of a self-drive circuit of Misiones, between Iberá and San Ignacio on one side and Iguazú on the other, on roads that cross the red earth and the plantations.

The falls are only visible when the river is low, which happens mostly in the drier months; heavy rain upstream can hide them for days, so the timing needs checking close to the date.