São Paulo – A stretch of woods that’s home to animals like howler monkey, squirrel, tapir, woodpecker, black-fronted piping guan, bullfrog and even the legendary jaguar. And four trails whose ending point is a waterfest: a waterfall nearly two kilometres worth 12 to 15 meters high.
Such is Parque Estadual do Turvo, a state park spanning 17,400 hectares that shelters a Uruguay River waterfall named Salto do Yucumã, in Rio Grande do Sul state’s Derrubadas municipality. The area sits on the border of Brazil and Argentina and the natural wonder is a tourist attraction across the border as well.
“Parque Estadual do Turvo is today one of the last shelters for large mammals in the state, such as the jaguar and the tapir,” says the municipal secretary for Tourism of Derrubadas, Ezequiel Weber.
The park welcomes roughly 23,000 tourists from October through April, the warmest time of the year. Most visitors hail from Rio Grande do Sul and its neighboring state Santa Catarina, but there are records of tourists from Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay, Colombia, Venezuela, Mexico, United States, Canada, Germany, Italy, Portugal, Japan, Taiwan, Iceland, Austria, France, Norway and Cuba.
The waterfall is 15 kilometers away from the beginning of the woods and there are four trail options, with distances ranging from 14 to 8 kilometers on foot and different difficulty levels. Visitors will trek by natural lagoons, see birds and reptiles, subtropical vegetation, and the footsteps of small and large mammals alike.
One can also drive up to the river and even those who take the trail on foot or bike (it can be done) require a support vehicle.
The area is not all tall green woods. The portion nearer the Uruguay River features basaltic rocks, herbaceous plants and bushes. Other sections of the park have bushes and clearings that have replaced the forest due to the actions of man, and puddle areas formed by river springs or lack of natural drainage.
According to Weber, a survey conducted by the State Secretariat for Agriculture shows that since 1977, 48 different species of mammals have been found in the park, as well as rare bird species, five types of big cats, and other animals. The big cats are the cougar, the ocelot, the margay, the jaguarondi and the jaguar.
The depth of the river at the point where the waterfall hits is estimated to be between 90 and 120 meters. On the Brazilian side, boat rides are not allowed, the secretary for Tourism remarks.
The name Yucumã originates from the Brazilian native language Tupi Guarani and means The Big Roarer, since the sound of the waters can be heard from several kilometers away, depending on the direction the wind blows.
Parque Estadual do Turvo
Derrubadas Municipality – Rio Grande do Sul
Open from Wednesdays to Sundays from 8:30 am to 5:30 pm
Secretariat for Tourism: (+55 55) 3616 3071
Ticket prices: R$ 6.15 (pedestrians or cyclists), R$ 8.70 (motorcycles), R$ 14.30 (autos), R$ 47.65 (crossovers & SUVs); R$ 95.10 (vans), R$ 189.90 (buses)
Additional information: https://pt-br.facebook.com/pages/Parque-Estadual-do-Turvo/377580412345576 (in Portuguese)
*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
