The Yerba Mate Route

The Yerba Mate Route is a sightseeing tour in Corrientes and Misiones, Argentina, that showcases the mate production process, from the plantations to the tasting. It includes visits to farms, museums, and natural sites like Iguazu Falls. This cultural trip offers a unique experience for both mate and tourism lovers.

The Yerba Mate Route is a tourist tour in the provinces of Corrientes and Misiones, Argentina, created to showcase everything related to one of the oldest and most authentic Argentine traditions: mate. It is considered unique in the world and the main food route of MERCOSUR.

The extensive itinerary offered by the Yerba Mate Route provides an in-depth look at its history and origins, as well as the production process, including the plantations, harvesting, grinding, final packaging, and more, seen in the industrial and artisanal yerba mate establishments themselves. The route also includes tasting sites and restaurants with exclusive yerba mate-based menus.

The route is divided into eight routes that distribute the stops and sites of interest in a way that is more user-friendly for visitors. The proposed itineraries can be reviewed on the RYM website. However, you can always create your own tour! The region also offers many other possibilities, such as horseback riding, hiking, boating, and expeditions to incredible landscapes and places of historical and cultural interest.

What to visit on the Yerba Mate Route?

• Estates and plantations

Without a doubt, the most important stops on the Yerba Mate Route are the establishments and complexes dedicated to cultivating and producing the most well-known brands of yerba mate. Although not all yerba mate makers have their own plantations, many offer tours of their yerba mate plantations, including tastings and guided tours that explain the production process. Among them, one of the most recommended is Establecimiento Las Marías, the largest yerba mate producer in the world, with thousands of hectares of plantations and verdant landscapes in a well-kept natural setting. Las Marías offers a free walking tour and more comprehensive tours for the most avid, where you can learn about the entire production process from the plant to packaging, in addition to a wide range of activities throughout the day. You can also enjoy one of the best gastronomic offerings in the province of Corrientes at the "Club Taragüi."

• Museums and galleries

For example, the city of Apóstoles is one of the most important visits along the Yerba Mate Route, as it is home to the Casa del Mate and the Juan Szychowski Museum, where you can learn how mate has evolved throughout history.

• Stunning landscapes

The provinces of Misiones and Corrientes also have some of the most important tourist destinations in Argentina, which is why the Yerba Mate Route is ideally combined with excursions to impressive places like Iguazu Falls (one of the New 7 Natural Wonders of the World!), the Jesuit ruins of Santa María la Mayor, declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO; the Moconá Falls; and of course, the spectacular Iberá Wetlands, a vast wetland of 12,000 square kilometers with an enormous diversity of fauna.

• Gastronomy

Along the route, you can find excellent restaurants, bars, cafes, and cafés offering both traditional dishes and yerba mate-based creations. La Galería del Mate stands out with more than 300 varieties of yerba mate and tastings of various types. You can also buy themed handicrafts and souvenirs. The El Indiecito ice cream shop is also a popular destination with its famous yerba mate ice cream and more than 50 artisanal flavors. The Tarde o Temprano café is also recommended with its yerba mate frappé; and for more elaborate dinners, the Bambú restaurant, near Iguazú, has one of the most varied menus in the region.

How to plan your trip?

The total route is 1,200 kilometers long, spanning more than 200 yerba mate-related businesses. The website rutadelayerbamate.org.ar provides all the necessary information, including the eight main routes where you can plan your trip. It is always recommended to wear comfortable clothing suitable for the high temperatures and to contact the establishments you plan to visit in advance to check availability and schedules. The Misiones Tourism website can also be very helpful.

The Yerba Mate Route not only allows you to appreciate everything related to yerba mate; it also provides the opportunity to learn about the local culture of Corrientes and Misiones, where natural and recreational tourist destinations abound, offering hikes, trekking, horseback riding, photo safaris, ecological tours, as well as nautical and aerial tours where you can admire the vast geography and its magical flora and fauna. An unforgettable experience.

Fuentes de información