tourism
You can learn about Yerba Mate culture, history and its elaboration process if you follow the Yerba Mate trail. You can also grasp the elaboration process of our national infusion, from harvesting to packaging.
The Yerba Mate Trail is included in what is known as food trails. These kinds of trails merge both tourism and gastronomy, highlighting the rural production of the provinces of Misiones and Corrientes, making Yerba Mate the protagonist.
Many of the Yerba Mate companies along the Yerba Mate Trail, offer trudging their plantations, visiting the packaging plants and even tastings and guided tours.
In 2002, the Rural Tourism area of the Facultad de Agronomía de la Universidad de Buenos Aires, directed by the Agricultural Engineer Ernesto Barrera, presented the Yerba Mate Trail project to INYM.
This was the beginning of the dream that the Yerba Mate producing area could become well-known and visited by tourists from all over the country and the world.
These people participated actively during the early stages: Engineer Luis Prieto, the INYM’s President. the Directors: Martha Cunha de Giménez, Heriberto Friederich, Héctor Biale, Enrique Kuszko, Jorge Haddad y Hugo Sand. Also, Johana Gagliardi from the Marketing Area of the Institute; Roxanne Steed, Tourism, Culture and Environment from Gobernador Virasoro, Corrientes; Sergio Ferreira and Francisco Perié, from the Tourism Undersecretariat of Misiones; Facundo Palma Tourism Secretary from the province of Corrientes.
Other people involved during this early period included representatives of the private sector related to the Yerba Mate as Rubén Henrikson, who also contributed to make this dream possible since the statute was written.
In 2007, the INYM decided to finance the project and in 2008, the Yerba Mate Trail Association (ARYM in Spanish) was created. Its members belong to different sectors: yerba mate producers, agroindustries, gastronomic sector, cultural sector, accommodation, transportation, travel and tourism companies.
The INYM played an active role throughout the process. In addition to financing, it also participated in the development of the isologotype and the corresponding registration of the intellectual property of this new food trail.
It is also possible to stay in ranches, lodges, inns and hotels. Apart from that, you can go on walks and horseback rides, get in contact with nature, and visit museums as well as historical sites.
If you like trying new regional flavors, you cannot miss dishes, desserts and drinks made from Yerba Mate such as alfajores, liqueurs, ice creams and different gastronomic proposals. This will be a great opportunity to get to know one of the most consumed products in Argentina.
Someone who knew how to transmit, spread the importance and shape the Yerba Mate Trail, was the Agricultural Engineer Ernesto Barrera, leader of the team that designed this unique yerba mate trail. He passed away a few days ago, leaving us this legacy.
