Jasy Porã, the Guaraní community that combines tourism and reforestation in Iguazú

“We are left with the waterfall. Dense clouds of vapor veil the cascading waters. Depending on atmospheric pressure and humidity, the vapors sometimes rise in thin phantoms that quickly vanish. Here and there, a few fading rainbows color the mist.” This is how Uruguayan writer Horacio Quiroga described Iguazu Falls, a system of nearly 300 falls located on the border of Argentina and Brazil and declared one of the seven natural wonders of the world and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

In 2024, Argentina's Iguazú National Park welcomed just over 1.3 million visitors, a significant turnout for Puerto Iguazú, a city of just 80,000 inhabitants in the province of Misiones. Tourists stroll along the park's walkways, marveling at the jungle setting, the heavy curtains of water, and the roar of the Devil's Throat, the most famous waterfall.

Just 15 kilometers away, away from the hustle and bustle of the park, which receives some 4,000 tourists a day, lies the Mbya Guaraní Jasy Porã Community. It is located in an area called 600 Hectares in the Yryapú Forest. About 60 families live there, and a few years ago, they opened their doors to tourism to showcase their lives and part of their worldview.

At the entrance, before the tour begins, there's a crafts stand: a Guarani cosmology embodied in tacuara, seeds, and other woods. On display are toucan figurines, bowls, and a yacaré (caiman), which is impressive even though it's made of immobile wood. "We want to interact with tourists and have a good life without losing our tradition," says Milicio Cabrera, a guide and member of the Jasy Porã community. Its name means God of Thunder in Guarani.

Cabrera is one of six guides who lead daily walks through areas of the community, which includes a church, a school, a health center, and a native plant nursery. “Each family has a plot of land. There’s always work to be done,” he says before exploring the trails.

The walk through the red earth of the Misiones jungle is peaceful. Here, there's no rush like in the parks. Cabrera points out the assembly site where the chief is elected. He explains that the new leader took office a few months ago. He then points to a traditional house built with aguaí, mulberry, and rosewood poles and invites us to embrace a magnificent rosewood tree, the tallest tree in the forest. "It's 600 years old and 40 meters tall," he explains.

The tour continues with the guide showing an "aripuca," a traditional Guaraní trap for hunting small animals and birds, such as pigeons and partridges. It's made of branches in the shape of a pyramid. Halfway through the tour, some children from Intercultural School No. 941 approach. "There are seven teachers. Two are sent by the government and two are ours. 113 children from our community and nearby attend. The same goes for the health center: a doctor comes twice a week and a native nurse cares for the community," he explains.

The nursery is one of Jasy Porã's most important pillars. Cabrera proudly displays the polyethylene-covered greenhouse. Inside are seedlings of black parrot, timbó, white mulberry, native orchids, and many others. The produce is sold to tourists visiting the community and used to reforest some areas of the Iguazú Jungle Lodge, following an agreement between the community and the lodge.

“We always seek to collaborate and promote inclusive tourism. With a team of advisors, we organized this project to generate a circular economy and connect people in the community. We wondered how we could give back to the space that had been altered by the construction,” explains Marcelo Ghione, general manager of the Iguazú Jungle Lodge.

The hotel donated the nursery so the community could grow their own seeds, which later become seedlings. The company ultimately purchases this produce to reforest the degraded areas on the property. This project has led other hotels to follow suit. “Ninety percent of Iguazú's population makes its living from tourism, but many don't understand how important it is to preserve a green destination,” adds the hotel manager, who holds a Gold Level in the Greenest Hotels sustainability program of the Argentine Tourism Hotel Association (AHT).

The native plant nursery project not only serves to reforest the degraded area of the hotel and provide a working tool for the community. Gardening and tree planting activities are also coordinated with guests. At the same time, it helps combat the presence of Leucaena leucocephala, a woody and exotic species.

Known as peladera or guaje, this species is native to Mexico and Central America. “It's become a pest in Iguazú and even in the national park area. It's a very good forage plant, but there are no livestock here. In the project, we're clearing the forest of these invasive species and planting a variety of native species, such as lapacho, fistula cane, fruit trees, palm trees, and others,” explains Marcelo Fuguet, an agricultural engineer who works for the hotel and coordinated part of the project with members of Jasy Porã. This became the first Indigenous community in the country to be officially certified as a Native Species Seed Producing Area.

In addition to valuing the eradication of invasive exotic plants and the idea of "returning to native plants," Fuguet highlights the work with the communities. "For us, it's not easy to understand their worldview. But a very strong bond is created once understanding and mutual trust are achieved. It forces you to change your mindset at every turn. In addition to the interaction, they gain another means of livelihood with this project: tourism and the sale of handicrafts. They are also improving the forest around their home," he adds.

After midday, with the sun high in Iguazú, the visit continues with Milicio Cabrera. He says his mother is an important midwife in the community. "If there are complications, we call an ambulance," he notes. He talks about the ceremony performed to identify a couple and the shaman who predicts the weather from dreams. The visit ends with a youth choir performing Guaraní songs. The experience can be complemented with traditional meals—based on corn, cassava, and other vegetables—prepared by the women of the community.

“I want the rainforest not to be lost. It's very important to us. We take care of it with the nursery, the plantations, and our work,” says the young man, who is studying to become a Tourism and Environmental Guide and dreams of this career helping him expand his horizons and those of his community. “My idea is to get out of the community a little and get to know the society. Once I become a professional, I want to return and share what I've learned. I want young people to follow in my footsteps tomorrow.”

Diego Jemio

Jasy Porã (Argentina) - 16 SEPT 2025