Puerto Valle Hotel de Esteros

We loved this place. Diana and her team made us very welcome and very comfortable. We were given an upgrade to the large rooms near the water which were huge and very well appointed. The food was good and happily adapted for our tastes. The Wetlands excursion with Santiago was excellent - other activities were available, too, had we had more time. This was a great place to stay between Buenos Aires and Iguazu.

Our family of 6 (3 adults, 3 kids including 2 teenagers) and a wonderful 4 night stay at Puerto Valle. We had 3 rooms, and 2 of them were in a single bungalow. The rooms were modern and well appointed, and most importantly good air conditioning. They also had lovely open views of the river, which looked more like a large lake because of the dam. The staff kept our rooms clean and as long as you remember to keep the doors closed, not too many bugs. Although... somehow you would always find cute little frog visitors in the bathroom. But they are adorable, and not a nuisance at all. Everday we had 2 excursions, once in the am (around 9am) and then one in the late afternoon around 4:30/5pm. We did excursions on kayaks, flatboats, walking by foot, horseback, and driving out deeper into the park to watch wildlife. We saw capybaras, an amazing variety of birds, howler monkeys, and caymans. Even right on site at the hotel, we saw capybaras (one time right out side of our room!), parakeets, an onsite a rare albino cayman kept in captivity to keep him safe and alive. The grounds of the hotel were beautiful, with a wide open lawn that runs to the river. Every day after our morning excursion, we would have an amazing lunch at the hotel, then take a cool swim in their pool and relax pool side. The pool had lounge chairs and supplied with towels and chair coverings as well as suntan lotion. The meals were DELICIOUS! Everything is prepared on site and it shows. Oftentimes we would get bread right out of the oven (the cheesy bread is the best fresh out of the oven). And although Argentina is known for their meat, we enjoyed 4 days of delicious vegetables (right from their gardens which you can visit), plus amaziningly fresh local fish (pacu and surubi). My son who loves red meat, reiterated how good it was, but I loved all of the salads, vegetables, breads and fish. Since there was only one other family with us, it all felt so intimate. Plus the staff all got to know us well, and our preferences. Once my 7 year old son asked for jugo de manzana (apple juice) and they started giving it to him on most days - - which they fresh squeezed for us! They would always remember that I preferred my cafe con leche "con much leche". Both lunch and dinner was always finished with a delicious home made desert. On our last night there, the staff treated us with a wonderful barbecue dinner which was served in in a separate area from our regular dining room. Everything was delicious and so elegant. Most of the employees spoke little english, but that was never a problem for our family. The manager, and some of the employees spoke very good english. Our daily tour guide, Santiago, was AMAZING! A man of few words, all of his words were helpful, informative and he had a wry sense of humor. His english was excellent as he worked in New Zealand for many years, and his knowledge of the local wildlife was excellent. If you are an english speaking tourist, be sur