The giant aripuca
Of huge trunks.
Herr stahlhoefer — Public domain · Leandro Kibisz — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Mirta Isabel Cozachcow — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Herr stahlhoefer — Public domain
La Aripuca is a complex on the outskirts of Puerto Iguazú built around a giant copy of an aripuca, a small traditional bird trap the Guaraní make from wooden sticks, originally under a metre high. This version is a huge structure of trunks from native trees rescued after felling or falling, which took five years to build and stands as a symbol of the forest's value and what is being lost. Visitors walk beneath the massive stacked trunks, learn about the trees of the Paraná forest and their stories, and stroll a small garden. Guaraní people sell their products and crafts on site, from baskets to carved wooden figures and musical instruments. It opens daily from 09:00 to 18:00 and the visit is short, so it pairs for half a day with the nearby Güirá Oga refuge on the same road.
Of huge trunks.
Baskets and carvings.
Their kinds and stories.
National Route 12 on the outskirts of Puerto Iguazú
A small traditional Guaraní bird trap made of wooden sticks; the one in Puerto Iguazú is a giant version built from rescued tree trunks.
