Yerba Mate Route, a Journey Through South American Ancestral Culture
Paraguay, Argentina, and Uruguay offer their visitors interesting thematic routes dedicated to maté. This product has been consumed in the region for millennia and is symbolic of South America’s cultures. The enormous veneration these three nations have for maté, which they enjoy in tea, has allowed the routes dedicated to knowing their history and cultural value to be very popular with national and foreign tourists.
Travelers from all over the world know about their origins and cultural importance in various tours that take them through the most critical regions of production through a lush nature where, in addition to knowing the facilities of the production factories, they have the opportunity to perform ecotourism activities and enjoy rich gastronomic that includes food based on maté, as well as a variety of typical products of the region.
In Argentina, the main routes are in the provinces of Corrientes and Misiones, regions that produce the best maté in South America. These routes allow tourists to tour various plantations where producers show the characteristics of the crops. In addition, the region’s industries know closely the craftsmanship done to obtain the best product quality. In addition, along the route, tourists visit restaurants, bars, and confectioneries with menus made from maté that include tasting dishes, desserts, and many kinds of drinks. Lovers of ecotourism find in the different routes the ideal place to enjoy activities such as camping, cabins, eco-lodges, and rustic hotels, among others, to enjoy the rich ecosystems that live around the maté plantations.
From a cultural point of view, the ancient history of maté is so rich that there are several museums where tourists can learn about the use that the natives of the south of the American continent have given to this appreciated herb since the Guaraní culture (Paraguay) used the leaves as a drink, object of worship and currency of exchange. In addition, they considered it of great value for providing the energy necessary to endure long walks in the jungle. The museums include samples of containers, thermos, documents, books, and hundreds of pieces related to this sacred drink.
In Uruguay, the tours offer horseback riding, hiking, canoeing, tasting, and forest activities in the most distinctive Uruguayan communities where maté is produced and located in the Departments of Tacuarembo and Cerro Largo, government-protected natural areas.
Meanwhile, in Paraguay, the Route Ka’a Rape, maté in the Guaraní language, offers tourists an adventure through the departments of the center and south of the country, in which they enjoy an extraordinary nature that allows them to appreciate different ecosystems, as well as cultural tours where they know about the customs and traditions of the cultures producing this mystical product.
Paraguay has countless tours specially designed for visitors interested in the culture and origin of maté production. Along the way, travelers can see old and modern planting techniques. It covers the populations of Captain Miranda, New Alborada, Trinidad, Obligado, Bella Vista, Captain Meza, Trinidad, and Hohenau, among many others.