Costanera Sur Ecological Reserve, Nature reserve in Puerto Madero, Argentina
Costanera Sur Ecological Reserve stretches over 350 hectares along the Río de la Plata and includes three lagoons linked by a network of paths. The different ecological zones range from wetlands with tall reeds to open grasslands, where visitors walk among willows and native plants.
The site began in 1918 as a municipal riverside bathing area, but construction projects in the 1970s were abandoned and nature returned on its own. In 1986 the city recognized the ecological value of the regenerated land and officially turned it into a protected area.
The name Costanera refers to the riverside promenade, where locals once strolled and the reserve has now become a refuge for birdwatchers and nature lovers. On weekends you see families walking the trails with binoculars, noting species in notebooks while joggers train on the wide paths.
Entry is possible daily except Mondays, and visitors can explore the paths on foot or with rental bikes. Guided walks start at half past nine in the morning and half past four in the afternoon on weekends, helping to spot birds and plants more easily.
At least 250 bird species have been recorded here, alongside 9 amphibians, 23 reptiles, 10 mammals and 50 butterflies. The lagoons carry the names of their inhabitants: Los Coipos, Los Patos, Los Macáes and Las Gaviotas. The land was filled from 1978 using the Dutch polder system, with embankments built from debris of demolished buildings.
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