Bañados del Este Biosphere Reserve, Biosphere reserve in southeastern Uruguay.
Bañados del Este is a large conservation area in southeastern Uruguay featuring wetlands, lagoons, and coastal zones across multiple departments. The landscape includes hills and open areas that support diverse habitats for wildlife and plants.
This area received recognition in 1976 as a protected biosphere reserve under an international program to conserve nature. The protected zone was adjusted in later years to better serve its conservation purpose.
The area has long supported livestock farming and fishing communities that rely on traditional methods in the lagoons and wetlands. These ways of living continue to shape how people use and care for the landscape today.
The climate here is temperate with subtropical influences, bringing rain throughout the year and seasonal weather changes. Plan for wet conditions when exploring wetlands and lagoons, and pack appropriate clothing for variable weather.
This reserve holds the world's largest concentration of Butia palm trees, a rare species that blankets vast areas of the landscape. These palms shape the look of the terrain and represent a botanical rarity found nowhere else in such abundance.
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