Famous Bugre Rock

We knew about its existence from the information we had been provided at the access to Moconá Provincial Park and because before we reached the area we had been researching the history of this place, its anecdotes and talking to old neighbors about what we should not miss during our visit.

We knew that the embarking point where tours on a RIB set out to watch the falls was called: Bugre Rock. And there we went, to see this feature and understand why this place is endowed with so much history.

The Guaraní people who dwelled in this area upstream the Uruguay River used to refer to this waterway as 'The River of Snails' due to the great deal of curves throughout its course. Not only does it run between steep walls but it also features a fast-flowing nature.

A whim of divine nature, Bugre Rock is a formation that may be seen in the middle of this narrow Uruguay River. It divides Argentina and Brazil and is the point where the boat that takes passengers down to the famous Mocona Falls (on the Argentinian side) is boarded. In fact, this rock can be made out in the middle of the very deep and plentiful river, and when its volume is low, it may join both shores.

Legend has it that the natives that inhabited this area have used this rock from time immemorial to cross to the opposite shore, which lies just a few meters away. The rock, however, was not only used to cross but also as a meeting point for the native communities to celebrate their traditions and even solve some differences among the most important chiefs in those tribes. Whoever fell into the water was the loser.

Some works written by men who left track from other times assure that the Guaraníes granted this site a divine nature and they resorted to this spot in search of answers when the arrival of the white man in these lands was imminent.

The treacherous rock was not an easy site to reach and much the less to climb. Yet, those who succeeded acquired the necessary peace and quietness to see everything through different eyes, to travel to other worlds.

When looking at the rock, it is inevitable to imagine some of these stories which were most certainly true.