- Ibicuy Islands
The Ibicuy Islands ( _es. Islas del Ibicuy) are a maze of low-level islands in the east of the
Paraná Delta , withinEntre Ríos Province ,Argentina . They make up theIslas del Ibicuy Department and are sparsely but widely populated, with their capital atVilla Paranacito . The principal access is by theIbicuy River , a branch of theParaná River ."Ibicuy" is a Guaraní word, meaning 'sandy area'. The
Guaraní were the first inhabitants of the islands, and created raised platforms of sand and earth as look-outs and flood defences known as "cerritos", which can still be seen rising above the dense vegetation which characterises theriver delta . It is thought that the Guaraní arrived in Ibicuy in search of the "tierra sin mal", the earthlyparadise inhabited by the spirit Ñandey, located in the east close to the sea.The islands were colonised in the late 19th century and early 20th century by
Europe an settlers, originally Italians fromMontevideo searching for wood forcharcoal production. The majority of settlers were from northern and central Europe and were employed in agriculture and forestry, still the predominant industries. In an effort to demarcate, protect and irrigate their lands, settlers dug new channels and filled others in, changing the geography of the islands.The remoteness of the islands - originally accessible only by boat - made them a hideout for fugitives and criminals from
Buenos Aires andMontevideo . Themarxist Liborio Justo lived there in the 40's,the harsh environment and the outlaws who inhabited it,inspired his book of short stories, entitled "Rio Abajo" (Down the River)which was later made into a film with the same title.. Now tourists are increasingly visiting the islands, where typical Delta wildlife such as theNeotropic Cormorant ,Capybara andMarsh Deer can be seen.External links
*"Clarín",
15 January 2006 , [http://www.clarin.com/suplementos/viajes/2006/01/15/v-02201.htm Ibicuy, Las islas de la fantasía]
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