SATEX-25 was an ambitious tripoint focused visit to South America. The 4 identified tripoints were varied, and with the exception of the ARBRPY tripoint (one of the most visited and touristic tripoint in the world), the others had been rarely visited, with little or no photos and reports available. It was a step therefore into unfamiliar territory. In addition we sought to visit divided towns, exclaves, visit border crossings (major and minor) and identify border markers and visit contested areas. We needed to be innovative, and ended up hiking, hiring boats, chartering planes and driving long distances to visit all the border POI’s on our list.
In total, 5 IBRG members participated on this trip from the UK (1), Denmark (3), and the Netherlands (1). This multi country expedition: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay spanned 3 weeks. It can be divided into a number of stages: firstly, arrival and orientation in Buenos Aires with a visit to the unique Isla Martín García 1.84 km² Argentine exclave situated within Uruguayan waters in the Río de la Plata.
Stage 2 is the Uruguayan circular, a road trip taking in UNESCO World Heritage sites, the capital city, as well as several points of border points of interest, included contested areas with Brazil, several border crossings, divided cities and the relatively unvisited ARBRUY tripoint.
Stage 3 moves to the ARBRPY tripoint, perhaps the most famous tripoint in the world where the borders of Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay meet at the confluence of the Paraná and Iguazú rivers. Visited by many tourists whose main aim is the Iguazú Falls, we wanted to visit each tripoint marker which involved, taking a ferry, a lot of walking, hitch hiking, crossing 2 border bridges and using taxis.
Stage 4 is the Paraguay extension, where the focus was on visiting 2 remote and relatively unvisited tripoints ARBOPY and BOBRPY both located in the northern Chaco area with poor roads and long distances to contend with. Little did we know that we end up being trapped and cut off and needing to travel down the Rio Paraguay on a boat for 36 hours just to reach a port where getting a bus back to Asunción was possible.
Section 1 – orientation in Buenos Aires & an Argentinian exclave
Unlike some European trips where the primary focus is borders, we wanted to explore the countries we were visiting more widely. Buenos Aires is a vibrant, European-influenced metropolis known for its rich culture, incredible steak, glorious Malbec and distinct neighbourhoods. There is lots to see and do, areas not to miss are La Boca, San Telmo, Palermo, Recoleta and Plaza de Mayo.
Exploring Martín García Island: A Unique Exclave
Martín García Island (Spanish: Isla Martín García) is an island in the Río de la Plata. Due to river sedimentation, it merged in the 1980s with the Uruguayan island of Timoteo Domínguez, creating the only land border between Argentina and Uruguay. This was one of the highlight of the trip. A first for the IBRG was that we hired a plane to access the island. We explored the border between the 2 counties had a meal, bought a tee shirt and interacted with The Argentinian coast guard.
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Section 2 the Uruguayan Circular
We took the Colonia Express ferry from Buenos Aires (Argentina) to Colonia del Sacramento (Uruguay) for a quick 1-hour and 15-minute crossing across the Río de la Plata. We had a 2 further days sightseeing before the border investigations started in earnest. Colonia del Sacramento old quarter is a UNESCO World Heritage site and is one of the oldest towns in Uruguay. Swapping between the Portuguese and Spanish Empires the architecture is fascinating.
The second UNESCO WHS visit was the Fray Bentos Industrial Landscape which illustrates the whole process of meat sourcing, processing, packing and dispatching. It includes buildings and equipment of the Liebig Extract of Meat Company, which exported meat extract and corned-beef to the European market from 1865 and the Anglo Meat Packing Plant, which exported frozen meat from 1924. It reminded me of my childhood diet, all those years ago.
It was not long before we were back on the road and exclusively focused on border points of interest. For me the apex of being a border enthusiast is visiting tripoints. Our first one this trip had little information online reflecting it was rarely visited.
ARBRUY
The tripoint between Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay is fascinating. It is the southernmost tripoint in the world and the third “compass point” tripoint I have visited (FINOSE being the northernmost tripoint and HNNISV being the westernmost tripoint). The tripoint location is contested with Brazil and Uruguay disagreeing on its location due to the long-standing territorial dispute involving Ilha Brasileira. This dispute means the tripoint position is not agreed. Position A is the Brazilian position whereas Position B indicates the Uruguayan.
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Contested areas
We visited 2 contested areas on the Brazil – Uruguay border. The boundary disputes relative to the Brasilera Island result from different interpretations of the Brazilian – Uruguayan boundary treaty of October 12, 1851. The 1851 treaty states that the island or islands in the mouth of the Rio Quarai belong to Brazil, but Uruguay claims that Brasilera Island is in the Uruguay river and does not belong to Brazil. Although multiple objections have been submitted by the Republic of Uruguay, Brazil has never given an official response to this dispute and consider it a non issue. The Rincón de Artigas was the second contested area that we visited, the dispute arises due to a disagreement over which stream was initially demarcated as the border. Once again, Brazil ignores the objections of Uruguay and has built a village and a wind farm in the contested area.
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Border Crossings
We took the opportunity to visit several border crossings. Unlike some parts of Europe the atmosphere at these crossings were very relaxed, and we were able to walk up to the border line without any restrictions. Border officials were friendly and welcoming. All the crossing points were across rivers.
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Uruguay – Argentina
Uruguay – Brazil
Divided Cities
Divided towns and cities are particularly interesting for border enthusiasts. On the Brazil – Uruguay border there are 2. The first example of divided cities was where the border runs through the Uruguayan city Rivera and the Brazilian city Santana do Livramento. Residents of these two cities are able to walk freely between the two countries without any border control. The plaza is unique, equally shared by Brazil and Uruguay, and jointly managed by both countries. The same situation exists between the Brazilian city Chuí and the Uruguayan city Chuy. Unlike Chuy where the border is a straight line, in Santana do Livramento and Rivera the border cuts through parks, and follows roads with sharp turns.
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Oddities and Extremities
The final border POI in this section, was the southernmost point of Uruguay. The southernmost point of mainland Uruguay is Punta de las Salinas in Punta del Este, while the absolute southernmost point of the country’s entire territory is the offshore Isla de Lobos. The spot is marked by a concrete point on the rocks and a symbolic anchor, reflecting the region’s maritime heritage. The nearby Memorial for Peace (Memorial para La Paz) in Punta del Este, Uruguay, features an anchor salvaged from the German pocket battleship Admiral Graf Spee alongside an anchor from the British ship HMS Ajax. Punta del Este is a glamorous beach resort city located on a peninsula in south eastern Uruguay. Known as the “St. Tropez of South America.”
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Our last few days in Uruguay were spent in Montevideo, the capital and largest city of Uruguay, known for its relaxed coastal vibe, rich tango culture, and high quality of life. Known for its coastal promenade, old town and architecture.
Section 3 ARBRPY tripoint
Arriving in back in Argentina at Aeropuerto Internacional Cataratas del Iguazú (IGR) we were firmly focused on exploring the second tripoint of this expedition. This is probably one of the most famous and visited tripoints in the world due to its proximity to the Iguazu falls, with many visitors taking a photo at one of the tripoint monuments. As border enthusiasts however, we were determined to visit all 3 tripoint monuments which ultimately involved a lot of walking, some hitch hiking, taking a ferry and a few taxis. We ended up crossing 3 borders and exploring 4 border crossings.
