Set in Florencia, Santa Fe, Argentina, Piracuá Lodge offers travelling anglers the chance to experience world-class fly fishing for one of the most exciting freshwater species on the planet, the Golden Dorado. Located in the heart of the mighty Paraná River system and just minutes from productive fishing grounds, this destination combines explosive sport, expert local guides and comfortable lodge accommodation in a truly authentic Argentine setting.
Designed to provide a complete fishing experience, Piracuá Lodge allows anglers to focus on what matters most: choosing the right fly, making the perfect cast and preparing for the savage take of a powerful Paraná Dorado. With access to prime river structure, specialist guides and boats equipped for sport fishing, guests can enjoy long and exciting days on the water targeting these hard-fighting predators in one of South America’s most iconic river environments.
Away from the fishing, the lodge offers a relaxed and welcoming base on the banks of the Paraná, with comfortable accommodation, regional Argentine cuisine and attentive service throughout your stay. Whether you’re an experienced Dorado angler or looking to tick this spectacular species off your bucket list, Piracuá Lodge delivers a memorable blend of adventure, comfort and true river wilderness.
This trip is also available as a hosted tour exclusive for Sportquest Holidays customers and is ideal for solo anglers, pairs of friends and even small groups. Visit the tour page here: Hosted Piracua Lodge Argentina.
The season runs from May to January.
Season: August to January
Peak: September to December
Weight: 6lb to 45lb
Average Weight: 10lb
Season: October to January
Peak: December to January
Weight: 5lb to 20lb
Average Weight: 6lb
Season: December to January
Peak: December to January
Weight: 1lb to 10lb
Average Weight: 2.5lb
Season: August to January
Peak: Depends on water level
Weight: 10lb to 100lb
Average Weight: 20lb
Depart Any international airport - Arrive Buenos Aires
Depart Any international airport - Arrive Buenos Aires
Depart: TBA
Arrive: Ezeiza International Airport
General Note
General Note
Please note: Depending on your chosen international airport, an overnight flight and/or hotel stay may be required, which may affect your departure and return dates. Your itinerary will be finalised once travel arrangements are confirmed.
Independent flight/travel arrangements can be accommodated, though our flight-inclusive packages are recommended to ensure seamless integration into your holiday plans.
Transfer from Buenos Aires Airport to your overnight hotel
Transfer from Buenos Aires Airport to your overnight hotel
Once you’ve landed in Buenos Aires and collected your luggage, you’ll need to take a taxi (not included) to your overnight hotel. After checking in, the rest of the day is yours to relax, unwind, or explore the vibrant culture, cuisine, and charm of this beautiful city.
Buenos Aires Standard Hotel
Overnight Accommodation
Buenos Aires Standard Hotel in a Twin Room on a Bed & Breakfast basis
Transfer from your overnight hotel to Buenos Aires Airport
Transfer from your overnight hotel to Buenos Aires Airport
Depending on your domestic flight schedule, make sure to allow sufficient time to take a taxi (not included) to Buenos Aires airport. We recommend arriving at least 2 hours prior to your departure time.
Depart Buenos Aires - Arrive Resistencia
Depart Buenos Aires - Arrive Resistencia
Depart: Jorge Newbery Airpark
Arrive: Resistencia International Airport
Travel from Resistencia Airport to Piracua Lodge
Travel from Resistencia Airport to Piracua Lodge
On arrival, you will be met by a representative from our partners and transferred to the lodge, a journey of approximately 1 hour. Once there, you’ll be shown to your rooms, and the remainder of the day is yours to relax, unpack, and settle in.
Piracua Lodge
Overnight Accommodation
Piracua Lodge in a Twin Room on a Full board basis
Fishing
Fishing
Your first two fishing days will introduce you to the mighty Rio Paraná, a world-renowned fishery famous for its prolific numbers of Golden Dorado and impressive average fish size.
A typical fishing day is split into two sessions. You’ll begin fishing around 7:30am, staying on the water until approximately 12:00pm, before returning to the lodge for lunch and a chance to relax in the cool, air-conditioned dining area.
After lunch, there’s time for a well-earned rest and traditional siesta before heading back out onto the river at around 3:00pm with your guide for the afternoon session. Fishing usually continues into the evening, with guests typically returning to the lodge between 9:00pm and 10:00pm.
Piracua Lodge
Overnight Accommodation
Piracua Lodge in a Twin Room on a Full board basis
Fishing
Fishing
On your third and fourth fishing days, you’ll continue exploring the mighty Rio Paraná with your guide, fishing a variety of new and productive areas. The water available to Piracuá Lodge is so extensive that it’s rare to fish the same spot twice during the week.
Alongside excellent guides, the lodge also operates superb fishing boats. Its 20ft panga-style vessels are perfectly suited to fly-fishing for Golden Dorado, offering a stable, practical platform for anglers.
Fishing is based on two anglers per guide, with the guide controlling the boat while you and your fishing partner cast simultaneously, drifting along banks, structure, and sandbars in search of hard-fighting Dorado.
Piracua Lodge
Overnight Accommodation
Piracua Lodge in a Twin Room on a Full board basis
Fishing
Fishing
Your final two fishing days offer a fantastic opportunity to focus on a true trophy Golden Dorado. The Rio Paraná is home to exceptional fish, with specimens over 20lb and even 30lb landed each season, the kind of fish that can define an angler’s trip.
These final sessions may also provide the chance to target other exciting species, including Pacu, often regarded as the Permit of Argentina, and the smaller but hard-fighting Pira Pita.
One of the most thrilling ways to fish this river is by sight fishing. Watching an aggressive Dorado lock onto your fly and charge it down is a heart-stopping experience and one of the real highlights of fishing at Piracuá Lodge.
Piracua Lodge
Overnight Accommodation
Piracua Lodge in a Twin Room on a Full board basis
Travel from Piracua Lodge to Resistencia Airport
Travel from Piracua Lodge to Resistencia Airport
In the morning, a representative from our partners will transfer you back to the airport to catch the first of your flights home.
Depart Resistencia - Arrive Buenos Aires
Depart Resistencia - Arrive Buenos Aires
Depart: Resistencia International Airport
Arrive: Jorge Newbery Airpark
Transfer from Buenos Aires Airport to your overnight hotel
Transfer from Buenos Aires Airport to your overnight hotel
Once you’ve landed in Buenos Aires and collected your luggage, you’ll need to take a taxi (not included) to your overnight hotel. After checking in, the rest of the day is yours to relax, unwind, or explore the vibrant culture, cuisine, and charm of this beautiful city.
Buenos Aires Standard Hotel
Overnight Accommodation
Buenos Aires Standard Hotel in a Twin Room on a Bed & Breakfast basis
Transfer from your overnight hotel to Buenos Aires Airport
Transfer from your overnight hotel to Buenos Aires Airport
Depending on your international flight schedule, be sure to allow enough time to take a taxi (not included) back to Buenos Aires Airport for your journey home. We recommend arriving at the airport at least 3 hours before your departure.
Depart Buenos Aires - Arrive Any international airport
Depart Buenos Aires - Arrive Any international airport
Depart: Ezeiza International Airport
Arrive: TBA
General Note
General Note
Please note: Depending on your chosen international airport, an overnight flight and/or hotel stay may be required, which may affect your departure and return dates. Your itinerary will be finalised once travel arrangements are confirmed.
Independent flight/travel arrangements can be accommodated, though our flight-inclusive packages are recommended to ensure seamless integration into your holiday plans.
Prices are shown per person and are based on twin rooms and two anglers per guide unless stated otherwise. All prices are accurate at the time of publication but may vary slightly depending on factors such as travel dates, booking time, airline pricing, or fuel surcharges set by the operators. Flights are always priced at the most competitive rates available at the time of enquiry to ensure you receive the best possible value when booking. Proudly an ATOL bonded company, our trips are complete packages, including all flights, transfers, accommodation, and fantastic fishing and shooting experiences.
This trip is also available as a hosted tour exclusive for Sportquest Holidays customers and is ideal for solo anglers, pairs of friends and even small groups. Visit the tour page here: Hosted Piracua Lodge Argentina.
| Travel Available Between These Dates | Days | Price | Availability | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01/06/2026 | 30/06/2026 | 10 | £6,736 | Enquire |
| 01/07/2026 | 31/10/2026 | 10 | £6,683 | Enquire |
| 01/11/2026 | 30/11/2026 | 10 | £6,842 | Enquire |
| 01/12/2026 | 31/12/2026 | 10 | £7,002 | Enquire |
| 01/01/2027 | 31/01/2027 | 10 | £7,203 | Enquire |
| 01/05/2027 | 31/05/2027 | 10 | £7,150 | Enquire |
| 01/06/2027 | 30/06/2027 | 10 | £6,910 | Enquire |
| 01/07/2027 | 31/10/2027 | 10 | £6,857 | Enquire |
| 01/11/2027 | 30/11/2027 | 10 | £7,017 | Enquire |
| 01/12/2027 | 31/12/2027 | 10 | £7,176 | Enquire |
| 01/01/2028 | 31/01/2028 | 10 | £7,386 | Enquire |
| 01/05/2028 | 31/05/2028 | 10 | £7,333 | Enquire |
| 01/06/2028 | 30/06/2028 | 10 | £7,093 | Enquire |
| 01/07/2028 | 31/10/2028 | 10 | £7,040 | Enquire |
| 01/11/2028 | 30/11/2028 | 10 | £7,199 | Enquire |
| 01/12/2028 | 31/12/2028 | 10 | £7,359 | Enquire |
If your preferred week or travel dates do not appear in the calendar above, please get in touch. Many lodges release availability in stages, and some dates depend on tides, seasons, guide schedules, or short-notice changes. By speaking with us directly, you will receive the most up to date availability and clear guidance on securing the strongest options before popular weeks fill.
Enquire now and we will check live availability for the dates you are considering.
Our ATOL protection, means you have financial security on your booking.
All our destinations are thoroughly researched by our team of experts.
We have worked hard to be able to provide you with the best prices possible.
We offer complete holiday packages, making booking a holiday simple.
Piracuá Lodge offers comfortable and welcoming accommodation in the heart of Argentina’s Paraná River system, providing the perfect place to relax after a full day on the water. The lodge features six double rooms, each designed with comfort, privacy, and rest in mind. With a capacity of 12 guests, it maintains an intimate, personal atmosphere throughout the week.
All rooms include private bathrooms and are well equipped to ensure a restful stay between fishing sessions. For solo travellers, single room accommodation and guiding can also be arranged, allowing you to enjoy the full Argentinian fishing experience in complete comfort.
Food and hospitality are central to the Piracuá Lodge experience. All meals and beverages are included during your stay, with menus inspired by the region’s traditional flavours. Guests can look forward to fresh, hearty dishes that combine local ingredients, homemade desserts, and carefully selected wines.
Whether you’re returning from a day chasing Golden Dorado on the fly or simply relaxing at the lodge, the warm service, excellent food, and personal attention help make every stay memorable. Dietary requirements can also be catered for; please let us know at the time of booking so the team can prepare accordingly.
Piracuá Lodge is set in the heart of Argentina’s mighty Paraná River system, around 100km from Resistencia, the capital of Chaco Province. Widely regarded as one of the most consistent Golden Dorado fisheries on the planet, this extraordinary waterway offers prolific numbers of fish, an excellent average size, and explosive fly fishing for one of the world’s most aggressive and hard-fighting freshwater predators.
This vast and biodiverse wetland ecosystem is not only home to Golden Dorado but also a range of other fascinating species, including Surubi, Pacu, Pira Pyta, and Palometa, adding variety and excitement to every day on the water. From violent surface takes to powerful runs in snag-filled water, fishing here is fast-paced, visual and memorable.
Run by father-and-son team Marcelo and Lele, Piracuá Lodge is a family venture built on a 25-year legacy and more than 15 years of experience delivering specialist fly-fishing services. The lodge takes its name from the Piracuá River, which flows directly in front of the property. In the Guaraní language, ‘Piracuá’ means ‘Cave of the Fish’, a fitting name for a destination so deeply connected to nature and sport fishing.
At the Lodge, warm hospitality, personal attention, and expert knowledge are at the heart of the experience. With passionate owners and a genuine dedication to fly fishing, every guest can expect a professional, memorable, and highly personal stay in one of Argentina’s finest Dorado fisheries.
Known as ‘The Tiger of the River‘, the Golden Dorado is one of South America’s most iconic and exhilarating freshwater sportfish. A true apex predator, it thrives in major river systems such as the Paraná, where it hunts with speed, aggression, and precision. With its large head, powerful jaws, and razor-sharp teeth, the Dorado has earned its reputation as a steel-jawed hunter. While its diet mainly consists of fish, larger specimens have also been known to take small vertebrates such as rodents, lizards, and even birds. In the Paraná, Dorado can weigh up to 25kg.
For anglers, the Golden Dorado is prized for its explosive takes, immense strength, and spectacular fighting ability. These fish attack flies with savage intent, bending hooks, cutting wire, and often launching themselves clear of the water in an effort to throw the hook. Since the early 2000s, they have become firmly established as a world-class fly-fishing species, attracting travelling anglers from across the globe in search of one of freshwater fishing’s most thrilling encounters. While Dorado are the main draw for travelling rods, the Paraná is also famous for:
The Spotted Surubi is a large, powerful fish with a long body and a distinctive pattern of dark spots across a lighter background. Found in major South American river systems, it can grow to over 1.5 metres in length and weigh up to 80kg. A nocturnal predator, it primarily feeds on fish and crustaceans.
The Tiger Surubi is another impressive freshwater predator, known for its elongated, robust body, broad head, wide mouth, and sensory barbels, which help it navigate and locate food in murky water. It inhabits large, warm rivers and lagoons, including the Paraná, and undertakes seasonal migrations.
The Pacu is a freshwater species from the Serrasalmidae family, native to the Paraná and Paraguay river basins. With its strong, deep body and omnivorous diet of crustaceans, insects, and plant matter, it is highly adaptable and is often found in areas rich in aquatic vegetation.
At Piracuá Lodge, fishing days are structured to make the most of the best conditions while still allowing time to relax. A typical day looks like this:
7:30am – Breakfast at the lodge
8:00am to 12:00pm – Morning fishing session from the lodge’s nearby pier
12:00pm – Return to the lodge for lunch
Afternoon – Time to rest, tie flies, relax, or share stories from the morning
3:30pm to sunset – Afternoon fishing session
9:00pm – Dinner at the lodge
We recommend pacing yourself throughout the day, as the final hour before sunset can often be one of the most exciting times to fish, with some of the larger Dorado making an appearance. After dinner, there’s always plenty of time to organise fly boxes, tie new patterns, or unwind and enjoy the company of fellow anglers while reflecting on the day’s experiences.
Piracuá Lodge operates seven boats on the mid-Paraná River, six of which are specially equipped for fly fishing. Each boat features modern technology and electric motors, allowing quiet, efficient navigation and helping maximise your time on the water.
Comfort, safety, and performance are central to the setup, giving anglers an excellent platform from which to target Golden Dorado and other species in their natural habitat. Throughout your fishing, you’ll be accompanied by an experienced local guide who knows the river intimately and will offer advice, techniques, and local knowledge to help make your time on the water as productive and memorable as possible.
One of the most exciting ways to catch Golden Dorado on the fly is through sight fishing. Watching a fish charge down your fly before the take is a heart-stopping experience and one of the reasons this species has earned such a fierce reputation amongst travelling fly anglers.
At times, Dorado can also hunt in packs, creating explosive feeding frenzies as they drive baitfish hard against the banks. The water erupts, foam flies, and fish will sometimes even beach themselves in the chaos as they chase down their prey. Casting a fly into this kind of commotion is pure adrenaline.
Another highly effective method is to work streamers along drop-offs, structure, and likely holding water. This approach can be an excellent way to find bigger fish, and the river is home to some impressive specimens. A 20lb Dorado is considered a very good fish, but fish over 30lb are also present. With such a vast area to explore, it’s rare to fish the same piece of water twice during a week.
When fishing for Dorado, we recommend rods between 9ft and 10ft, paired with floating lines, typically in the #7 to #9 range. Short-head lines, such as the RIO Outbound Short, are ideal thanks to their excellent turnover and ability to cast larger flies.
Leaders should be short and aggressive, generally between 1.5 and 2.5 metres, finished with steel wire tips from 20lb to 35lb. Reels should have a strong drag system, good retrieval capacity, and be loaded with 30lb backing and at least 100 yards of line. The guides will be on hand throughout your trip to help with leader construction, fly selection, and any technical questions you may have.
Flies are one of the most important parts of your setup. For Golden Dorado, we recommend patterns between 13cm and 25cm, with black, blue, red, and orange among the most effective colours. Hooks should be exceptionally sharp and strong enough to ensure the best possible hook hold.
This exclusive hosted trip to Piracuá Lodge in Argentina gives solo anglers and pairs of friends the chance to join Sportquest Holidays CEO Peter Collingsworth for an exciting Golden Dorado fly fishing adventure on the mighty Paraná River system. With explosive fishing, expert local guides, comfortable accommodation and a group of like-minded anglers, it offers the perfect blend of world-class sport, adventure and camaraderie.
Delta Eco Lodge is the perfect ‘add-on trip’ for anglers visiting or passing through Argentina and looking for a couple of extra days of Golden Dorado fishing at the start or end of their holiday. Situated in an ideal location, less than an hour from downtown Buenos Aires, it’s the perfect stop for travelling rods before the flight back home.
Suindá Lodge is a Golden Dorado anglers dream and is a first-class program for those searching for exciting freshwater fly fishing opportunities combined with some of the most technical yet rewarding fishing out there; it’s also a destination where double-figure Dorados are a possibility all season long.
If you have ever wanted to experience fly fishing for Golden Dorado in stunning surroundings, then Pira Lodge is the perfect destination. Explore this huge expanse of creeks, lagoons and rivers from our Hells Bay flats boats, searching for Golden Dorado in the crystal clear water that is eagerly awaiting your fly.
For 2023 we're excited to introduce to you a brand new helicopter fishing trip, allowing adventurous travelling rods the opportunity to fish some of the most remote, untouched waters in Bolivia and the whole of the South American continent for the hard-fighting Golden Dorado. If you're looking for a first-class, fly fishing adventure, then this is perfect for you.
