Arroyo Urquiza appeals to travellers looking to combine a waterside landscape and traces of history in one destination. At its heart is Viejo Molino: the attraction centres on the waters of Arroyo Urquiza, while woodland and historic wall and canal remains are also part of the site. The natural mazes offer another way to explore the area. Arroyo Urquiza can thus be discovered through specific landscape and historical themes.

Waterside Landscapes and Walks

Viejo Molino has a small artificial dam. White sand beaches stretch for more than 1,000 metres along the crystal-clear waters of a spring-fed stream. The site also includes gallery forests and 40 hectares of woodland native to Entre Ríos. Open areas along the water and wooded areas sit side by side, making water and vegetation two distinct aspects of the landscape.

The natural mazes at Viejo Molino are suitable for walks, photo safaris and other adventure tourism activities. Walking and photographic exploration offer a different focus from learning about the dam, stream and sandy banks. Those interested in the landscape can explore the mazes and woodland as distinct features alongside the water.

Traces of the Mill’s History

The history of the grain mill on Arroyo Urquiza dates back to 1884, when Ludovico and Próspero Maury built it. The mill was the province’s first major initiative to use water power as a source of energy. Viejo Molino’s connection to water therefore has a historical dimension as well as a scenic one: the area’s history includes the use of water to power a mill.

The camping and bathing area at Viejo Molino contains tall walls, along with the remains of walls and canals from a facility dating to 1884. These structural traces add a specific historical theme to the landscape. An older period takes us back to around 1798: the large estancia of Don José Duval was then located in the valley of Arroyo Largo, now known as Arroyo Urquiza. He was an early coloniser of the area around the Río Uruguay. The area’s history thus reaches beyond the mill to the time of the estancia.

Getting Your Bearings

Camping El Viejo Molino is located in Arroyo Urquiza on Autovía No. 14 at kilometre 142. It is a bathing and camping area beside a stream. Arroyo Urquiza is also one of the places visited on Colón’s rural tourism circuit. If you are planning a visit to the bathing and camping area, check current visiting arrangements in advance.

More to Explore in the Wider Destination of Uruguay

The wider destination of Uruguay offers additional cultural and nature-related themes. Palacio San José – Museo y Monumento Histórico Nacional Justo José de Urquiza, in the Uruguay Department of Entre Ríos Province, was the residence of Argentina’s first constitutional president and his wife, Dolores Costa. The Museo RIEL in Basavilbaso recalls the importance of the railway in the town’s development; Basavilbaso is therefore nicknamed the “Capital of the Trains.”

Parque Natural Provincial Islas y Canales Verdes del Río Uruguay is also part of this wider range of themes. It protects more than 4,000 hectares in the Uruguay Department, including islands, wetlands and native forests near Colonia Elía. Palacio San José, railway history and the protected area represent further distinct cultural and nature-related interests in the destination of Uruguay.

Discover more destinations: Colonia Sagastume, Basavilbaso, Concepción Del Uruguay

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