A fishing town that transformed itself

Before it was a city, Ayolas was just a handful of fishing families settled on the bluffs above the Paraná, living off the river as much as the woods. That bond with the water and the woods is still at the heart of its identity today. Everything changed with the construction of the Yacyretá Binational Dam: the town grew into one of the most modern cities in the Misiones department, with paved roads, services, and a pace of growth few would have imagined decades earlier. But unlike other places that grow and lose what made them special, Ayolas kept it: the river still sets the rhythm of daily life, the dorado is still a point of pride and a favorite weekend catch, and the warmth of its people — the same warmth that welcomed its first settlers 126 years ago — is still the city's calling card.