Butia Palm Groves

The palmares of Rocha are stands of Butia odorata spread over tens of thousands of hectares, the largest of their kind, and they are old: most of the palms standing are well over a century, and grazing has stopped almost all natural regeneration, so the groves are ageing without replacement. The fruit is used for jam, liqueur and a spirit, and conservation projects are trying to get seedlings through the cattle.

What you actually see

• The palm stands - tens of thousands of hectares of native butia across the countryside.
• The ageing problem - groves of old palms with almost no young trees coming through.
• The fruit products - jam, liqueur and spirit made from butia by local producers.
• The grassland setting - the palms standing over open cattle country.

When to go

October to April; fruiting runs from January into March, which is when the products are made. The groves are accessible year round from the roads. Winter is wet underfoot.

Honest expectations

Most of the groves are on private cattle land and are seen from the road unless a farm visit is arranged. The ecosystem is genuinely threatened and the scale of the problem is not obvious to a casual look. There is little formal interpretation.

Nearby

Castillos is central to the groves, and Laguna de Castillos is south.