TREINTA Y TRES

About Treinta y Tres

This very "oriental" land became a province in 1884. Before this date, Treinta y Tres was only a village. Dionisio Coronel, political leader of the area, started this settlement. The river Olimar has three bridges and it is said to be a magic river. If you drink from its waters, you will always return to this place.

Treinta y Tres has an area of 9676.2 square meters and a population of 49.300 inhabitants (1996).

The land here is high and suffers erosion. There are two zones here: one, which is excellent for cattle and sheep raising and the other one with low lands, where people grow rice, and breed cattle.

Cattle are the main activity but corn, wheat and rice also cultivated here. In fact, Treinta y Tres was the first province, which introduced new technology for the cultivation of rice. Important companies that held 80% of the country's production of rice are found in Treinta y Tres. Arrozur, for instance, has an industrial plant, which produces 65.000 tons per year, for local and for export, especially the parboiled kind.

The capital is a modern city with wide streets, flat houses, and good services, shops, educational, social and cultural institutions and a slow pace if life. The main streets in this city are named after the heroes of the time. 19 de Abril is the name of the mail square, where there id a monument in memorial of the 33 patriots who disembarqued on "Agraciada" beach.

The marvelous "Quebrada de los Cuervos" is situated 25 kms off the capital city. Francisco Olivares Hontou donated it to the council in 1944. The ravens find shelter in this habitat. It is an ideal place to go camping.

The action of the waters of the "yerbal" stream has eroded the area, and broken the metamorphic rocks forming a deep crevice. There is an enormous variety of native flora. Palm trees, "blanquillos", "arrayanes", "guayabos" and "coronillas".

A fertile valley where ferns, "calagualas" and "embiras" justify our adventure to go and explore that canyon.

Besides the ravens, there are other species of birds like "pava de monte", "siete cuchillas and "el dormilon".

Deer, boars, foxes and pumas are found in this dense vegetation. Further north, the traveller might find the tree from where the "yerba mate" is taken, the "ilex paraguariensis".

Laguna del Cerro is very near the capital city; it is a natural dam between two hills where there is a great variety of birds.

The local writer Julio da Tosa writes in one of his articles about the local people: "we are reserved but only in appearance, generous but talkative, we are a race of story tellers, good liers, we lie for the pleasure of doing it".

Added to this, they are famous for their poets, singers and their sagas, like the one about Dionisio Diaz, a 12 years old boy who in the year 1929 had to face a family tragedy. His grandfather went mad and attacked his mother and his little sister. Dionisio was able to save his sister, he carried her for miles until he got to the police station. This history is a subject of a lovely romance written by Serafin J. Garcia.

A sculpture of white marble was erected in "Plaza Colon". To the memory of Dionisio.

To the east, 60 km away from the capital, and in the banks of the Cebollati river, there is a small village called Gral. Enrique Martinez、best known as "la Charqueada". It is a fishing village and the fishermen's houses overlook the sea. "La Charqueada" has a special charm; it's a peaceful village where people sit on the sidewalks to drink a "mate" while they listen to the cries of the fishermen selling their goods.

There is water, electricity and a camping site. There are also cottages to rent. Those who enjoy fishing will be able to catch catfish, mullets and "tarariras". In the future "la Charqueada" port will be joined to "Santa Victoria do Palmar" in Brazil.

Treinta y Tres faces a promising future, based on the application of technology in intensive agriculture and the growing tourist market.