The Río Dulce — whose name translates to "Sweet River" — is the most important river in the Argentine province of Santiago del Estero and one of the most compelling destinations in South America for anglers pursuing the legendary Golden Dorado. Rising in Tucumán Province under the name Salí River, with tributaries flowing in from Salta Province, the river travels approximately 450 kilometers southeast through Santiago del Estero before ultimately emptying into the vast, saline Mar Chiquita salt lake in Córdoba Province. The fishing hub for the Río Dulce is centered near the town of Loreto, situated at roughly 140 meters above sea level in the heart of the Chaqueño jungle and forest — a remote, wild landscape that gives this fishery a truly adventurous character. The river flows through sandy soils that keep its waters notably clear despite a moderate, unhurried current. The sandy riverbed is constantly being shaped by erosion, and trees along the banks regularly fall into the water, creating a wealth of above- and below-surface structure that defines the character of this fishery. Large sandbars form throughout the river, and the vast marshes and floodplains of the Río Dulce delta — where the river spreads out before reaching Mar Chiquita — serve as a critical hatchery and nursery for the fish that populate the entire system.