The Paraguayan Chaco occupies the entire west and north Paraguay a. The area is sparsely populated and the infrastructure is only developed in agricultural colonies.
Regions
The departments Boquerón, Alto Paraguay and Presidente Hayes lie completely in the Chaco.
places
- Villa Hayes, 70,000 inhabitants, largest city in the region in the southeast, 31 km from Asunción
- Filadelfia, 10,000 inhabitants, capital of the Mennonite colonies
- Pozo Colorado, 17,000 inhabitants, between Filadelfia and Asunción
- Mariscal Estigarribia, 1,000 inhabitants, border town to Bolivia, but 100 km east of the border
- Fuerte Olimpo, 5,000 inhabitants, the only place of importance in the north of the region, starting point for trips to Pantanal
Other goals
background
Like the Argentine part, the Chaco consists of a savannah and bush landscape, which in Paraguay is only used for agriculture in small areas. So much of nature is still original. The region is particularly interesting for tourists because of the wetlands of the Pantanal in the north near Fuerte Olimpo and the Mennonite colonies, which are a cultural foreign body in Paraguay.
With a few exceptions, the Chaco population is made up of descendants of the Indians and Mennonites who settled in the Boquerón department. These are still in German today (they speak a Low German dialect).
The region made headlines in 2005 when the US planned to build a military base in Mariscal Estigarribia near Bolivia that would be one of the largest in South America (up to 20,000 soldiers stationed).
language
The language of communication between the different groups is Spanish, in the Mennonite colonies it is more German. The native languages are either Guaraní dialects or belong to the Wichí and Toba groups.
getting there
Just a paved highway that Transchaco, runs through the entire area. Starting point is Asunción, End point of the Bolivian border behind Mariscal Estigarribia. It is possible, but inconvenient, to travel to the area from Bolivia, as the transport infrastructure in the region's western neighbor is very poor.
There is also a road between Pozo Colorado and Concepción, over which one can enter from the northern part of the Oriente.
mobility
Tourist Attractions
activities
kitchen
nightlife
security
climate
The summers in the region are hot and humid with daily values mostly above 35 ° C, while the winters are dry and pleasantly warm (approx. 25 ° C during the day). This makes the winter half of the year the best time to travel.
