Gran Chaco (Paraguay) Voyage Tips and guide

The Paraguayan Chaco is a region covering the western half of Paraguay. It is the Paraguayan portion of the Chaco, a South American region that includes parts of Argentina, Paraguay, Bolivia, and Brazil. It attracts travelers who are drawn by the region’s wilderness scenery that offers the possibility of seeing many wild animals, untamed nature, indigenous culture, and several prosperous Mennonite colonies. The Mennonites established their colonies in the early 20th century and colonies reflect the national origins of its members. Groups of Mennonite settlers came from Canada, Germany and Russia. Mennonites accounted for just under 39,000 residents of the Chaco as of 2022.

The Chaco stretches from the river Paraguay across from Asunción to the northwestern border with Bolivia, including the departments of:

• Alto Paraguay
• Boquerón, the westernmost of the three departments of the Chaco is in some sense a unique region in Paraguay that merges clearly identifiable elements of indigenous culture, the culture of cattle ranching, and the culture of German Mennonite immigrants who have developed an extraordinary high standard of living in their colonies established during the first half of the 20th century
• Presidente Hayes

The Transchaco Highway traverses the entire length of the Chaco passing through its two ecoregions – the humid Chaco, to the south, and the dry Chaco, to the north.

Map of Gran Chaco (Paraguay)

• -20.2287-58.16771 Bahía Negra
• -21.0375-57.8708332 Fuerte Olimpo

• -22.333333-60.0166673 Filadelfia - The capital of Boquerón and the largest of the Mennonite colonies.
• -22.383333-59.8333334 Loma Plata - The other major Mennonite colony, it's an industrial town.
• -22.634367-60.2069345 Neuland - The smallest Mennonite colony and a very charming town.
• -22.030556-60.6111116 Mariscal Estigarribia - A military base town with an indigenous community that is home to one of the most beautiful indigenous celebrations in the country, the Areté Guazú held between February/March.

• -20.156194-60.3041 Defensores del Chaco National Park.   -
• -23.6531-60.29642 Tinfunqué National Park.   -
• -20.1373-61.59123 Médanos del Chaco National Park.   -
• -21.0877-61.62994 Teniente Agripino Enciso National Park.  

The humid Chaco (also known as the bajo Chaco) encompasses the southern half of Presidente Hayes department. This region is characterized by flooded savannas filled with palm trees. Further north, is the transition zone between the humid and dry Chaco, commonly known as the central Chaco. It is sparsely populated, hot, semi-arid, and featuring a desert-like environment presenting a stark contrast to the eastern half of Paraguay which is humid, largely populated, and full of rivers and streams.

The name Chaco comes from a word in Quechua, the language of the Inca Empire that ruled the Andes mountains to the west of this area. The quechua word chaqu meaning "hunting land" comes probably from the rich variety of animal life present throughout the entire region.

Bus companies Stel Turismo and NASA/Golondrina offer scheduled services from Asunción to the Mennonite cities of Filadelfia, Loma Plata, and Neuland, as well as to Marsical Estigarribia. Buses depart Asunción daily at 21:00 and travel all night to reach their destinations at dawn. Buses continuing to smaller communities further north may run only a few times a week, though if your destination is along the route to Bolivia (via La Patria and Infante Rivarola) you can arrange to be dropped off in early morning by the nightly Grupo Stel/Rio Paraguay bus to Santa Cruz (in October 2025, the bus window in Asunción terminal charged Gs. 300,000 for tickets to the border outpost of Infante Rivarola).

The Transchaco highway is the vital communication artery. It runs from Asunción all the way to the Bolivian border.

In Boquerón, public transportation is limited to a few buses travelling between the Mennonite colonies and some more prominent villages, mostly operated by NASA/Golondrina. Less-common routes may only run a few times a week and stop at major towns in the middle of the night.

For example, in Oct. 2025 there was a NASA/Golondrina bus leaving Asunción at 9:15 pm Sunday, Monday, and Thursday, stopping in Filadelfia at 2:30 am the next morning, and continuing on to arrive at the indigenous village of La Patria around 7:00 am (Gs. 200,000 from Asunción or Gs. 90,000 from Filadelfia)

To get to other places you will have to arrange private transportation, and the use of an accredited guide is strongly recommended. As of Oct. 2025 road from Asunción to the Bolivian border at Infante Rivarola is entirely paved, but many other roads in the Chaco are still dirt, and may be in bad condition.

Some travelers have had luck with hitchhiking, but be aware that traffic may be very sparse, and you could get stuck somewhere with extreme heat and beyond walking distance to the nearest human habitation.