Ecological tourism in Paraguay is gaining momentum every year, receives recognition of tourists and brings more revenue to the treasury. In the territory of this South American state there are 16 national parks and nature protection zones. The most rich variety of inhabitants can boast reserves, located on the plains of Chaco. In total, the lands of specially protected natural areas of Paraguay occupy an area of 26 thousand square meters. km, which is 7% of the total territory of the country.
Let us consider in more detail the most famous national parks in Paraguay:
- Chaco National Historical Park. Defensores del Chaco (Parque nacional defensores del Chaco) is one of the largest in the territory of Paraguay (720 thousand hectares). It was founded in 1975. Today it hosts several species of exotic birds and animals, including parrots, crocodiles and cougars. The park is ideal for ornithologists and all those visitors who like to watch birds. The only difficulty is that the reserve is located quite far from major cities, and there is no possibility to get there by public transport .
- Defensores del Tinfunke. The Tinfunke Nature Reserve has been operating since 1996 and covers an area of 280 hectares. The park's lands were submerged during the time of the Pilcomayo flood. Today, there are many shrubs, wild ducks, storks and other inhabitants.
- Cerro-Cora. This national park is located in the province of Amambay, on the banks of the river Rio Akvibadan, near the border with Brazil. The date of foundation of the park is 1976. And it is known that on its lands in 1870 there was a decisive battle of the war of Paraguay against the Triple Alliance. In Cerro-Cora, a unique landscape that combines steppe plains, numerous low hills and tropical forests. The reserve also attracts tourists with its caves, in which inscriptions and symbols of the prehistoric period are preserved.
- Rio Negro. The Rio Negro National Park is one of the newly created nature reserves. It was opened for visitors in 1998. Then these lands occupied only 30 thousand hectares. In 2004, the territory of the park was expanded by 123 thousand hectares. It is located near the tectonic hollow of the Pantanal . The purpose of the reserve was to preserve the ecosystems of the Pantanal and the Chaco Plains . From the wildlife in the Rio Negro are represented jaguars, deer, wild parrots.
- Ibikuy. The national park of Ibikuy (Ibike) is located south of Asuncion. It is distinguished by the unsurpassed landscapes of the Salto Guarani waterfall and the landscape that attracts trekking fans. There are tent camps in the reserve, pedestrian excursions for all comers. We draw your attention to the fact that poisonous snakes and spiders are found in Ibikuy, therefore it is better to go sightseeing with an experienced guide to see its sights . The interesting places of the park are also the steel plant of La Rosada, today it has a historical museum, in walking distance there is a windmill.
- Ibitursu. The national reserve of Ibirturusu is located among the dense forests and hills of the Cordillera del Ibitiruçu. The main attraction of the park is the highest mountain in Paraguay - Serra-Tres-Candu (842 m above sea level). Its name in translation means "mountain of three noses". The reserve was founded in 1990, its area is 24 thousand hectares.
- Teniente Agrippino Enquisco. The Parque Nacional Teniente Agripino Enciso National Park is in the west of Paraguay, in the Grand Chaco area. It was founded in 1980. Currently, the territory of the reserve is 40 thousand hectares. Surprisingly, the shape of the park is almost the right rectangle. There are no reservoirs here, so the whole area is occupied by vegetation, which is represented mainly by prickly and dense tropical thickets. In the park Teniente Agripino Enquizo grow typical of the Chaco area trees. For example, Quebracho is appreciated thanks to its bark, which is used for a variety of purposes, palo santo uses wood, and samu'u trees are distinguished by unusual white flowers (during the flowering period, their crown resembles aerial white clouds). The animal world in Enkiso is represented by a large variety of cats (jaguars, pumas), armadillos, Tagua.
- Yubutsy. Ybucuí National Park, located 150 km from the capital of Paraguay , is today the most visited in the country. The reserve is a jungle with living in them monkey-howler, numerous tropical birds and giant spiders. Very rich and diverse flora of the park, and the beauty of the landscape is complemented by the waterfalls located here.
- Fortin-Toledo. This park attracts tourists by combining in its ecosystem of dry forests and savannahs, in which the world's rarest animals live. Here you can see the bakers Chaco (Chacoan peccary), which in the natural environment live in the north-west of the country. The population of bakers in Fortin-Toledo is the only one in the region.
This is the most popular reserve in Paraguay. On the territory of the country there are also biological reserves of Itabo, Lima, Tafi-Jupi, and also possessing significant forest expanses of Mbarakaya and Nakundei. Speaking in general about Paraguay national parks, it should be said that in the majority of them they are rich ecosystems and are the home of exotic and tropical animals and birds. Part of the representatives of the flora and fauna you can see during the sightseeing tour. Please note that many Paraguayan reserves are difficult to access by themselves. In this case, you should contact the travel agency, offering organized tours of the parks.