Cerro Tres Kandu

Cerro Tres Kandu reaches 842 metres in the Ybytyruzu range in Guairá, which makes it the highest point in Paraguay, a country almost entirely of plain and low hill, and the climb reflects that: a marked trail of a few kilometres through subtropical forest and then over rock to a summit with a cross and a view over the Guairá hills and out across the plain. It takes two to three hours up. Access crosses private land with a charge at the gate and a family running the property provides parking and water. The Ybytyruzu is a protected managed reserve with waterfalls, forest and the Ita Letra petroglyphs elsewhere in the range.

The landscape

• The summit - the highest ground in Paraguay with its cross.
• The forest trail - the marked route up through subtropical woodland.
• The Guaira view - the hills and plain from the top.
• The Ybytyruzu range - the protected hills around the peak.

When to go

April to September in the cooler dry months; summer heat and humidity make the climb hard and afternoon storms are common. Start early. The trail is muddy after rain.

What to expect

Access is across private land with a gate charge. The trail is steep in the upper section and slippery when wet. There is no water on the route. Heat and humidity in summer are severe.

Nearby

Colonia Independencia lies below; Salto Suizo is in the same range.

Key facts