The Gran Chaco

The Gran Chaco, a vast plain of dense thorn forest, savanna and seasonal wetland, covers the entire northern half of Paraguay yet holds a tiny fraction of its people, one of South America's last great wildernesses. This harsh, hot, remote frontier, protected in reserves like the huge Defensores del Chaco National Park, is a refuge for elusive wildlife, jaguars, pumas, tapirs, giant anteaters and armadillos, and peccaries, alongside spectacular birdlife. It is also home to indigenous communities and old Mennonite colonies around Filadelfia.

What you actually see

• The thorn forest wilderness - the vast, untamed Chaco scrub and savanna.
• The wildlife - the jaguars, tapirs, anteaters and peccaries.
• The birdlife - the rich birds of the forest and wetlands.
• The Mennonite colonies - the settlements and museums around Filadelfia.

When to go

May to September, the cooler, drier season, is the only sensible time, as the Chaco is brutally hot in summer and its dirt tracks turn to impassable mud in the rains; even then, it is a rugged, remote destination for the well-prepared and adventurous.

Honest expectations

This is one of South America's most remote and challenging wildernesses, reached by long, rough journeys on the Trans-Chaco highway, with basic facilities, fierce heat and real logistical demands, so it is strictly for adventurous, well-organised travellers, ideally with guides. Wildlife, though present, is elusive in the dense scrub. For those seeking genuine, untamed wilderness far from any crowd, though, the Chaco is extraordinary.

Nearby

The Mennonite towns of Filadelfia and Loma Plata are the main bases.