The Paraguayan Chaco

The Chaco covers more than half of Paraguay's territory and holds a tiny fraction of its people - a flat, hot wilderness of thorn forest, palm savanna and salt lagoons that ranks among South America's last great wild spaces. Jaguar, puma, giant armadillo and guanaco survive here in numbers, tapirs walk the tracks at dusk, and the birdlife around the lagoons is superb. In its middle sit the Mennonite colonies around Filadelfia, founded by settlers who turned scrub into dairy farms, with museums that tell an improbable story. Distances are enormous and services scarce, which is exactly the appeal.

What you actually see

• Wildlife tracks and salt lagoons - jaguar country around the protected areas.
• The Mennonite colonies - Filadelfia, Loma Plata and their museums.
• Teniente Enciso and Medanos del Chaco - the national parks near the Bolivian border.
• The Trans-Chaco highway - one of the continent's emptiest long roads.

When to go

The dry season from May to September is the only sensible window - summer brings heat regularly above 40C, and rain turns dirt tracks to impassable mud. Wildlife concentrates near water in the dry months. Cooler nights can be surprisingly cold.

Honest expectations

This is expedition territory: fuel, water and food must be planned, distances between anything are huge, phone coverage vanishes, and a serious vehicle with spares is essential beyond the paved highway. Heat is dangerous much of the year. Wildlife is present but shy - sightings need dawn hours and patience. Go with local arrangements from the colonies or a specialist operator.

Nearby

Filadelfia's museums, the Bolivian border parks and the long road back to Asuncion.