Salto Suizo

Salto Suizo falls around sixty metres over a rock face in the Ybytyruzu hills above Colonia Independencia, which makes it the tallest waterfall in Paraguay, dropping in a single thin column into a pool in forest. The name comes from the Swiss settlers who established themselves in the colony. Getting there means a rough track from the colony and then a walk of twenty minutes or so down through the trees, with a local charge collected at the access. The pool at the base is used for swimming and the spray keeps the whole hollow cool and green. Flow varies considerably with rainfall and can reduce to a thread in a dry spell.

What you actually see

• The sixty-metre column - the tallest fall in the country.
• The pool and hollow - the basin and the wet green space around it.
• The forest walk - the descent from the track through trees.
• The Ybytyruzu hills - the range the fall drops from.

When to go

October to April in the wet season for the fullest flow; a dry spell reduces it to a thread. The track is difficult after heavy rain. Mornings are cooler for the walk.

Honest expectations

Flow depends entirely on recent rain and disappoints in dry periods. The access track needs a capable vehicle. The descent is steep and slippery. Facilities are a local charge point and nothing else.

Nearby

Colonia Independencia lies below; Villarrica is west.