FF MM · CC BY-SA 3.0Cordillera del Ybytyruzú
The country’s highest range, made of Cretaceous lava flows and cut by alkaline dikes at the eastern end of the Asunción Rift.
What it is
Ybytyruzú (“big hill” in Guaraní) is a group of ranges between the departments of Guairá and Caazapá, about 18 km east of Villarrica. According to a University of São Paulo study of the dikes on its western edge, the region is mostly made of tholeiitic lava flows of Early Cretaceous age (130–134 million years), cut by dikes and intrusions of potassic alkaline rocks 125 to 127 million years old. Rare rocks such as a lamproite are also present.
Structurally, Ybytyruzú is the eastern end of the Asunción Rift, the tectonic trough that crosses eastern Paraguay from Benjamín Aceval. Its relief holds Paraguay’s highest peak (Cerro Tres Kandú) and several waterfalls, among them Salto Suizo, which Wikipedia lists as the country’s tallest.
How to visit
The range can be explored from Villarrica, Mbocayaty, Independencia and General Eugenio A. Garay. It is trail and waterfall country with local services; ask the municipalities about access and conditions before you go.
Related place
General Eugenio A. Garay · Guairá
Cerro Tres Kandú
The roof of Paraguay: 842 meters and a demanding trail through Atlantic Forest and rock.
Nearby
Colonia Independencia · Guairá
Cerro Akatí, el «cerro canoso» del Ybytyruzú
A lookout at about 600 m in the Ybytyruzú range, with a trail to the Itá Letra inscriptions.
Villarrica (compañía Ytororó) · Guairá
Cerro Mymýi y los cerros de Ytororó
Three hills of 400 to 500 m (Tigre, Mymýi and Pelado) on Villarrica's eastern edge, ideal for hikes.
Villarrica (compañía Ytororó) · Guairá
Itá Letra, las «letras de la piedra» del Ybytyruzú
An archaeological site with pre-Columbian rock carvings at the eastern edge of Villarrica, discovered in the 1950s.
Colonia Independencia · Guairá
Salto San Pablo (Pozo Hondo)
A waterfall and pool in Independencia district, listed among Guairá's most visited falls.
Researched and reviewed in September 2026 with 4 sources. A second reviewer checked dates, coordinates and lodging. Hours and prices may change.