Dolina Kururu Kua (cenote en arenisca)
A crystal-clear water-filled shaft about 130 m deep down to its collapse cone, sunk into soft sandstone: the first sinkhole in sandstone described in Paraguay.
What it is
Kururu Kua (“toads’ nest”) is an elliptical sinkhole about 50 by 30 m across, opened in fine to medium sandstone of the Aquidabán Formation (Carboniferous), poorly cemented and soft. A 2014 UNA study presents it as the first sinkhole in sandstone in Paraguay: it formed by collapse, not by dissolution as in limestone karst. Technical divers reached 80 m depth without finding the bottom.
Its water level varies a lot, which gives it hydrogeological importance, because nearby wells at Rinconada and Santa Ana del Apa yield very little. A few kilometres away there is a smaller sinkhole, Ojo de Mar, 18 m deep.
How to visit
It is on private land in the Rinconada district (Bella Vista Norte), about 480 km from Asunción, with some 50 km of dirt road from Bella Vista Norte. The descent is technical (rappelling) and the rock is very friable: do not attempt it on your own. Ask the municipality first.
Nearby
Bella Vista Norte · Amambay
Bella Vista Norte
Beaches on the Apa River facing Brazil, and an emerald 'ojo de mar' hidden in the woods.
San Carlos del Apa · Concepción
Parque Nacional Paso Bravo y San Carlos del Apa
More than 100,000 hectares of protected cerrado on the banks of the Apa River, on the border with Brazil.
Researched and reviewed in September 2026 with 3 sources. A second reviewer checked dates, coordinates and lodging. Hours and prices may change.