Itá Ybaté (Lomas Valentinas): areniscas y batalla
Hills of Ordovician sandstone where a battle of the Paraguayan War was fought: geography that shaped history.
What it is
Itá Ybaté, also known as Lomas Valentinas, is a historic monument of the War of the Triple Alliance (1864–1870): its 150 m of height gave a strategic position in the Pykysyry campaign. Geologically it is made of coarse, friable sandstones with a silicification crust, attributed to the Caacupé Group (probably the Tobatí Formation) and of Ordovician age. It shows fractures running north–south and east–west.
In the same Villeta area, on the bank of the Paraguay River, sandstones with horizontal bedding from the same group crop out, along with a quarry of Upper Ordovician diamictites (rocks mixing sand, clay and pebbles of very different sizes).
How to visit
It is reached by the road linking Villeta with Nueva Italia. Combine it with the Paraguay River shore in Villeta, where the sandstones are also visible, along with sunsets over the river.
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Researched and reviewed in September 2026 with 2 sources. A second reviewer checked dates, coordinates and lodging. Hours and prices may change.