Bahía Negra y el Pantanal paraguayo
The last Paraguayan town upriver: caimans, capybaras, otters and Yshir culture in the Pantanal.
What it is
Bahía Negra is the last Paraguayan town upriver, almost at the tri-border with Bolivia and Brazil, and the base for exploring the Pantanal, one of the largest freshwater wetlands in the world. From its port, boats head out along the Paraguay and Negro rivers to see yacarés (caimans), capybaras, river otters, jabiru storks and herons, or to go fishing. You can walk the self-guided town circuit “Between the Sky, the River and the Mud,” sleep in family-run guesthouses, spend the day on estancias and visit Yshir communities with their crafts made from karanda'y palm and caraguatá (a bromeliad fiber).
What to see and do
- The self-guided town circuit “Between the Sky, the River and the Mud”
- Boat trips on the Paraguay and Negro rivers
- Yshir communities of Puerto Diana, Karcha Balhut and Puerto Esperanza (arranged in advance)
- Estancias with horseback riding, milking and cheesemaking
- Sunset at the port, beside the Bahía Negra letters
Did you know…?
According to the WWF and Eco Pantanal tourism guide (2025), the Río Negro National Park area, a Ramsar site, is on UNESCO's Tentative List.
The town circuit includes the “Niokit Owush” astronomy and nature observatory.
In Karcha Balhut (Caracol Grande), Yshir women keep alive the art of weaving with caraguatá fiber, which is becoming increasingly scarce.
History
This is the ancestral land of the Yshir (Chamacoco) people. Bolivia founded Puerto Pacheco here on July 16, 1885; the site changed hands several times before becoming definitively Paraguayan after the Chaco War (1932-1935). It has been a municipality since 2005 and has a naval base and a port that supplies the riverside communities of Alto Paraguay every eight days. It's the second-largest district in the country, with some 3.5 million hectares and 2,768 inhabitants (2022 census).
Tips
- There is a weekly bus from Asunción (leaves Thursdays at 19:00, arrives Friday around 11:00 and returns on Saturdays at 7:30); SETAM flight on Wednesdays at 6:00, booked at least 15 days ahead; a cargo-and-passenger boat from Concepción (Tuesdays) or Vallemí (Wednesdays). Everything is subject to change: check before you go.
- Dirt roads become impassable after just a few millimeters of rain: leave a few spare days.
- To visit Yshir communities, arrange it with their leader through UCINY (the Yshir communities' union) and ask permission before taking photos.
Best time: July to October, in the dry season: roads are passable and wildlife gathers around the water. In the rainy season, access routes are cut off.
What to try
- Fresh fish from the Paraguay River (respect the closed fishing season)
- Home cooking at the town's guesthouses and eateries
Activities
Nearby
Bahía Negra · Alto Paraguay
Observatorio Astronómico «Niokit Owush»
An observatory in Bahía Negra inspired by the Yshir worldview: dark Pantanal skies and free entry.
Bahía Negra · Alto Paraguay
Parque Nacional Río Negro y Puerto Caballo (triple frontera)
Pristine Pantanal wetlands and the corner where Paraguay, Bolivia and Brazil meet.
Bahía Negra (río Negro) · Alto Paraguay
Estación Biológica Los Tres Gigantes
A Pantanal reserve reachable only by boat, named after the giant otter, the giant anteater and the giant armadillo.
Researched and reviewed in September 2026 with 6 sources. A second reviewer checked dates, coordinates and lodging. Hours and prices may change.