Va de Carro · CC BY 3.0Campo 9 (Dr. J. Eulogio Estigarribia) y colonias menonitas
Canadian-style farms, neat gardens and Mennonite dairy right on Route PY02, halfway to the East.
What it is
Campo 9 is the name the whole country uses for Dr. Juan Eulogio Estigarribia, a hardworking town on Route PY02 where German-descended Mennonites who came from Canada live alongside Paraguayans, Brazilians and Mbya communities. Just a few minutes' detour off the highway takes you into the villages of the Sommerfeld Colony: country lanes, Canadian-style houses and farms, immaculate gardens and fields of wheat and soybeans stretching to the horizon. It's the big food stop on the drive east: dairy products, cold cuts and baked goods from the cooperatives, and roadside diners that are always busy.
What to see and do
- Drive the country lanes of the Sommerfeld Mennonite villages
- Buy dairy, cold cuts and flour from the local cooperatives
- Have lunch at a roadside diner on Route PY02
- Combine it with the beaches and fishing of Lake Yguazú
Did you know…?
From 1953 the Mennonites called the area "Neuhoffnung" (New Hope); the name Campo 9 caught on from 1963.
According to the newspaper Última Hora (2018), the colony produces about 44% of the country's milk and 65% of its wheat flour.
On milestone anniversaries, such as the 70th (2018), Sommerfeld has held parades of vintage tractors.
History
In 1948 the Mennonites who founded the Sommerfeld and Bergthal colonies arrived from Canada (some 1,640 people in total, according to Wikipedia). Sommerfeld received 973 of them, 624 of whom stayed on after the first few months. They cut trails through the forest and built villages numbered as "campos". The Sommerfeld Cooperative was founded on October 2, 1967, and the district was created on November 13, 1981.
Tips
- The villages are places where people live and work: drive slowly on the dirt roads and ask permission before photographing people or property.
- A good stop to break up the drive between Asunción and Ciudad del Este.
Best time: Year-round; in autumn and winter the wheat fields and low light make for great photos. The Sommerfeld Colony's anniversaries are usually celebrated in July.
What to try
- Cheeses, yogurts and dulce de leche from the local dairies
- Baked goods and cold cuts in the Mennonite tradition
Activities
Where to stay
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Researched and reviewed in September 2026 with 9 sources. A second reviewer checked dates, coordinates and lodging. Hours and prices may change.