Carmelo Peralta, entrada al Pantanal
A town on the Paraguay River facing Porto Murtinho (Brazil), gateway to the Pantanal and start of the Bioceanic Route.
What it is
Carmelo Peralta sits on the banks of the Paraguay River, on the border with Porto Murtinho (Brazil), about 716 km from Asunción. It is known as "the gateway to the Pantanal": from here you reach the world's largest wetland, shared by Paraguay, Brazil and Bolivia. It is also where the PY15 "Bioceanic" route begins, crossing the Paraguayan Chaco. Among its attractions are the Salesian parish of Virgen del Carmen, the Ayoreo cultural collection of the "Museo Verde" and the nearby Cerro Siete Cabezas, about 30 km to the south. Seven Ayoreo communities live in the area and keep their traditions.
What to see and do
- Gateway to the Paraguayan Pantanal
- Virgen del Carmen parish
- Ayoreo communities and culture
- Nearby Cerro Siete Cabezas
Did you know…?
It is the starting point of the PY15 Bioceanic route.
Across the river you can see Porto Murtinho in Brazil.
History
It was founded on 1 March 1940 as a ranching colony during José Félix Estigarribia's presidency and named after the aviator Carmelo Peralta (1910-1940), who died in the plane crash that also killed the president. It became a municipality on 2 May 2008.
Tips
- Access is long: plan overnight stops and check road conditions.
- If you cross into Brazil, carry the required immigration documents.
A town open year-round; institutions keep their own hours: check before you go.
Best time: May to September, dry and cooler.
Activities
Nearby
Carmelo Peralta · Alto Paraguay
Cerro Siete Cabezas (Cucaani)
An isolated 248 m hill, the highest point of the Carmelo Peralta municipality; to the Ayoreo people it is Cucaani, "the hill".
Vallemí · Concepción
La Ruta del Gua'a (Puerto Valle-mí)
An educational circuit of trails and bird-watching stations to protect and reintroduce the blue macaw on the upper Paraguay River.
Vallemí · Concepción
Vallemí y sus cavernas
Paraguay's cement capital hides more than 50 limestone caves, with stalactites and macaw-filled forests.
Puerto Casado (La Victoria) · Alto Paraguay
Iglesia San Ramón Nonato (La Victoria)
A church from the tannin-industry era with a European design, carved images and bells bearing soldiers' pencil marks from the Chaco War.
Puerto Casado · Alto Paraguay
Puerto Casado (Puerto La Victoria)
A tannin town on the Paraguay River, with the old Carlos Casado factory and the railway that opened up the Chaco.
Fuerte Olimpo · Alto Paraguay
Fuerte Olimpo
A colonial fort from 1792 and three hills above the Paraguay River: the gateway to the Pantanal.
Researched and reviewed in September 2026 with 2 sources. A second reviewer checked dates, coordinates and lodging. Hours and prices may change.