Cenote de Tavaí (Cerro Morotĩ): things to see in Paraguay

Guairá and Caazapá: hills, colonies and legends Tavaí

Cenote de Tavaí (Cerro Morotĩ)

Attraction

A half-open cave with ice-cold pools at the foot of Cerro Morotĩ: extreme adventure in Caazapá.

330 km≈ 5 h 15 from Asunción

Half a dayDuration

₲₲₲Budget or free

DirectionsSee on map

What it is

In the San Rafael range, about 20 km from Tavaí, Cerro Morotĩ hides one of the country's most demanding adventures: a half-open cenote (a natural sinkhole) where water pours into a cave and forms very cold natural pools among huge boulders. Getting there means hiking about 4 km with steep grades and near-vertical stretches, then descending by rope. The surroundings add rock-bound pools, a small waterfall and forest. Tavaí, with hotels, restaurants and Cerro Tupasy with its grotto of the Virgin, is the base.

What to see and do

The descent into the cenote and its cold natural pools
Rock-bound pools and a small waterfall on Cerro Morotĩ
Cerro Tupasy and its grotto of Our Lady of the Nativity, near Tavaí
The source of the Tebicuary River in the Línea Oro area, with a waterfall and lagoon

Did you know…?

To get down, bring a rope of about 50 meters: there are near-vertical sections on the trail.

Locals also call it "the basement," and the local press bills it as the only known cenote in Paraguay.

History

The cenote began appearing in the national press around 2021, and since then the media have called it the darling of domestic tourism in Caazapá. Tavaí, the base town, is a young district: it split off from San Juan Nepomuceno by a law of December 22, 1992. Its patron is Our Lady of Mercy, celebrated every September 24, and Cerro Tupasy welcomes pilgrims all year round.

Tips

Don't go alone or without a local guide: ask in Táva Porã or at the Tavaí town hall.
Bring a rope (about 50 m), gloves, shoes with good ankle support and plenty of water: the climb back out is the hardest part.
From Tavaí it's about 16 km of paved road (around 20 minutes) to Táva Porã; from there, a dirt road leads to the Costa San Miguel community at the foot of the hill.
Avoid it in the rain: the trail becomes extremely slippery.

Best time: April to October, when it's cooler for the tough climb back up. After rain there's more water in the cenote, but the trail gets harder. On September 24 Tavaí celebrates Our Lady of Mercy.