Centro de Interpretación del Gran Chaco Americano (CIGCHA)
The best introduction to the Chaco: history, wildlife and Indigenous peoples in a bioclimatic building ringed by samu'u trees, with SENATUR tourist information.
What it is
Before heading off to the colonies and forts, it's worth stopping here. CIGCHA's interpretive halls explain the history of the Chaco, its biodiversity and the Indigenous cultures who live there, in a bioclimatic building with solar panels surrounded by samu'u (the swollen-trunked bottle tree, palo borracho in Spanish). On the same grounds there's a tourist information desk run by SENATUR, Paraguay's national tourism office, which is handy for planning your route through the Central Chaco.
What to see and do
- Halls on the history, biodiversity and Indigenous cultures of the Chaco
- Bioclimatic building with solar panels
- Samu'u (bottle trees) on the grounds
- SENATUR tourist information desk
Did you know…?
The building uses bioclimatic design and solar power, conceived for the Chaco's extreme heat.
The samu'u trees around it are the emblem of the dry Chaco: they store water in their bulging trunks.
History
Its name refers to the Gran Chaco Americano, the great plain of dry forests, savannas and wetlands that Paraguay shares with Bolivia, Argentina and a small corner of Brazil. It was designed as a gateway to the Central Chaco for travelers arriving along the Transchaco.
Tips
- Open Wednesday to Sunday, 9:00 to 17:00; admission is free (check before you go, +595 981 971 844).
- An ideal first stop: pick up maps and information on the colony museums and the forts.
Wednesday to Sunday, 9:00-17:00; free admission (check before you go).
Best time: Year-round; in summer, it's a good place to spend the hottest hours indoors.
Activities
Festivals and events here
Nearby
Filadelfia · Boquerón
Museo Industrial de Filadelfia
Agricultural and industrial machinery inside the Fernheim plant, with the 1957 refinery building as its centrepiece.
Filadelfia · Boquerón
Museo Hogareño Knelsenhaus
A 1948 house turned into a Mennonite home museum, with furniture and utensils of the Chaco's first settler families.
Filadelfia · Boquerón
Museo al aire libre Ruedas Pioneras
A park at Filadelfia's east entrance with the settlers' first vehicles: the "Laurita" locomotive, the Mennonite cart and more.
Filadelfia · Boquerón
Museo Casa de la Colonia (Koloniehaus)
A 1933-1934 building raised by communal effort: it was the administrative seat of the Fernheim colony and is now its history museum.
Filadelfia · Boquerón
Museo Científico Jakob Unger
A Chaco natural history museum with birds, mammals, insects and Indigenous objects, grown from the collection of Jakob Unger and his son.
Filadelfia · Boquerón
Fortín Trébol
A park and cemetery for fallen Chaco War soldiers, about 5 km from Filadelfia; it supported Fortín Toledo's right flank.
Researched and reviewed in September 2026 with 3 sources. A second reviewer checked dates, coordinates and lodging. Hours and prices may change.