Asunción CityParaguay travel guide

Natalio, el puerto maderero de la época del mensú

Town

A district on a fertile plateau in eastern Itapúa; according to the most likely version, its name comes from a foreman of the 1930s logging camps.

465 km≈ 7 h 30 from Asunción
1 to 2 hoursDuration

What it is

Natalio is about 45 km off Route PY06 and sits on a plateau, the highest in its terrain, which extends from south to north for about 25 km. Its soil is considered the most fertile in the department, within the strip of land of the Alto Paraná basin. The origin of the name is not entirely clear, but the most likely version links it to the "mensú era" (around 1930), when an indigenous lieutenant from Corrientes named Natalio, foreman for an Argentine landowner, lived at the port that bears his name and managed the carts that carried logs and the staff cutting down the Atlantic forest of the Alto Paraná. It became a district in 1974 under the name Domingo Robledo and recovered its name in 1989. Today it has about 14,900 inhabitants (2022 census). The origin of the name is not entirely clear: according to Wikipedia, the most likely version links it to Natalio, a Correntino indigenous foreman who worked for an Argentine landowner and lived at the port that bears his name.

What to see and do

  • Fertile Alto Paraná plateau
  • History of Natalio port and the logging camps
  • Farm landscape of eastern Itapúa

Did you know…?

The mensú was the rural jungle worker, above all on yerba mate plantations and logging camps, often under conditions of semi-slavery.

The district borders Argentina to the south, across the Paraná.

History

The district was created by decree-law on 4 December 1974, split from Capitán Meza, under the name Domingo Robledo (in honour of a mayor murdered in 1972). After the coup of February 1989 it went back to Natalio.

Tips

  • It is a short visit: combine it with Capitán Meza and Pirapó.
  • Ask the municipality about activities on mensú history.

Check opening hours before you go.

Best time: Autumn and spring.

Activities

Festivals and events here

Nearby

Verified · sep 2026

Researched and reviewed in September 2026 with 3 sources. A second reviewer checked dates, coordinates and lodging. Hours and prices may change.

Sources (3)