Tekotopa Centro Ambiental (Sendero del Jaguareté y Museo de Itaipu Tierra Guaraní)
Jaguars, tapirs and harpy eagles of the Atlantic Forest, plus Itaipú's great museum of nature and Guaraní culture.
What it is
Tekotopa (from the Guaraní tekove, "life", and topa, "to find") is the environmental center Itaipú opened to the public in September 2025 in Hernandarias. Its star attraction is the Jaguar Trail (Sendero del Jaguareté): a 1.6 km self-guided walk past enclosures that recreate the forest, home to jaguars, pumas, tapirs, capybaras and blue-and-yellow macaws, plus an enclosure with two harpy eagles. On the same grounds, the Itaipu Tierra Guaraní Museum takes you on a journey along the Paraná River through time: its biodiversity, its Indigenous peoples and the arrival of the dam.
What to see and do
- Walk the Jaguar Trail, about 1,600 meters long (the full visit takes around 90 minutes)
- Watch the harpy eagles
- Visit the Itaipu Tierra Guaraní Museum
- Stroll through the medicinal plant garden and the tree nursery
Did you know…?
Its two harpy eagles (taguato ruvicha in Guaraní) arrived in 2025 from the Bela Vista Biological Refuge in Brazil; according to Itaipú experts, the species hasn't been recorded in the wild in Paraguay since 2000.
The museum's biological collection holds more than 9,000 specimens of plants, animals and fungi; it was started in 1978, before the reservoir was filled.
In Guaraní, Tekotopa means "to encounter life".
History
Planning began around 2017, with scientific advice from the Smithsonian Institution in the United States. Tekotopa officially opened on September 19, 2025, and welcomed more than 65,000 visitors in its first year. It also houses the Wildlife Research Center (CIASI), an aquaculture station, a tree nursery and a medicinal plant garden.
Tips
- Book your visit and check in at Itaipú's Visitor Reception Center with photo ID; admission has been free.
- No pets or drones allowed; visits are canceled when it rains.
- Minors must be accompanied by a responsible adult.
Daily except Tuesdays, 8:30–15:30 (hours announced at the opening, 2025); free with advance booking. Check before you go.
Best time: Mornings in autumn, winter and spring; in summer, go for the first time slot, when it's cooler. Avoid rainy days, when visits are canceled.
Activities
Festivals and events here
Guided visits
Itaipú Binacional (Tekotopa Centro Ambiental)
Sendero del Jaguareté y Museo de Itaipú Tierra Guaraní (Tekotopa)
A 1,600-metre self-guided trail past native Atlantic Forest wildlife, inside Itaipú's environmental center.
Nearby
Hernandarias · Alto Paraná
Central Hidroeléctrica Acaray
ANDE's dam on the Acaray River (210 MW), built between 1961 and 1969, predating Itaipú.
Hernandarias · Alto Paraná
Modelo Reducido de la Represa de Itaipú
A 1:100-scale physical model of the Itaipú dam, with the reservoir and the Acaray, Yguazú and Monday rivers, at the Visitor Reception Centre.
Hernandarias · Alto Paraná
Museo Histórico Tacurú Pucú
A museum aiming to preserve Alto Paraná's cultural and historical heritage, housed in the Chaco War Veterans Union building.
Ciudad del Este · Alto Paraná
Costanera Ñande Rendá
A free-access waterfront for strolling, sport and watching the sunset; ID is requested to enter.
Hernandarias · Alto Paraná
Hernandarias
The city of energy: dams, a beach on the Itaipú reservoir and a Way of the Cross lit by candles.
Hernandarias · Alto Paraná
Central Hidroeléctrica Itaipú
One of the world's largest hydroelectric plants, free and guided: colossal engineering on the Paraná River.
Researched and reviewed in September 2026 with 8 sources. A second reviewer checked dates, coordinates and lodging. Hours and prices may change.