Paraguay’s national parks are some of the country’s most vivid landscapes, and some of its least told stories. Into the Wild, a series from The Asunción Times, travels through them in chronological order, from the first park established to the most recent. In this fifth episode, we explore Cerro Corá National Park, where wooded hills surround the setting of Paraguay’s last battle in the War of the Triple Alliance.
Here in Amambay, near Pedro Juan Caballero, approximately 490 kilometres from Asunción, walking through the landscape means encountering both the country’s natural heritage and a defining moment in Paraguay’s history.
Where the war came to an end
On 1 March 1870, Paraguayan and Brazilian forces fought at Cerro Corá. Paraguayan Marshal Francisco Solano López died beside the Aquidabán Nigüí stream, marking the end of the War of the Triple Alliance. Today, monuments and historical trails help visitors understand what happened here. Paraguay commemorates the date each year as National Heroes’ Day.
The landscape also holds traces of a much earlier human presence. Caves with pre-Columbian rock art add another dimension to the area’s history. These markings connect the surrounding hills with lives and cultures that long preceded the nineteenth-century conflict.
A landscape worth looking beyond
Authorities initially protected the historical site as a military reserve in 1960. On 11 February 1976, a decree established Cerro Corá as a reserve for a national park. The Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development (MADES) now lists its protected area at approximately 5,683 hectares.
Within that space, the scenery changes between rocky slopes, cliffs, grasslands and woodland. The park’s management plan describes Cerrado vegetation alongside gallery forests, which follow watercourses. This variety gives Cerro Corá a different character from the dry Chaco landscapes explored in our previous episode.
A refuge for Paraguay’s wildlife
According to MADES, the park shelters pumas, tapirs and giant anteaters. Its birdlife includes the bare-throated bellbird, greater rhea and cinnamon woodpecker. Lapacho and guatambú trees also form part of its vegetation. Wildlife sightings require patience, and visitors should allow animals space to move undisturbed.
Protecting this diversity involves work beyond the visitor trails. In August 2026, park rangers received training in bird observation, amphibian and reptile identification, camera trapping and recognising mammal tracks. The programme also addressed fire’s effects on Cerrado habitats, helping staff strengthen the information available for conservation decisions.
(Cerdocyon thous)
(Tamandua tetradactyla)
Planning a visit to Cerro Corá
Cerro Corá lies near Pedro Juan Caballero, approximately 490 kilometres from Asunción. The approach runs through San Estanislao and Yby Yaú before joining the PY05. MADES lists daily opening hours from 07:00 to 17:00 and permits camping. Visitors can explore historical trails and ask about access to Cerro Muralla’s panoramic views.
Given the distance from the capital, an overnight trip allows more time to explore. Bring drinking water, comfortable walking shoes, insect repellent and sun protection. Before travelling, confirm entry arrangements, camping conditions and available routes with park staff.
Cerro Corá invites visitors to consider how a single landscape can preserve several chapters of Paraguay’s story. The battlefield and rock art provide points of connection with the past, while the surrounding habitats remain important to the country’s living natural heritage.
Next up: Into the Wild #6
In the next episode of Into the Wild, we return to the Chaco to explore Teniente Agripino Enciso National Park. Established on 21 May 1980, it protects dry forest, habitat for the Chacoan peccary and traces of another conflict: the Chaco War.
Read previous episodes of this The Asunción Times series:
Into The Wild #4: Defensores Del Chaco National Park And The Hills Above The Plain
Into The Wild #3: Ybycuí National Park And The Ruins Of Paraguay’s Industrial Past
