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A department of Paraguay, Alto Paraná is a boon to the world of biology. It has the world’s biggest hydroelectric powerhouse, the Itaipú Dam supplying electricity to 95 percent of Paraguay. Apart from being the center of Alto Paraná’s ecology, the dam is a picturesque site.
Even before the conquistadors came to Alto Paraná to label the land in the name of Spain, the original Mbya Guarani settlers had already inhabited the place, which has rewarded the people with knowledge of jungle survival techniques and medicinal herbs. Nonetheless, when urbanization hit Alto Paraná and its capital, Ciudad del Este, massive deforestation occurred, threatening extinction not only to the department’s species, but also to the Mbya Guarani who are highly dependent on their inherent ecology.
Soon, widespread environmental efforts arrived, leading to budding ecotourism and eco-education programs all over Alto Paraná. Biological reserves like Tati Yupi, Itabó, Limoy and Carapá offer a panoramic viewpoint to study endangered species like wolves, royal condors, pines and ferns. Every summer, a number of visitors troop to Ñacunday National Park to bathe in its superb waterfalls, which have a small underlying island formed by logs that fell down the precipice. Summertime also denotes smelling the Park’s orchids or putting one’s anthropological skills to the test through a visit to an Mbya Guarani Indian village.
Co-owned by Paraguay and Brazil, the Mbracayú Refuge is an eco-reserve packed with provincial bliss and greeneries. The reserve is also a playpen to the endangered swamp deer, which usually seen in the riverbanks during mating season.
A trip back to Ciudad del Este, which offers a number of accommodations for the traveler, is a good opportunity to try a bag full of cheap eats like empanadas (meat or egg-stuffed pastry) or milanesa (breaded fried poultry).