Day trip to the Paraguayan Pantanal: route and best stops from Bahía Negra

A day in the Paraguayan Pantanal is planned from Bahía Negra, not from Asunción: the town is about 900 km away and getting there takes half a day or more, so the outing starts once you've slept there. With one full day you can take a boat up the Río Negro, reach the tri-border marker at Puerto Caballo, visit a Yshir community and finish with sunset at the port and the town's walking circuit. Here's the route, stop by stop.

Before the day: getting to Bahía Negra

According to the Eco Pantanal and WWF visitor guide (2025⁠⁠ (opens in a new tab)⁠), two options suit a short trip:

• San Juan bus: leaves Asunción Thursday at 19:00, arrives Friday around 11:00 and returns Saturday at 07:30. That leaves only Friday afternoon, so for a full day you'd stay until the following Saturday.
• SETAM flight: leaves Asunción on Wednesdays at 06:00 and takes about 3 hours; request a seat 15 days ahead. The dirt airstrip doesn't operate in rain.

Driving takes about 12 hours in good conditions, including 195 km of dirt road from the Bioceanic Route (ABC, 2022⁠⁠ (opens in a new tab)⁠). Don't set out in the rain.

Morning: a boat up the Río Negro

Start early, when wildlife is most active and before the heat builds. Bahía Negra boatmen rent skiffs with 15 to 25 HP motors; the price depends on distance and is agreed directly with them (2025 guide⁠⁠ (opens in a new tab)⁠).

• Edges of Río Negro National Park: the protected area closest to town has no ranger base, but you can follow its border along the Río Negro. Jaguars, caimans, capybaras, tapirs, pumas and giant otters live in the area (Wikipedia⁠⁠ (opens in a new tab)⁠).
• Puerto Caballo and Marker XI: a navy post at the Paraguay–Bolivia–Brazil tri-border, with the Hito XI boundary marker and the mouth of the Río Negro. It was Bahía Negra's first settlement. A small Yshir settlement there can be visited only with its leaders' permission.

Bring water, a hat and repellent: there's no shade on the boat.

Midday: lunch and a siesta in town

Head back for lunch and rest through the hottest hours. The 2025 guide lists meals from ₲15,000 to ₲80,000 a plate. Payment is cash or bank transfer, so bring guaraníes with you.

Afternoon: a Yshir community

Five Yshir communities surround Bahía Negra (La Nación, 2022⁠⁠ (opens in a new tab)⁠). Pick one for the afternoon:

• Karcha Balhut (14 de Mayo): 15 km south, a sacred place for the Ybytoso Yshir. It has a "green museum" of crafts made from karaguata fibre, palm leaves and carved wood, plus the jetty and giant snails, and community members share their stories (2025 guide⁠⁠ (opens in a new tab)⁠).
• Puerto Diana: a community of about 820 residents. It hosts the office of UCINY, the union of Yshir communities, and you can visit artisans at home to watch them work and buy directly.

Visits are arranged in advance with the current leader; the Eco Pantanal and WWF guide publishes the contact for setting them up. Yshir dances are performed on request for a fee.

Sunset and evening: the port and the town circuit

• Bahía Negra port: the town's landmark, where the boats supplying the riverside communities dock. It has the big Bahía Negra letters and the best sunset over the Paraguay River.
• "Between the sky, the river and the mud" circuit: a self-guided walk with five stops: the artisans' walk, Santa Teresita del Niño Jesús parish church, the first navy base building, the José Julián Sánchez obelisk and the Niokit Owush observatory (2025 guide⁠⁠ (opens in a new tab)⁠).
• Niokit Owush observatory: opened with UNDP support, it presents the Yshir people's knowledge of the night sky (La Nación, 2022⁠⁠ (opens in a new tab)⁠). End the day here, under the dark Pantanal sky.

If you have a spare day

Guyra Paraguay's Los Tres Gigantes station lies about 40 km away on the Río Negro and is reachable only by boat. Book it separately by emailing aviturismoguyrapy@gmail.com; it may close in the rainy season (2025 guide⁠⁠ (opens in a new tab)⁠).