In this guide
Tobatí is about crafts and hills: see and buy wood carvings, saint figures, black clay pitchers and masks at the Villa Artesanal, the fair on Cerro Tres Caras and the gallery at the Virgen del Camino lookout, then climb to a viewpoint or rappel on Cerro Tobatí. The town is in Cordillera, 17 km from Caacupé, and fits comfortably in one day (Wikipedia (opens in a new tab)).
Which crafts come from Tobatí, and where are they made?
Tobatí calls itself the capital of crafts and ceramics, and each rural community has its own trade (Wikipedia (opens in a new tab); InfoNegocios (opens in a new tab)). Knowing what comes from where helps you buy well:
- Carvings and saint figures: religious images and figures carved in cedar, palo santo and guatambú, in a Guaraní-Franciscan style (Wikipedia (opens in a new tab)).
- Kambuchi: black clay pitchers with plant motifs, made by women in the 21 de Julio community, especially the 6 de Enero neighbourhood (Wikipedia (opens in a new tab)).
- Pirí hats: woven from karanda'y palm leaves in the 4 Vientos neighbourhood of 21 de Julio (Wikipedia (opens in a new tab)).
- Timbó masks: carved from timbó root in the Rosado community, home to a workshop-school of ancestral skills (Wikipedia (opens in a new tab); La Nación, 2022 (opens in a new tab)).
- Ysypo: vine furniture and baskets from Potrero (Wikipedia (opens in a new tab)), where Diego Esquivel builds life-size ysypo figures (La Nación, 2022 (opens in a new tab)).
- Bricks and tiles: the family kilns (olerías) on the road from Caacupé are the district's main trade (Wikipedia (opens in a new tab)).
To see older pieces first, Asunción's Museo del Barro displays the Kamba Ra'anga masks from Tobatí's San Baltazar festivities (Museo del Barro (opens in a new tab)); details in our Museo del Barro guide.
Where to buy
Villa Artesanal (Fundación Tobatí). The main sales point, with work by more than 80 artists (La Nación, 2022 (opens in a new tab)), sold on consignment (Wikipedia (opens in a new tab)). InfoNegocios listed hours of 8:00–12:00 and 14:00–18:00 in 2018 (InfoNegocios (opens in a new tab)).
Cerro Tres Caras fair. On weekends and public holidays the artisans' association sets up at the lookout at the town entrance, free to enter (InfoNegocios (opens in a new tab); La Nación, 2022 (opens in a new tab)). The best place to buy straight from the maker.
Virgen del Camino gallery. Below the chapel on the road from Caacupé, with carvings, saints, thermoses, guampas, leather and karanda'y work (La Nación, 2022 (opens in a new tab)). In December 2025 it opened daily from 7:00 to 17:00; saint figures cost G. 150,000 to 200,000 depending on size, and personalised keyrings G. 10,000 to 20,000 (ABC Color, 2025 (opens in a new tab)).
Bring cash in small notes, and ask for packing if you are taking saints or ceramics on the bus.
Lookouts and hills
- Cerro Tres Caras (Cerro Mirador Tres Américas). The town's emblem, the rocky hill that greets you at the edge of town (La Nación, 2022 (opens in a new tab)).
- Mirador Virgen del Camino. A grotto-chapel under a rock outcrop with five viewpoints representing stations of the cross (La Nación, 2022 (opens in a new tab)) and a panoramic view of the town (ABC Color, 2025 (opens in a new tab)).
- Castillo Caballero Templario. About 100 metres from the lookout: a medieval-style building, trails to hilltop viewpoints, a stream and camping. Entry G. 25,000, under-12s free (ABC Color, 2023 (opens in a new tab); ABC Color, 2025 (opens in a new tab); La Nación, 2022 (opens in a new tab)). Sources disagree on opening days, so call (0992) 917-287 first.
- Cerro Tobatí and Cerro Kavaju. Erosion-carved slopes and bat caves, good for walks (Wikipedia (opens in a new tab)).
Adventure: rappel and a cave on Cerro Tobatí
Young locals offer eco-adventure itineraries and guiding (La Nación, 2022 (opens in a new tab)). According to InfoNegocios (2018), Cerro Tobatí had rappels of 12, 25 and 40 metres from age 7, 25-metre top-rope climbing, 1–3 km trails and a visit to the 30-metre Mbopi Kua cave with helmet and torch, priced from G. 25,000 to 150,000 (InfoNegocios (opens in a new tab)). There was also a town tour of artisans' homes, a brickworks, the church and the chapel. Book ahead and ask for current prices.
Water and the church
- Karumbe Ykua. A waterfall on the Karumbey stream, on the border with Atyrá, with a natural pool and sandy edges; busy in summer (Wikipedia (opens in a new tab)).
- Inmaculada Concepción church. Hand-carved wooden altars, including a lion-and-crown motif (Wikipedia (opens in a new tab); ABC Color, 2023 (opens in a new tab)).
- Jaikatu. A 12-metre wrought-iron sculpture by Juan Pablo Pistilli whose base mimics the brick kilns (La Nación, 2022 (opens in a new tab)).
Festivals worth planning around
- 6 January, San Baltasar in Rosado, with timbó masks and rites mixing pre-Hispanic and Christian traditions (La Nación, 2022 (opens in a new tab)).
- Holy Week: a living Way of the Cross from the church forecourt to the hilltop lookout; in 2023 it was on Holy Wednesday at 19:00 (ABC Color, 2023 (opens in a new tab)).
- 8 December: feast of the Virgen del Camino chapel (Wikipedia (opens in a new tab)).
Getting there
Route PY02 to Caacupé (54 km from Asunción), then 17 km on the paved branch road (Wikipedia, Caacupé (opens in a new tab); Wikipedia (opens in a new tab)). The Villa Serrana bus company serves the town. After heavy rain, dirt roads to communities such as Rosado become almost impassable (Wikipedia (opens in a new tab)). For an hour-by-hour plan, see our Tobatí day trip.
FAQ
What crafts can I buy in Tobatí?
Carvings and saints in cedar and palo santo, black kambuchi pitchers, karanda'y pirí hats, timbó masks and ysypo furniture, plus bricks and tiles from the kilns.
When is the artisans' fair in Tobatí?
On weekends and public holidays, at the lookout hill at the town entrance (Tres Caras), free to enter.
What can kids do in Tobatí?
The Castillo Caballero Templario (under-12s free), the lookouts and, in summer, the Karumbe Ykua waterfall. In 2018 rappelling on Cerro Tobatí was offered from age 7.
When is the San Baltasar festival in Tobatí?
On 6 January, in the Rosado community, with masks carved from timbó.
