The Mbaracayú Forest Nature Reserve protects, in the Canindeyú department, the last great Atlantic Forest massif of Paraguay, one of the most threatened ecosystems in South America. Created by Law No. 112/91 of June 27, 1991, the first private reserve in the country, it is managed by the Moisés Bertoni Foundation in collaboration with the indigenous Aché communities who have historically inhabited this territory. With 64,406 hectares and UNESCO recognition as a biosphere reserve since 2000, Mbaracayú is not just a conservation site: it is a rare model of coexistence between nature protection and ancestral human presence.
The last great Atlantic Forest massif
The Mbaracayú Forest Reserve constitutes the core zone of the biosphere reserve of the same name, in the northeast of Paraguay's eastern region, Canindeyú department. Created by National Law No. 112/91 of June 27, 1991, it became the first private reserve in the country. It protects two highly priority ecosystems for conservation: the Upper Paraná Atlantic Forest (BAAPA) and the Cerrado, two of the most threatened habitats on the subcontinent.
Exceptional biodiversity
Scientific surveys conducted in the reserve have recorded 1,269 plant species, 93 species of mammals, 440 species of birds (including 62 endemic to the Atlantic Forest), 27 species of amphibians, 35 species of reptiles, 1,145 species of insects and 64 species of fish. Among the emblematic mammals are the jaguar, the puma and the tapir, in a region where these large predators have largely disappeared elsewhere under pressure from agricultural deforestation.
Coexistence with the Aché communities
The reserve also hosts a diverse human mosaic, with approximately 30,000 people living in the area, including indigenous and farming communities, among them the Aché, historical inhabitants of this forest territory. The reserve's management has been built, over more than thirty years, around a model that combines strict conservation with recognition of the rights and uses of local communities, a balance rarely achieved elsewhere on the continent.
Practical tips
| Useful information | |
|---|---|
| Getting there | Approximately 350-400 km from Asunción, in the Canindeyú department; access to be arranged with the Moisés Bertoni Foundation. |
| Accommodation | Community ecolodge (Interpretation Center), mandatory advance reservation. |
| Activities | Wildlife watching, guided trails, canopy tour at 20 m height. |
| When to go | Dry season (May-September) for easier access to the trails. |
Sources
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