Cerro Cora National Park (also spelled Cerro Corá) is the largest protected area in

Paraguay Paraguay, officially the Republic of Paraguay, is a landlocked country in South America. It is bordered by Argentina to the Argentina–Paraguay border, south and southwest, Brazil to the Brazil–Paraguay border, east and northeast, and Boli ...

with 5,538 hectares. It is located in

Amambay Department Amambay () is a Department (subnational entity), department in Paraguay. The capital is Pedro Juan Caballero, Paraguay, Pedro Juan Caballero. The name comes from the name of a part of the Caaguazú Cordillera, "Amambai Mountains". Amambay is t ...

, 45 km from the departmental capital, Pedro Juan Caballero and the border with Brazil. Established on February 11, 1976, it is a nature reserve, as well as a major historical site. It was the location where the last battle of the

Paraguayan War The Paraguayan War (, , ), also known as the War of the Triple Alliance (, , ), was a South American war that lasted from 1864 to 1870. It was fought between Paraguay and the Triple Alliance of Argentina, the Empire of Brazil, and Uruguay. It wa ...

took place on March 1, 1870.

Background

The park has several historical monuments, a museum, and a recreation area by the

Aquidabán River The Aquidabán River (Spanish: ''Río Aquidabán'') is a river in the Amambay Department, in northeastern Paraguay. It is a tributary of the larger Paraguay River. Its headwaters start in the Amambai Mountains, and the river flows east-to-west ...

. In addition to the historical background, many visitors come to the park to appreciate ancient rock writings located in hill caves around the area.

History

The

(1864–1870) ended next to the Aquidaban Nigui Brook, where

Francisco Solano López Francisco Solano López Carrillo (24 July 1827 or 1826 – 1 March 1870) was a Paraguay, Paraguayan statesman, Officer (armed forces), military officer and politician who served as President of Paraguay between 1862 and 1870, of which he serve ...

died saying his famous last words, "I die along with my country". Fortunately, Paraguay was not extinguished, as the Marshall announced, but was still deeply ruined by the war, which left the country desolated and deprived. The Cerro Cora National Park, once a virgin

Rain Forest Rainforests are forests characterized by a closed and continuous tree Canopy (biology), canopy, moisture-dependent vegetation, the presence of epiphytes and lianas and the absence of wildfire. Rainforests can be generally classified as tropi ...

that started to suffer

deforestation Deforestation or forest clearance is the removal and destruction of a forest or stand of trees from land that is then converted to non-forest use. Deforestation can involve conversion of forest land to farms, ranches, or urban use. Ab ...

. The area was declared protected, and the National Park was created. The Park is surrounded by hills. Some of them are Ponta Porá, Guazu, Tacuru Pytâ, Alambique, Cerro Corá, Miron, Tanqueria y Tangaro. These and other elevations give shape to a peculiar landscape.

Route

The Park is located 454 km from

Asunción Asunción (, ) is the capital and the largest city of Paraguay. The city stands on the eastern bank of the Paraguay River, almost at the confluence of this river with the Pilcomayo River. The Paraguay River and the Bay of Asunción in the north ...

, and 45 km from Pedro Juan Caballero. Visitors leaving from Asunción can take Ruta 2 to

Coronel Oviedo Coronel Oviedo (), locally simply known as Oviedo, is a city in east-central Paraguay. It is the capital of the Caaguazú Department, about 150 kilometers east of Asunción, and was founded in 1758. The city has a population of about 52,400 ( ...

city. There they would take Ruta 3 up to the connection with Ruta 5 and take the exit to

Yby Yaú Yby Yaú () is a district and city located in the department of Concepción of Paraguay. References {{DEFAULTSORT:Yby Yau Districts of Concepción Department, Paraguay Populated places in Concepción Department, Paraguay Populated places est ...

city.

Culture

The Park is divided in zones, according to the theme of the place and accessibility. It has guides and guards. There is an auditorium, a visitors center and a recreation area.

Petroglyph A petroglyph is an image created by removing part of a rock surface by incising, picking, carving, or abrading, as a form of rock art. Outside North America, scholars often use terms such as "carving", "engraving", or other descriptions ...

s are inscribed in rock shelters throughout the park. A

rock art In archaeology, rock arts are human-made markings placed on natural surfaces, typically vertical stone surfaces. A high proportion of surviving historic and prehistoric rock art is found in caves or partly enclosed rock shelters; this type al ...

research team from the

National Museum and Research Center of Altamira The National Museum and Research Center of Altamira (), also known as Altamira Museum (), is a center dedicated to the conservation of, research into, and the sharing of information about the cave of Altamira in Santillana del Mar (Cantabria), S ...

dated the petroglyphs in 2008 and found that some of them were 5,000 years old. The Paï Tavytera

indigenous peoples There is no generally accepted definition of Indigenous peoples, although in the 21st century the focus has been on self-identification, cultural difference from other groups in a state, a special relationship with their traditional territ ...

live in the region now.

Gallery

Image:Valle cerrocora.jpg, Landscape with valley and hills File:Cerro muralla, Cerro Cora, Amambay.JPG, Cerro Muralla or "Wall Hill" is a hill in Amambay on Cerro Cora national park that resembles a wall, 2008 Image:Bosque cerrocora.jpg, View of the forest surrounded by hills

References

External links

Secretaria del Ambiente
{{authority control National parks of Paraguay Protected areas established in 1976 Amambay Department 1976 establishments in Paraguay