Travel Guide Reserva San Rafael

This 73,000 hectare protected area straddles the departments of Itapúa and Caazapá in the San Rafael Mountain Range. It is one of the country's most interesting reserves and one of the last sanctuaries of these dense, high and humid forests, characteristic of the Atlantic Forest Ecoregion of Upper Paraná, which has suffered so much from deforestation in recent decades (only 7% of the 2 million km² of original forest that covered eastern Paraguay, southern Brazil from the coast and northeastern Argentina remains). Grasslands and wetlands are also part of this ecosystem, which covers 80% of the reserve's territory. The reserve has been recognized as one of the 200 most important biological sites in the world, and in 1997 it was listed by Birdlife International as an Important Bird Area (IBA). More than 400 species have been identified, many of which are endemic. There were also 27 species of reptiles, 61 species of mammals, including the largest on the continent (puma, jaguar, ocelot, tapir, capybara), 650 species of invertebrates and 322 species of plants. Finally, San Rafael and its surroundings make up the territory of 27 Mbyá Guarani communities. The Indians have lived in the forest for centuries in a sustainable way and their cultural identity is based on their environment. Several associations are working for the conservation of San Rafael. Pro Cosara and Guyra Pataguay have facilities to stay on site and offer to take researchers and tourists to these wild spaces. A way to finance their actions.