CAVERNAS DE SAN LÁZARO

The region of Vallemí is the most calcareous area of the country. The dozens of caves explored represent a tiny part (3%) of the cavities that remain to be discovered! Caving is the main tourist activity in the area. Guides take curious tourists and caving enthusiasts. The easiest formation to access (by boat) is the Peñón Kamba Hopo, a cave in a rocky promontory on the river bank. The view of Río Paraguay is most photogenic from the inside, especially at sunset. The main caves to visit are located on the side of the village of San Lázaro, north of Vallemí, near the Apá River, which marks the border with Brazil. The caves of San Lázaro and Santa Elena hold some nice surprises underground. Access requires the accompaniment of a certified guide who is supposed to provide the caving equipment (helmets, harnesses, ropes, lanterns). Santa Caverna, in the community of Tres Cerros, is also home to beautiful stalactites (created by the drip that descends from the limestone vault) and stalagmites (concretions rising from the ground). The works created by the age-old work of water are admirable, such as this stalagmite which gave its name to the cave, because of its form as a sculpture of a saint, or the one evoking the strings of a harp. There is also a six-metre high stalactite. The formation of a stalactite takes about a century per centimeter, calculate its age!