Travel Guide Bella Vista Norte

Bella Vista is located on the northern border of the country, on the banks of the Río Apá, opposite the Brazilian city Bela Vista, to which it is connected by a bridge. Bella Vista has beautiful white sandy beaches and fishermen enjoy the fish-filled waters of the river. But it is complicated to reach this city by bus even though the 75-kilometre road was recently asphalted after several years of work. There are no hotels on site, only a few guesthouses. Nothing touristy here, but for those looking for adventure, a geological curiosity awaits them 58 kilometres further along a track heading west, in the Colonia Rinconada. It is a mysterious water hole lost in the middle of lush vegetation. This beautiful emerald green lake is called Ojo del Mar ("the eye of the sea"). It measures 100 metres in diameter, but its depth is unknown. The geological formation is more than 250 million years old and was formed by a volcanic eruption. It is a wild place and until a few years ago it was the territory of the extremely rare yacaré morotí (Caiman latirostris), a white crocodile endemic to the area, which can grow to over two and a half metres in its adult stage. Access to the water is tricky, you have to go down with a rope a few metres through the vegetation. But be warned, a local legend says that those who try to swim across the lake are sucked to the bottom (if there is one) by a strange force... Find out about the access conditions on site, which may have been regulated since our investigation.