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Voykit pocket guide · Paraguay
Neuland
One night in Neuland, half a day for the museum and plaza, and Fortín Boquerón as a 3–4 h side trip. Skip it if you are not already in the Chaco.
Neuland is the smallest of the three Mennonite colonies in the central Chaco, about 2,500 people, 464 km northwest of Asunción and 37 km south of Filadelfia. The cooperative runs the bank, supermarket, hospital, museum, the only hotel and the tourist office, so almost everything you do here is booked through one desk. The town itself is a half-day; the reason to sleep here is Fortín Boquerón, 27–28 km southeast, the best-known Chaco War site.
- Country
- Paraguay
- Best months
- May–Sep (dry, cooler)
- Avoid
- Dec–Feb (Chaco heat), and book ahead for Expo Rodeo in May and the Transchaco Rally in late September
- Stay
- 1–2 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- PYG
- Money
- Currency is the Paraguayan guaraní (PYG, ₲). About ₲7,000–8,000 per US dollar in 2026 — check. Cash dominates outside hotels, malls and larger restaurants in Asunción.
- Daily spend
- Budget ₲150,000–250,000 excl. bed · Mid ₲250,000–450,000 excl. bed · High ₲450,000+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Tigo, Personal and Claro; prepaid SIMs with a passport at shops and malls, or an eSIM before you fly.
- Emergency
- Police 911 · Ambulance (Asunción) 141
- Plugs
- Types C, F · 220 V · 50 Hz · European two-pin plugs fit most sockets.
- Tipping
- Restaurant: About 10% if not included.; Taxi / app: Round up.; Guide: US$5–10 a day.
- Water
- Tap water is treated in Asunción but many drink bottled; bottled outside the city.
- Toilets
- Use malls, restaurants and bus terminals; carry tissues.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee or a snack at the cooperative supermarket | ₲10,000–25,000 |
| Lunch buffet at Restaurant Boquerón | ₲60,000–100,000 |
| Pizza at Manjessi | ₲50,000–90,000 |
| Chaco honey from APICSA | ₲30,000–70,000 |
| Nivaclé craft bag or carving in Cayin ô Clim | ₲50,000–200,000 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- ASU · Asunción — Silvio Pettirossi International
- The practical gateway; Neuland is road-only, about 7 h by bus or 5–6 h by car.
Typical fares
- Bus Asunción → Neuland, Stel Turismo
- about US$13, 7 h
- Bus Neuland → Filadelfia, NASA/Golondrina
- about 45 min
- Bus to Bolivia via Mariscal Estigarribia
- buy the full Asunción–Santa Cruz ticket in Neuland, about US$65
Get around
No public transport. The town is small and flat: museum, plaza, cooperative, supermarket and hotel sit along Avenida 1° de Febrero within about 1 km, so you walk. For Fortín Boquerón you need a car, a hired taxi, or a guide arranged through the tourist office.No public transport. The town is small and flat: museum, plaza, cooperative, supermarket and hotel sit along Avenida 1° de Febrero within about 0.6 mi, so you walk. For Fortín Boquerón you need a car, a hired taxi, or a guide arranged through the tourist office.
See and do
Known for
- Mennonite colony founded 1947
- Museo Histórico (settler life)
- Fortín Boquerón, Chaco War site
- Cooperative dairy, beef, peanuts and honey
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Fortín Boquerón | Drive or taxi 24 km on unpaved road from the south edge of town, then 1.5 km to the park entranceDrive or taxi 15 mi on unpaved road from the south edge of town, then 0.9 mi to the park entrance | 3–4 h round trip |
| Filadelfia | NASA/Golondrina bus, or 37 km by car northNASA/Golondrina bus, or 23 mi by car north | About 45 min |
| Loma Plata | Bus via Filadelfia, or 62 km by carBus via Filadelfia, or 39 mi by car | About 1 h |
| Chaco Research and Conservation Center and Fortín Toledo | 26 km northwest on the Transchaco to the 475 km marker, then 9 km west16 mi northwest on the Transchaco to the 295 mi marker, then 5.6 mi west | About 1.5 h each way |
Sleep
- Avenida 1° de Febrero (town centre)
- The only real option: Hotel Boquerón, the cooperative, supermarket, museum and church are all on this street, walkable end to end.
- Chaco Research and Conservation Center guest house
- Dorm beds and a kitchen 60 km northwest near Fortín Toledo; bring all supplies, nearest shop is Filadelfia. Booking required.Dorm beds and a kitchen 37 mi northwest near Fortín Toledo; bring all supplies, nearest shop is Filadelfia. Booking required.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello | HolaOH-lah |
| Thank you | GraciasGRAH-syahs |
| How much is it? | ¿Cuánto cuesta?KWAN-toh KWES-tah |
| Can I pay by card? | ¿Puedo pagar con tarjeta?PWEH-doh pah-GAR kon tar-HEH-tah |
| Where is the hotel? | ¿Dónde está el hotel?DON-deh es-TAH el oh-TEL |
| I would like to visit the museum | Quisiera visitar el museokee-SYEH-rah vee-see-TAR el moo-SEH-oh |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake, or a cheek kiss among women and friends; avoid: Skipping 'buenos días'
- Tereré circle: Say thank you when you want to stop; avoid: Wiping the straw
- Language: Try a Guaraní word (aguyje = thanks); avoid: Calling Guaraní a dialect
- Time: Expect relaxed punctuality (hora paraguaya); avoid: Getting visibly impatient
Scams and watch-outs
- The museum is normally closed; visits must be arranged in advance at the tourist office, and the office itself needs a call ahead to confirm the tourism manager is in.
- Fortín Boquerón: call ahead to be sure someone will open the museum; the access road is unpaved for the last stretch.
- Cash is king. Outside the hotel and the cooperative supermarket, few shops in town take cards.
- Only one hotel in town (22 rooms) — reserve ahead for May and late September events.
- Summer heat in the Chaco is severe; carry more water than you think you need.
Neuland is calm and prosperous, one of the highest living standards in Paraguay. The real risks are the heat, long unpaved drives and cash-only shops: carry water, fuel up before side trips, and keep guaraníes on you.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Neuland yet. Suggested stay: 1–2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Mennonite colony founded 1947
- Museo Histórico (settler life)
- Fortín Boquerón, Chaco War site
- Cooperative dairy, beef, peanuts and honey
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Neuland Cooperative (official): www.neuland.com.py
- Neuland Cooperative — tourism office: www.neuland.com.py/turismo
- Wikivoyage: Neuland, revision 5241322 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5241322
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Neuland
A esta dirección, por favor
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
No embassies in Neuland; most countries are represented in Asunción. The US embassy is in Asunción (check the address).
German is widely spoken in the colony alongside Spanish and Guaraní.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/neuland). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.