Mariscal Estigarribia

Mariscal Estigarribia (or simply Mariscal) is mostly used by travelers as the starting point for touring the attractions of the central and northern Chaco. There are at least three national parks in the region, as well as a number of private nature reserves, some welcoming indigenous communities, and several historical sites from the Chaco War. All are accessible from Mariscal, however it is recommended to venture into the Chaco only with a guided tour which can last from one to three days.

The town is quite spread-out and is a long string of city blocks along the line of the Transchaco. To the west of the route are the military quarters, the old church and the water reservoir which looks like a small lake. To the east of the route is the town, with the new church and where all the businesses are.

The 🌍 Municipalidad (city hall) building which is roughly at the center of town should be your main point of reference.

The 🌍 military base of Mariscal Estigarribia is the largest in the Chaco and serves also as home base for other smaller outposts scattered around the region. Normally a military base would be off limits for the common visitor but if you show your ID or passport at the entrance and explain that you are a tourist and want to look around you should be granted access.

Inside is the 🌍 old cathedral, an attractive red-brick church, whose principal fault was its location, as being inside the military premises it provided not an easy access to the civilian population, so a new cathedral was built in the civilian part of town. The church houses the tomb of Belgian Monsignor Pedro Shaw, better known locally as Pa'í Pukú (tall priest) because he was 2 m tall. He was a much-loved priest, and a member of the Oblates congregation. He worked in the evangelism of the Chaco for more than 30 years until his death in 1984 at the age of 59. He is remembered for his dedicated work for the poor, his travels all around the Chaco on horseback, and a number of development projects for the indigenous, most especially the unique Pa'í Pukú school, the first indigenous school project meant to deliver an integral education scheme to the young people of the Chaco. This project started in 1965 and now has more than 500 students and 60 teachers. It is in Benjamín Aceval 364 km (226 mi) to the southeast on the Transchaco.

Another sight worth a visit in the military base is the 🌍 airport, reached by following the main avenue which is artistically decorated by a line of beautiful samu'ú trees. It is a large unused facility with a 3.8-km runway, the largest in the country. Built in 1988, the real purpose of its construction remains an unanswered question. It is named Dr. Luis María Argaña, a vice president who was assassinated in 1999. It is worth going and take a look at the empty huge hangars and unused air traffic control tower. It is a curious enigma of the Chaco.

The 🌍 new cathedral is a modern church built in 2000. The interior features a figure of the Virgin Mary carved in wood by sculptor Miguel Romero of Tobatí, one of the artisan towns of Paraguay famous for its fine woodcraft. Adjoining the church is a museum housing a large image of the Virgin of Guadalupe and displaying indigenous craftwork by the Nivaclé, vestiments and old technology items such as a sewing machine, telephone, radio, camera and typewriter. There are also bullets from the Chaco War.

🌍 Santa Teresita is the neighborhood where the indigenous community of Mariscal Estigarribia live and is 3 km south on the Transchaco. The indigenous living here are Guaraní Occidental, Guaraní Ñandeva, Nivaclé, and Mantjui ethnic groups. There is an interesting community church which is circular with a round altar, an adaptation necessary to suit indigenous religious traditions. This church was visited by Pope John Paul II during his 1988 visit to Paraguay. There is also an indigenous public high school, the Colegio Nacional Indígena which is at the same level of the rest of the public high schools of the country.

You can buy crafts made by the indigenous in the nearby neighborhood of Santa Teresita such as carpets and bags, also wood carvings artistically made from the palo santo tree are interesting souvenirs to take home.

For general purchases there are various well stocked supermarkets alongside the Transchaco and some general stores and shops around town that attend the demand of goods and food from the region.

It is recommended that visitors bring cash, as only very few shops in town accept credit cards. There is one ATM in town at the roundabout giving access to the military quarters.

• 🌍 Restaurant La Estancia, At hotel La Estancia (behind the Municipalidad), ☏ +595 494 247250. 
• Restaurante Las Tunas, Calle Pa'í Pukú and Cabo 1ro. Talavera, ☏ +595 976 999105. 
• Copetín Goloso, ☏ +595 981 348818. Snack bar and inexpensive meals. 

There are several convenience stores at the gas stations at the side of the Transchaco selling snacks and food to carry out.

• Maximus Bar Karaoke, At Km 525 marker, ☏ +595 982 148540. 

• 🌍 Hotel La Estancia (Behind the Municipality building), ☏ +595 494 247250, laestanciachaco@gmail.com. Formerly known as Hotel La Laguna, it's considered the best lodging in town. It has a restaurant. 
• 🌍 Hotel Aeropuerto (300 m before reaching the airport on the avenue that leads to it.), ☏ +595 984 131777. The hotel is inside the military compound, so you will have to ask for permission at the base entrance to get to the hotel. Used originally by members of government, it was renovated and now accepts all kind of guests. Call before to book. 
• 🌍 Parador Lucho, On the road that runs parallel to the Transchaco (800 m past the Municipality), ☏ +595 991 650607, +595 494 247262. Small inn catering mostly to truck drivers and backpackers. 

Wi-Fi is available at the hotels and at some shops and restaurants.

• The Mennonite colonies of Filadelfia, Loma Plata and Neuland are 1½ hr drive to the south. They are charming, German-speaking towns with good hotels and restaurants, excellent museums, and close to well preserved historic sites from the Chaco War.
• Bolivia - You can catch the Asunción-Bolivia bus that will take you to Santa Cruz de la Sierra, which lies 803 km (499 mi) away. Tickets can be purchased at the bus terminal. The only thing is that you will have to pay for the entire journey as if going from Asunción and the cost is US$65. Buses normally depart Asunción daily at 8PM and reach Mariscal around 3AM. Don't board the bus without having the immigration officer checked your passport and issued your exit stamp as there is no Paraguayan immigration at the border. Once you have boarded the bus you will travel for 6-7 hours before you arrive at Bolivian immigration.
• Argentina - It is possible to enter Salta Province in Northern Argentina through a remote border crossing at 🌍 Pozo Hondo however, this is very much off the beaten path as very few travellers use this route to go to Argentina. But for those who want to have the experience the journey starts by following the unpaved Picada 500 route 223 km (139 mi) to the west up to the Pilcomayo river which marks the border. There is no public transportation from Mariscal going this way, so you will have to travel by private vehicle or ask a truck driver going this way to take you to the border. Once there it is an 🌍 international bridge connecting to Misión La Paz on the argentine side where there is an immigration office right after the crossing that will check and stamp your passport. Then you will have to follow a gravel route, RP54, for 25 km northwest to 🌍 Santa Victoria Este, the first urban centre you will see and one of the most remote places in Argentina. From here you can take a bus that follows the same route, but paved, for 121 km (75 mi) to the west until it joins RN34, and then another 40 km (25 mi) south up to Tartagal, a major city in this region where you can find a decent hotel room, and have more bus options to Salta or Buenos Aires.