Laguna Oca

Information

It is a laguna (like a lake) located south of the city of Formosa, next to the Paraguay River. It is an old meander that was formed by the curvatures of the river, which became isolated from the main course and ended up creating the body of water we see today. It is within a large protected area which is the Laguna Oca del Río Paraguay Biosphere Reserve. It is one of the great attractions of the provincial capital, with wide green spaces and a natural environment, and it is very popular, especially on weekends.

It can be reached from the city by first taking the paved 9 de Julio Avenue in a southerly direction. At one point a dirt/gravel road leads to the protected area on the right. First you pass a secondary lagoon (Laguna García) which has large white viewing platforms, walkways and places to sit on its shores. After a total of 2.8 km you reach the recreational area of Laguna Oca. It is worth mentioning that when there is or has been rain, the road is usually closed to preserve it and you can only go there on foot, by bicycle or motorbike.

When you arrive at the lagoon, you can immediately see its long sandy beach. There are tents/parasols, benches, toilets and children's playground. The high access road goes around part of the lagoon, where there are lookouts and walkways with a panoramic view of the whole area.

It is a good place for wildlife watching in the area, as it has different places and environments to explore. You can see birds of the aquatic environment, and with a bit of luck you will be able to find some yacaré (Caiman yacare) in the water or a black and gold howler monkey (Alouatta caraya) in the trees.