Filadelfia

About this place

Filadelfia is the capital of Boquerón Department in the Gran Chaco of western Paraguay and the centre of the Mennonite Fernheim Colony. It lies about 450 km northwest of Asunción, is the largest town for a very long way around, with about 20,000 people, and makes a comfortable base for anyone wanting to see the Chaco. Russian Mennonites who fled the Soviet Union founded it in 1930, building an orderly farming settlement in near-arid land. It lay near the front of the Chaco War but was little affected. Today it is an important cattle centre, with the Fernheim cooperative among its main buildings. Around town lie the colony's villages and several reserves of native peoples, including the Chulupí, Lengua and Ayoreo. Its streets are wide and straight, with red-earth sides in many places. The Jakob Unger Museum, in a two-storey timber building, shows objects from the colony's past, such as Russian overcoats, along with stuffed local wildlife. The Memorial Park has huge swollen-trunked trees and an old wagon, and nearby stands the Gate of Freedom monument recalling the migration. Highway PY09 is paved from Asunción, a long but easy drive, so one or two nights are best. Groundwater here is too salty to drink, so buy bottled water. The town is the last good place for groceries before going further into the Chaco, and summer heat is harsh, so ask about roads before heading on. Respect the reserves, and do not enter them or photograph residents without permission.