Kaa-Iya del Gran Chaco National Park and Integrated Management Natural Area

Kaa-Iya del Gran Chaco National Park and Integrated Management Natural Area is a large protected area in southeastern Bolivia’s Santa Cruz Department covering an extensive portion of the Gran Chaco ecosystem. It was established to conserve dry forests and grasslands and their wildlife.

The park offers expansive, sparsely populated wilderness habitat where large mammals and other native fauna of the Gran Chaco persist; field visits are primarily for wildlife observation, ecological research and community-based tourism. Infrastructure is limited and travel within the park is typically by long overland routes.

The area was legally designated as a national park and integrated management natural area in the 1990s to protect land traditionally used by indigenous peoples and to conserve biodiversity across a large contiguous block of Chaco habitat. Management arrangements include cooperation with local indigenous groups.

Situated in the southeastern part of Bolivia’s Santa Cruz Department, the park spans a remote region of the Gran Chaco lowlands. The nearest major urban centers are several hundred kilometers away, so access requires significant overland travel from regional towns or cities.

• Ecosystem and management: The park protects extensive Gran Chaco dry forest and savanna habitats and is managed with involvement from indigenous communities in the region.
• Access: Access to the park is remote and commonly requires long overland travel; visitors should plan logistics carefully and use local guides.