San Rafael National Park, Proposed national park in Itapúa and Caazapá departments, Paraguay

San Rafael National Park is a protected reserve in southeastern Paraguay covering vast forest areas. The land combines Atlantic Forest, grasslands, and wetlands across multiple terrain types.

The area gained protected status in 1992, though its formal establishment as a national park remains incomplete. This delay in full recognition has affected long-term conservation efforts.

The reserve protects the freshwater sources of the Tebicuary, Carumbey, Canguery, Tembey and Pirapó rivers and their tributaries, water that downstream communities depend on. Its name comes from the San Rafael Hills, the range that gives the area its elevations of 100 to 500 metres.

San Rafael has no formal park infrastructure or marked trails, and all land is privately owned, so access requires prior arrangement with landowners or with Guyra Paraguay, which manages 6,500 hectares. The wettest months are October to February, when average annual rainfall of 2,100 mm makes tracks difficult. The park lies in the upper Tebicuary basin in the San Rafael Hills, between the Caazapá and Itapúa departments.

The park hosts more than 400 bird species, with 12 of these globally threatened, making it Paraguay's premier location for bird watching. This diversity attracts nature observers from across the region.