Villamontes,
Bolivia.

Villamontes is a city of approximately 50,000 people in Bolivia's Tarija department, at 380m on the banks of the Río Pilcomayo where the Andes foothills give way to the Gran Chaco lowlands. Known as Bolivia's fishing capital due to the extraordinary dorado and surubí populations in the Pilcomayo, it hosts the Fiesta del Pescado every August — the country's largest fishing festival, drawing visitors from Bolivia, Paraguay and Argentina.

The Fiesta del Pescado is Bolivia's largest fishing festival, held in Villamontes during the first week of August for 3 days. Thousands of fishermen and visitors from Bolivia, Paraguay and Argentina compete in dorado and surubí competitions on the Río Pilcomayo. The festival includes live Chaco music, indigenous Weenhayek artisan crafts, and traditional gastronomy — especially dorado a las brasas (grilled dorado over quebracho wood fire). Accommodation must be booked 3–4 weeks in advance.

The Río Pilcomayo near Villamontes holds three premier fish: dorado (Salminus brasiliensis, up to 30kg) — the golden-coloured characin that migrates upstream from Argentina each year; surubí (Pseudoplatystoma spp., up to 80kg) — the tiger-spotted giant catfish active at night; and pacú (Piaractus mesopotamicus, up to 25kg) — the vegetarian round-bodied fish most commonly eaten. Also present: sábalo, boga and several catfish species. Best fishing season: August–October.

By bus from Tarija (3 hours, ~$5 USD, paved road) — the most convenient option since Tarija has direct flights from La Paz, Santa Cruz and Cochabamba. From Santa Cruz, overnight buses take 8–10 hours ($10–15). From Argentina, the Yacuiba border crossing is 90km south (shared taxi 1.5h). There is no commercial airport in Villamontes itself. Book transport in advance for the August festival.

August is the best month: the Fiesta del Pescado takes place and it is peak fishing season for dorado and surubí. The full dry season (May–September) offers bearable temperatures (22–32°C) and the best Chaco wildlife sightings. October–November is excellent for bird migration on the Pilcomayo. Avoid December–March: temperatures regularly reach 40–45°C and heat index can exceed 50°C.

The Pilcomayo near Villamontes has jabiru storks, roseate spoonbills, various herons, river otters, capybaras and yacaré caimans. The surrounding dry Chaco holds pampas deer, collared peccaries, giant anteaters, armadillos and military macaws. Kaa-Iya National Park (2–3 hours by 4×4) has the Chaco jaguar, puma and giant armadillo — Bolivia's largest national park.

The Río Pilcomayo is a 2,500km river originating in Bolivia's Andes (near Potosí) and flowing southeast across the Gran Chaco to join the Río Paraguay near Asunción. It forms the international border between Paraguay and Argentina for much of its lower course. Near Villamontes, the river exits the mountains and fans across the Chaco plain — creating exceptional freshwater biodiversity. It is considered one of the most productive migratory fish rivers in South America.

Villamontes has one of Bolivia's most extreme climates. In summer (November–March), temperatures regularly reach 40–45°C with high humidity near the river. The city holds Bolivia's all-time temperature record of 46°C. Cold surazos (southern polar winds) can drop winter nights (June–July) to 8–12°C despite warm days. Best visiting months for climate: May–September.

The Chaco gastronomy of Villamontes centres on river fish and Guaraní-influenced cooking: dorado a las brasas (grilled dorado over quebracho wood fire — the city's signature dish, eaten at the Fiesta and in riverside restaurants year-round), surubí frito (fried tiger catfish), locro chaqueño (thick corn and meat stew), majadito seco (rice with charque and fried egg) and chicha de maíz.

Yes — Villamontes is 90km north of Yacuiba, the main Bolivia-Argentina crossing in this region (facing Pocitos, Salta province). Shared taxis and buses cover the route in 1.5 hours (~$3 USD). The crossing is an official international border open 8am–8pm. Many visitors arrive from Salta and Jujuy for the Fiesta del Pescado. From the Argentine side, Embarcación (Salta) is 120km from the border.