Paraguay — Where to Go
Top Things to See
• Explore Asunción, the capital city, situated on the Bay of Asunción, an inlet off the Paraguay River. Planned on a colonial Spanish grid system, it has many parks and plazas. On the way to the waterfront the visitor enters the old part of town, an area of architectural diversity.
• Enjoy good views of Asunción from the Parque Carlos Antonio Lopez, high above the city. The Botanical Gardens are situated in a former estate of the Lopez family on the Paraguay River. Among the many religious buildings is the Metropolitan Cathedral.
• View the churches of Yaguarón, set in an orange-growing district, 48km (29 miles) from the capital. Yaguarón played a part during the Spanish conquest as a base for the Franciscan missions.
• Witness the famous Chaco, a vast, scarcely populated area, consisting mainly of empty plains and forests, that covers 61% of the country’s total surface. It is home to major national parks including the Defensores del Chaco, Tifunque, Enciso and Cerro Cora.
• Wildlife and nature enthusiasts can also visit the area’s beautiful biological reserves (in Itabo, Limoy, Tati Yupi) or the protected forests in Mbaracayu and Nacunday, where over 600 species of birds and 200 species of mammals live in a natural habitat.
• Prepare to see the breathtaking waterfalls in Ciudad del Este, 326km (204 miles) east of the capital. It is a good starting point for a visit to the majestic Monday Falls and Iguazú Falls, which are a 15- to 30-minute drive from the city.
• Discover the seven villages remaining from when the Company of Jesus converted the Guaraní people to Christianity in the 16th century. They housed them in large villages with fairly rigid socioeconomic structures based on Jesuit values. Those in Jesús de Taravangue and Trinidad del Paraná have been declared UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
Top Things to Do
• Visit the National Fine Arts Museum which holds 19th-century paintings and colonial works, the Visual Arts Museum, and the Andres Barbero Museum, which contains works of anthropological value.
• Stop at Luque, near the capital, the home of the famous Paraguayan harps (website: www.paraguayanharps.com).
• Follow the popular ‘Central Circuit’, a route of some 200km (125 miles) that takes in some of the country’s most interesting sites clustered around the capital. Head for San Lorenzo, the site of the university halls of residence and an interesting gothic-style church.
• Enjoy the San Blas festival in February. Founded in 1539 by Domingo Martínez, it is Ita’s main event. Follow the procession through the streets while eating traditional food. Its main craft specialty is handpainted black clay Gallinita hens.
• Conquer the foothills of the Cordillera de los Altos to explore the historic village of Paraguarí and its several old buildings in colonial style.
• Rent a bungalow in the holiday center of Chololo, 87km (54 miles) from the capital.
• Purchase the Encaje-yú spindle lace, the ‘sixty-stripe’ Paraní poncho and other handmade goods in Piribebuy (website: www.piribebuy.com), which was the scene of bloody fighting during the war of the triple alliance. It is also famous as a place of worship of the ‘Virgin of Miracles’.
• Relax in San Bernardino, a vacation resort situated on Lake Ypacarai, 47km (29 miles) from the capital. Owing to its beaches and lake shores, it’svery popular during the summer months. It also has a camping ground.
• Go fishing. International fishing contests are held near Asunción. The dorado can weigh up to 29kg (65Ib). Other smaller fish are peculiar to Paraguay, such as the surubí, manguruyus, armados and bagres.
• Visit one of the seven wonders of the modern world, the Italpú Dam, the largest hydroelectric complex in the world.The water reservoir provides a unique ecosystem for wildlife and birds and provides tourists withactivities including fishing, watersports and walking tours.
• To the south, walk along the sleepy waterfront area of Encarnación. Nearby is the Roque González de Santa Cruz bridge linking Paraguay with Posadas in Argentina across the river Paraná.
