Introducing Paraguay
Paraguay is a country of fascinating contrasts. It’s rustic and sophisticated. It’s extremely poor and obscenely wealthy. It boasts exotic natural reserves and massive man-made dams. It is a place where horses and carts pull up by Mercedes Benz cars, artisans’ workshops abut glitzy shopping centers and Jesuit ruins in rural villages near Encarnación are just a few kilometers from sophisticated colonial towns like Asunción. Steamy subtropical rainforests with metallic butterflies contrast with the dry and wild frontier of Northern Paraguay & the Chaco. Here, many Mennonites have created their haven, living alongside some of the country’s many indigenous groups, while the European influence is particularly strong in the laid-back towns like Filadelfia and the more chaotic capital.
Surprisingly, backpackers are rarer than pumas in Paraguay, but travel is always do-able – whether on a bone-rattling kamikaze-style bus trip or leisurely bobbing up the Río Paraguay aboard a rickety boat. While Paraguayans are more used to visits from their bordering neighbors, they are relaxed, kind and curious to anyone – share a tereré (iced herbal tea) and they will impart their country’s alluring secrets. The residual effects of dictators, corruption and contraband contribute to an overall sense that, for many years, much of Paraguayan life has taken place behind closed doors, as its people partake in public protests with confidence.
Activities in Paraguay
Asunción
It's hard to get your head around Asunción.
Southern Paraguay
Paraguay's southernmost region, east of the Río Paraguay, is home to some of the country's most important historical sites.
Paraguay destination guides
Encarnación
Encarnación, 'La Perla del Sur', is Paraguay´s most attractive city.
Hotels in Paraguay
Budget Hotels & Hostels in Paraguay
Guesthouses and B&Bs in Paraguay
Ciudad Del Este
Originally named Puerto Presidente Stroessner after the former dictator, the 'City of the East' is a renowned center for contraband goods, earning it the nickname 'the Supermarket of South America'.
Entertainment in Paraguay
Around Asunción
Prepare yourself for a taste of rural and historical Paraguay.
Shopping in Paraguay