Concepción: Getting there & around

Paraguay's only international airport is in Asunción. The most traditional (if not the most comfortable) way to get to or from Concepción is by riverboat. Cacique (42621) boats to Asunción leave very early Sunday mornings (30hr). Boats heading upriver to Puerto Valemí (24hr) or as far as Bahia Negra (2.5-3 days) include the Aquidabán , Cacique and Guaraní . Check schedules and boats - both change. Ask around the old port about heading as far north as Isla Margarita (aka Puerto Esperanza) on the Brazilian border.

The bus terminal is eight blocks north of the lone stoplight, which is as close to the centre as Colectivo Linéa 1 will take you.

Several buses pass through Pozo Colorado (1.5hr) en route to Filadelfia (5-6hr) and Asunción (5-6hr). Several services head to Pedro Juan Caballero (4hr). There's also a daily departure to Ciudad del Este (9hr).

Car or motorcycle taxis are a good way to get about; karumbes (horse-carts) are twice as much fun - be sure to confirm your price before you are taken for a ride!

Hitching is relatively safe in Paraguay, but solo women should, of course, exercise caution.