About Paraguay
Paraguay is a landlocked country in South America, bordered by Argentina, Brazil, and Bolivia. Its population is around 7.4 million, with about 2.3 million living in the capital, Asunción. The country was colonized by Spain in the 16th century and gained independence in 1811. The official languages are Spanish and the indigenous Guaraní, which is still widely spoken within the country. Paraguay’s landscape includes the Gran Chaco, a vast dry forest in the west, the Panará River, which forms part of its southeastern border, and rolling hills in the east.
Paraguay’s tourist infrastructure is not very developed. There simply aren’t that many things of great touristic interest to do in this country as in the neighbouring ones and it is almost impossible to find tour operators in order to visit the few points of interest. Traveling between the three main cities (Ciudad del Este, Asunción, and Encarnación) is easy as there are many bus connections but a lengthy process, which easily take six hours or more. Outside these main routes, reaching any of the few points of interest is difficult. The tourist office in Asunción couldn’t provide much information on activities outside the city; a walking tour inside the city was basically the only thing they had going on. Despite these challenges, I met some genuinely kind people and enjoyed some delicious local food, and I am happy to have spent a few of my days in order to get an idea about what Paraguay is, but I have to be honest – it is not a country I would highly recommend to visit.
From Foz do Iguaçu to Asunción
This was a tricky one. Crossing the border between Brazil and Paraguay by vehicle takes much longer than the Argentina-Brazil one, as there is seemingly always a traffic jam. The fastest way was actually to get there by Uber, cross the bridge on foot, and find a taxi on the Paraguay side to take me to the bus terminal in Ciudad del Este. From there, it was another 7 hours to reach Asunción on an admittedly comfortable but very slow bus.
Ciudad del Este and the Itaipu Dam
Ciudad del Este is one of Paraguays major cities and it is located just beyond the border with Brazil. The city is essentially one large shopping hub, home to dozens of stores offering well-known brands, with questionable authenticity. While it has earned a reputation for cheap goods, it also serves as a key commercial center in the region, bustling with activity and offering everything from electronics to fashion.
Near the city, you can find the Itaipu Dam, one of the largest hydroelectric plants in the world, and a frequently mentioned highlight among Paraguay’s main tourist attractions. My taxi driver eagerly offered it as a side tour before heading to the bus terminal – naturally, for an extra fee. I agreed, as it is widely regarded as one of Paraguay’s top sights and an impressive feat of modern engineering. And it truly was – watching the immense volume of water rushing through and the sheer scale of energy production was astonishing. This hydroelectric power plant alone supplies 90% of Paraguay’s electricity consumption and, even more remarkably, 17% of Brazil’s.
Asunción
After visiting the dam, I spent seven hours on a bus and arrived in the capital around 11 pm – time to check in, get some sleep, and explore the city the next day. As usual, I started with the old town, which is typically the cultural center and tourist hub, filled with bars, restaurants, and tour operators. But not in Asunción.
Unfortunately, as I’ve mentioned before, tourism is almost non-existent in this country, and the capital reflects that perfectly. The city center feels run-down, with a few interesting buildings scattered among mostly dirty streets, graffiti-covered walls, and very little to do. I did stumble upon a small railway museum, which I visited out of sheer lack of options, but it’s not something I would have chosen if there had been an abundance of interesting sights.
The tourist center provides a QR code which marks about 20 points of interest on your Google Maps – but half of them turn out to be ministries and other official buildings. After strolling up and down the historical center a couple of times, I called an Uber to take me to a museum in the suburbs, which was actually quite nice.
Running out of things to do, I treated myself to a great haircut and barber job for about 10 USD and ended the day in a modern shopping mall (yes, Asunción is that exciting…) with a local connection I made and a great dinner – good food, some cold beers, and a friendly local saved the day.
San Bernardino and Areguá
The next day, I decided to visit some of the villages around Asunción, whose names often come up when researching “things to do around Asunción” online. Unsurprisingly, there are no tours for this, and getting around by public transport would be long and tedious. Luckily, my local friend offered to take me to these places by car.
- San Bernardino is a small town by a lake outside Asunción and a popular weekend escape for Paraguayans. It was nice to see – and that’s all I can really say about it. 🙂
- Areguá is a small town known for its traditional pottery. You’d expect charming cobblestone streets, lined with quaint little shops on either side. What you get instead is a main road with shops (yes, on either side), all selling the same pottery—pieces that feel more factory-made than artisanal and can best be described as kitsch.
I’m glad I didn’t spend hours on buses just to visit these two places – I probably would have been frustrated. But seeing them quickly by car was fine! After this, I was dropped off at Asunción’s bus terminal, where I boarded another six-hour bus down to Encarnación – Paraguay’s holiday getaway!
Asunción and surroundings pictures:
