Climate of Paraguay

Subtropical with rapid changes in temperature throughout the year. Summer (December to March) can be very hot. Winter (June to September) is mild with few cold days. Rainfall is heaviest from December to March.

Required clothing
Lightweight cottons and linens are worn in warmer months, with some warm clothes for spring and autumn. Mediumweights are best for winter. Rainwear is advisable throughout the year.

Activities in Paraguay

Ecotourism
There are 11 national parks and protected areas, the largest of which are in the Chaco region in the north of the country. Birdlife is particularly abundant, and there is also a wide variety of animals, including the Chacoan peccary, once thought to be extinct.

Visitors should take plenty of insect repellent with them when visiting remote areas. A good way to view flora and fauna is from boats which run along some of Paraguay’s rivers. Trips can sometimes be arranged on cargo vessels if there are no passenger services.

The trip along the fast-flowing River Paraguay from Asuncion via Concepcion passes through fascinating landscapes, eventually leading as far as the huge marshlands in the north and over the Brazilian border.

Fishing
The dorado, found in the Paraguay, Parana and Tebicuary rivers, can weigh up to 29kg (65Ib). International fishing contests are held near Asuncion. There are many other smaller fish that are peculiar to Paraguay such as the surubi, pati, pacu, manguruyus, armados, moncholos and bagres.

Other
The national sport is football. There are tennis facilities at hotels and in Asuncion. The Asuncion Golf Club has an 18-hole golf course. Water-skiing facilities are available in some places. Some large hotels have swimming pools.

Tourist Attractions in Paraguay

Asuncion
The capital city is situated on the Bay of Asuncion, 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.

A good view of the city can be had from the Parque Carlos Antonio Lopez high above Asuncion. The Botanical Gardens are situated in a former estate of the Lopez family on the Paraguay River. There is also a golf-course and a small zoo. The Lopez Residence has been converted into a natural history

museum and library. Package trips can be booked to see the Iguazu Falls and the Salto Crystal Falls, and river trips to Villeta or up the Pilcomayo River to the Chaco. Luque, near the capital, is the home of the famous Paraguayan harps.

The Central Circuit
A popular tourist itinerary is the ‘Central Circuit’, a route of some 200km (125 miles) that takes in some of the country’s most interesting sites clustered around the capital. San Lorenzo dates from 1775 and is the site of the university halls of residence and an interesting Gothic-style church.

Founded in 1539 by Domingo Martinez, Ita’s main specialty is handpainted black clay Gallinita hens. Yaguaron is set in an orange-growing district 48km (29 miles) from the capital and played a part during the Spanish conquest as a base for the Franciscan missions. Their churches date back to 1775.

Situated in the foothills of the Cordillera de los Altos, the historic village of Paraguari has several old buildings in colonial style. The holiday center of Chololo, 87km (54 miles) from the capital, has tourist facilities that include bars, restaurants and bungalows for rent.

Piribebuy was the scene of bloody fighting during the war of the triple alliance. The Encaje-yu spindle lace, the ’sixty-stripe’ Parani poncho and other handmade goods are produced here. It is also famous as a place of worship of the ‘Virgin of Miracles’. Situated on Lake Ypacarai, 47km (29 miles) from the capital, San Bernardino is a holiday resort and, owing to its beaches and lake shores, very popular during the summer months. It also has a camping ground, ‘Camping 19′.

Along the Parana
On the border with Argentina and Brazil in the northeast of the Chaco, the spectacular Iguazu Falls are a major tourist attraction. Ciudad del Este, 326km (204 miles) east of the capital, is the fastest-growing town in the country and has a cosmopolitan atmosphere.

Situated close to the border with Brazil, the town is also a good starting point for a visit to the majestic Monday Falls and Iguazu Falls, which are a 15 to 30 minute drive from the city.

Also nearby is the Italpu Dam, the largest hydroelectric complex in the world. Stretching over 180km (112 miles), the water reservoir provides a unique ecosystem for wildlife and birds as well as providing tourists with a number of activities, including fishing, watersports, sailing, camping and walking tours.

Well to the south, Encarnacion has many colonial buildings and a sleepy waterfront area with gauchos and sandy streets. Nearby is the Roque Gonzalez de Santa Cruz bridge linking Paraguay with Posadas in Argentina across the river Parana.

The Chaco
This vast, scarcely populated area, consisting mainly of empty plains and forests, covers 61 per cent of the country’s total surface, but is inhabited by only 3 per cent of Paraguay’s population. The drive from Asuncion leads through the Low Chaco, a land of palm forests and marshes, and reaches the Middle Chaco with its capital Filadelfia.

Here Mennonites of German descent have set up farms and other agricultural outlets as well as their own schools and are considered to be the only organized community in the whole of the Chaco region.

The Chaco is home to Paraguay’s 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, 200 species of mammals and numerous kinds of reptiles and amphibians live in a natural habitat. The Chaco is, after the Amazon rain forest, the world’s second-largest forest area and is a popular location for pursuers of ecotourism.

Jesuit missions
In the 16th century, the Company of Jesus started the process of converting the Guarani people to Christianity. As a result, the native Indians eventually agreed to live in reducciones, large villages with a fairly rigid socioeconomic structure based on Jesuit principles and values. Skilled in construction and artistic techniques, the Guaranies left behind a heritage of churches, religious sculptures and paintings scattered throughout Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil and Paraguay.

Seven of the largest Jesuit missions remain in Paraguay, and those in Jesus de Taravangue and Trinidad del Parana have been declared World Heritage Sites by UNESCO. They can be reached either by plane, car/bus or via light river transport.

Nightlife in Paraguay

In Asuncion there are numerous bars, casinos and discos. The parrilladas or open-air restaurants offer by far the best atmosphere, especially in Asuncion. There is a casino at the border towns of Ciudad del Este and Encarnacion.

The most popular traditional music in Paraguay is polcas and guaranias which have slow and romantic rhythms and which are used as serenades.

Food and Dining in Paraguay

Typical local dishes include chipas (maize bread flavored with egg and cheese), sopa paraguaya (soup of mashed corn, cheese, milk and onions), soo-yosopy (a soup of cornmeal and ground beef), albondiga (meatball soup) and boribori (soup of diced meat, vegetables and small maize dumplings mixed with cheese).

Palmitos (palm hearts), surubi (a fish found in the Parana) and the local beef are excellent. There is a wide choice of restaurants in Asuncion, most with table service.
The national drink is cana, distilled from

sugar cane and honey. Sugar cane juice, known as mosto, and the national red wine are worth trying, as is yerba mate, a refreshing drink popular with nearly all Paraguayans. There are no strict licensing hours and alcohol is widely available.

Shopping in Paraguay

Special purchases include nanduti lace, made by the women of Itagua, and aopoi sports shirts, made in a variety of colors and designs. Other items include leather goods, wood handicrafts, silver yerba mate cups and native jewelry.

Shopping hours
Mon-Fri 0800-1200 and 1500-1900, Sat 0730-1300.

Currency Information:

Currency
Guarani (G). Notes are in denominations of G100,000, 50,000, 10,000, 5000, 1000 and 500. Coins are in denominations of G500, 100, 50, 10 and 5.

Currency exchange
Paraguay maintains a free monetary exchange policy and the purchase and sale of foreign currencies is not subject to any controls or regulations. There is a bureau de change at the airport. US Dollars, which are more easily negotiable than Sterling, are widely accepted throughout the country. Paraguayan ATMs may not always recognize foreign cards.

Credit and debit cards
American Express, MasterCard and Visa are widely accepted (though not in smaller hotels), while Diners Club has more limited use. Check with your credit or debit card company for details of merchant acceptability and other services which may be available.

Travelers cheques
US Dollar travelers cheques are widely accepted although cheap hotels usually do not exchange travelers cheques.

Currency restrictions
There are no restrictions on the import or export of local or foreign currency.

Exchange rate indicators
The following figures are included as a guide to the movements of the Guarani against Sterling and the US Dollar

Banking hours
Mon-Fri 0845-1500.

Asuncion, population 1,304,087 (1992), is the capital of Paraguay. Its metropolitan area, named Gran Asuncion, includes the cities of San Lorenzo, Fernando de la Mora, Lambare, Luque, Mariano Roque Alonso, Ñemby and Villa Elisa; having more than 1.5 million inhabitants. Asuncion is located at 25°16′S 57°40′W (-25.2667, -57.6667).

It is the seat of government, principal port and chief industrial and cultural centre of the country. Main outputs of the manufacturing industries include footwear, textiles, and tobacco products.

Asuncion is one of the oldest cities in South America, being known as Mother of Cities because it was from here where the colonial expeditions to found other cities departed, including the second foundation of Buenos Aires.

The site of the city may have been first visited by Juan de Ayolas, but the town, called Nuestra Senora de la Asuncion (Our Lady of the Assumption), was founded in August 15, 1537, by Juan de Salazar and Gonzalo de Mendoza. In 1731 an uprising under Jose de Antequera y Castro was one of the first rebellions against Spanish colonial rule. After the War of the Triple Alliance (1865-70), Asuncion was occupied by Brazilian troops until 1876.

The city is home to the Godoi Museum, the Church of La Encarnacion, and the Panteon Nacional, a smaller version of Les Invalides in Paris, where many of the nation’s heroes are entombed. Other landmarks include the Palacio de los Lopez (presidential palace) The old Senate building (a modern building opened to house Congress in 2003), the Catedral Metropolitana and the Casa de Independencia (one of the few examples of colonial architecture remaining in the city).

The downtown area of the city, near the port and centred on the Plaza de los Heroes, and the Plaza Uruguaya was largely developed during the 1970s and 1980s, leaving little of the colonial city. However it is now rather run down and somewhat dangerous at night.

The ‘better’ areas of Asuncion are in the suburbs towards Avenida San Martin, where the Paraguayan elite shop in US-style shopping malls driving large SUVs. One of the most luxurious mall is called Shopping del Sol, which includes a Macys-style department store: Unicentro.

The main universities in the city are the Universidad Catolica Universidad Catolica (private, run by the Catholic Church) and the Universidad Nacional de Asuncion (state-run) Universidad Nacional de Asuncion. The Catolica has a site in the centre, next to the cathedral and a larger campus in the adjoining city of Lambaro, while the Nacional has its main campus near the adjoining city of San Lorenzo. There are also a number of smaller privately run universities.

The major newspapers based in Asuncion are ABC Color, Ultima Hora, Popular, Cronica and La Nacion. Of these ABC and Ultima Hora are probably the best regarded, however all Paraguayan media has questions about its independence hanging over it.

Foreign relations of Paraguay

Paraguay is a member of the United Nations and several of its specialized agencies. It also belongs to the Organization of American States, the Latin American Integration Association (ALADI), the Rio Group, INTERPOL and MERCOSUR (the Southern Cone Common Market). Its foreign policy has followed closely the Rio Group’s lead on many issues of wideranging political importance.

Paraguay recognizes the Republic of China on Taiwan instead of the People’s Republic of China.

Illicit drugs

Paraguay is a producer of marijuana, most or all of which is consumed in South America. It’s also a transshipment country for Bolivian cocaine headed for Southern Cone markets, Europe and a limited amount to the United States.

Music of Paraguay

In contrast to most of its neighbours, the national music of Paraguay is overwhelmingly European in character. This is quite ironic given that Paraguayans, of which an almost absolute majority is mestizo, are in general very nativist; of the two national languages spoken by a universally bilingual population, Spanish and Guarani, the latter indigenous language is favoured as the language of everyday speech while Spanish is reserved for more formal settings. Also peculiar is that despite the music being overwhelmingly European, the language of choice for the lyrics is also most often Guarani.

The Spanish guitar and European harp are among the most popular instruments, while dances include the lively polka and distinctive bottle dance, which involves the performer twirling a bottle around his head. Composer and guitarist Agustin Barrios is perhaps the country’s best known export.

The Paraguyan harp deserves special mention as a popular instrument with a national style associated with it. The harp in South America dates back to at least 1557, possibly as early as the beginning of the 16h century.

These harps had 26 to 38 strings, though most typically no fewer than 36. It was frequently used in church music in place of the organ or harpsichord. The Paraguayan harp is a simplified variation of the instrument, with 38 strings turned to one major diatonic scale.

Today, popular music in Paraguay includes reggaeton artists such as Daddy Yankee and Don Omar and cumbia villera artists such as the Paraguayan group Maximos Q’mbieros.

Demographics of Paraguay

Ethnically, culturally, and socially, Paraguay has one of the most homogeneous populations in Latin America. About 95% of the people are mestizos of mixed Spanish and Guarani Indian descent. Little trace is left of the original Guarani culture except the Guarani language, which is spoken by 90% of the population.

About 75% of all Paraguayans can speak Spanish. Guarani and Spanish are official languages. Germans, Japanese, Koreans, ethnic Chinese, Arabs, Brazilians, and Argentines are among those who have settled in Paraguay and they have to an extent retained their respective languages.

Paraguay’s population is distributed unevenly throughout the country. The vast majority of the people live in the eastern region, most within 160 kilometers of Asuncion, the capital and largest city. The Chaco, which accounts for about 60% of the territory, is home to less than 2% of the population. The country is predominantly Roman Catholic, with some Mennonite and other Protestant minorities.

The Gran Chaco, which accounts for about 60% of the territory, is home to less than 2% of the population. Ethnically, culturally, and socially, Paraguay has one of the most homogeneous populations in South America.

About 95% of the people are of mixed Spanish and Guarani Indian descent. Little trace is left of the original Guarani culture except the language, which is spoken by 90% of the population. About 75% of all Paraguayans also speak Spanish. Guarani and Spanish are official languages. Germans, Japanese, Koreans, ethnic Chinese, Arabs, Brazilians, and Argentines are among those who have settled in Paraguay.