Experience 1: Asunción / Santa María / Bella Vista / Ciudad del Este

Day 1 – Asunción: Arrive at Asunción International Airport. Asunción; Paraguay’s energetic capital and largest city, is built on unassuming hills above the east bank of Paraguay River. Upon clearing customs and Immigration, you are met and transferred to your accommodation for check-in. In the afternoon, departure to do a complete tour of the city of Asunción, a city with a picturesque combination of modern and colonial architecture, including the city center and residential areas. We will visit The Independence House., The Cathedral, The Government Palace,The Railway Station, visiting the oldest steam locomotive in South America, The National Pantheon of Heroes, where the remains of the greatest heroes of the History of Paraguay lie. Avenida Mariscal López, also known as the Embassy avenue. Ending at the popular La Recova artisan market. After the visit, return to your hotel. Free afternoon. Accommodation in Asunción.

Day 2 – Asunción and surronding areas:  Breakfast and departure from the hotel to visit the artisan towns around Asunción. This excursion includes a visit to the artisan village of Luque, with its rustic gold and silver jewelry made in filigree.  Then, a visit to the artisan city of Areguá, an old summer village that still maintains its flavor of the early twentieth century, on the shores of famous lake “Lago Ypacarai”, where potteries and craft centers exhibit their works all year. We will then continue to Itauguá, home of the famous Ñandutí, handmade lace whose design is based on the spider webs, in the tour you can buy handicrafts such as tablecloths, placemats, hammocks, bedspreads and other products of Paraguayan crafts. After this stop, will go to the city of San Bernardino, located at the shore of Ypacarai lake. and for the last visit, we will go to the city of Caacupé, located between mountains and beautiful landscapes, whose main attraction is the National Sanctuary of the Basilica of Caacupé, which is one of the largest churches in the country and home to the figure of the Virgin patroness of all Paraguayans. At the end of this stop, retunr to Asunción. Accommodation.

Day 3- Asunción – Santa María: Breakfast and departure to the east of the country to discover the marvellous ruins of the Jesuit Reductions, christian settlements established to convert, teach and protect the native Guarani communities.  We will go to Santa Maria de Fe, an old Jesuit mission; although there are no remains of this Jesuit reduction itself, it has a very interesting museum, in a building built in adobe, where you can appreciate sacred carvings of great value. In the town square we will be able to see the little monkeys that live freely with the locals  without interrupting their daily life. Overnight at a simple hotel with a charming setting on the square.

Day 4 – Santa María – Bella Vista: Breakfast and transfer to the city of Bella Vista a German origin colony founded in 1918. We will visit on the way the jesuit ruins of San Cosme and Damián; these reductions are highlighted by the astronomical studies that were carried out at the time of the Jesuit missions in Paraguay. Until today the old astronomical observatory and a huge sundial are preserved. Along with the reductions, is the planetarium Buenaventura Suarez, name given in memory to the Jesuit priest who arrived at the reduction of San Cosme and Damián in 1703 to work in the construction and to continue his investigations in astronomy. Here he built a telescope with help of the natives and wrote the book “Lunario de un siglo”, which earned him the prominence and admiration of scientists from Europe due to the accuracy of his studies using rustic elements. Arrival in Bella Vista, check in and accommodation.

Day 5 – Bella Vista – Ciudad del Este: Breakfast and transfer to Trinidad to visit the Jesuit reductions of Trinidad del Paraná and Jesús de Tavarangué. Trinidad is one of the most interesting and suggestive Jesuit ruins among them all, its main architects were the fathers Juan Bautista Prímoli, of Milan and the Catalan Jose Grimau. Not fully completed, this mission possessed one of the largest and most beautiful churches. Jesús de Tavarangué is almost in front of Trinidad, its church did not get to be finished due to the expulsion of the Jesuits of the country. Its architectural conception was totally different from the others, in Moorish style, unique in all the reductions. Both Reductions have been declared Universal Heritage of Humanity in 1993 by UNESCO. After this visit, transfer to Ciudad del Este (270 km) at the east of the country, in a triple border area. Arrival, check in at the hotel and overnight.

Day 6 – Ciudad del Este: Breakfast and early departure for a full day visit to Monday Falls National Park with a wonderful panoramic view of the waterfalls, 45 meters tall and approximately 120 meters wide falls are truly breathtaking. The name “Monday” (pronounced “mon-da-ugh”) originates from Guarani language and means: “robbed river”. Entrance fee included, In the afternoon we’ll be visiting the Itaipu Power Dam (Paraguayan side), the Largest dam in South America, with more power than 10 nuclear power stations it has supplied the second largest city on the planet with zero-emission electricity since 1984. Accommodation in Ciudad del Este.

Day 7 – Ciudad del Este – Asunción: Breakfast and departure to the distric of Minga Guazú (20 km) to visit the Guarani World Experiential Circuit. Located within one of the last remnants of the Alto Paraná Atlantic Forest, within the Protected Wild Area of the Yguazú Nature Reserve, this centre narrates the cultural legacy of the Guarani from the first records to the present, their worldview and the perfect symbiosis of coexistence with the hidden biodiversity in the forest. The circuit has an interpretive trail with 6 stops in the forest and a building where the visitor can understand the life of the Guaraní World through the multimedia elements and the interactive simulations of panels that are in the place. After this visit, transfer s back to Asunción (350 km). Arrival, transfer to the hotel. Accommodation.

Day 8. Asunción: Breakfast and at scheduled time, transfer to the airport to take the departure flight.

Experience 2: Asunción / Chaco / Encarnación / Ciudad del Este

Day 1 – Asuncion: Arrive at Asuncion International Airport. Asuncion, Paraguay’s energetic capital and largest city, is built on unassuming hills above the east bank of Paraguay River. There are thankfully few high rises, downtown. El Centro retains its intimate 19th century feel with low balconied buildings and orange trees lining the narrow streets. Upon clearing customs and Immigration, you are met and transferred to your accommodation for check-in and overnight stay.

Day 2 – Asuncion: Breakfast and departure for a full day tour, a combination of handcrafts, culture, history and nature. We will be visiting the artisanal city of Ita, traditionally know for making the “Gallinita de la Suerte”; a small chicken made of clay, used as a lucky charm. Then, we continue to Paraguari and Sapucai the city of the railway. Paraguay’s ferrocarril Presidente Carlos Antonio Lopez. A remarkable feature of this railway is that they used tropical firewood to feed their fleet of steam trains. The locomotives are mostly 2-6-0s, 4-6-0s and 2-8-0s, from North British and Kerr Stuart, many of them 99 years old! We’ll go to Sapucai to visit the workshop and see their serviceable locomotive under steam. After this visit a tour to Piribebuy, then we move to Caacupe. Later we arrive at San Bernardino, located right by the side of the famous Ypacarai Lake. Lunch Included. In the afternoon we head back to Asuncion visiting the city of Itaugua famous for its fabric handcraft, where the imitation of the spider web (ñanduti) stands out. Return to Asuncion

Day 3 – Asuncion, Central Chaco: Breakfast and early visit to the city of Asuncion, with its colorful combination of modern and colonial architecture, including downtown, residential and other areas such as Independence House, the National Cathedral, the Government Palace, the Railway Station, the National Heroes Pantheon, Mariscal Lopez Avenue, in addition to the well-known Avenue of the Embassies, finishing in the popular artisan market, the Recova. Private transfer (500 kms) to Central Chaco, arrival in the evening and overnight stay. The word Chaco means “abundance of wildlife” and Gran Chaco more than lives up to its name: conditions are ideal for nature lovers and anglers. Be forewarned, however, that a trip to this region tends to have some rugged aspects – but travelers with a strong interest in photography and nature will enjoy it.

Day 4 – Central Chaco: Breakfast and early departure for a full day of bird watching in Campo Maria and its surroundings, a salty lagoon with a different and unique ecosystem, which serves as a stopover point for various migratory birds, such as flamingos, swans, herons, storks, among others. At the end of the visit, return to the hotel.

Day 5 – Central Chaco, Asuncion: This morning, we visit the great Mennonite colonies and producing cooperatives of the region. The Chaco is a remarkable area consisting of an almost of an almost featureless plain, with a substantial population of Indigenous people. Their only paved highway, Route TransChaco, leads to the religious community of Filadelfia, which was settled by the Mennonites in the late 1920’s. After the visit, transfer back to Asuncion. Overnight.

Day 6 – Asuncion – Encarnacion: Transfer to Encarnacion by private vehicle, visiting Santa María and San Ignacio Jesuitic Museum en route.

The small town of Santa María was an old Jesuit mission; although there are no remains of this mission itselft, it has a very interesting museum, in a building built in adobe, wher you can appreciate sacred carvings of great value. In the town square we will be able to see the little monkeys that live freely with the locals without interrupting their daily life.

San Ignacio Guazu, called Guazu (big) to distinguish as being older than San Ignacio Mini (actually in Argentina) This reduction was found in  1609/1610, chief Arapizandu, invited the Jesuitics to build it. In the main square of the city there is a statue of the beatified Roque Gonzalez, showing how important the priest was to the development of the mission. After these stops, continue to Encarnación, Arrival and overnight.

Day 7 – Encarnación – Ciudad del Este:Transfer (290 kms) by private vehicle to Ciudad Del Este (triple frontier zone), visiting on route, the Jesuitic Missions of Trinidad del Paraná and Jesus de Tavarangué, declared a World heritage Site in 1993 by UNESCO. In addition to their artistic interest, these missions are a reminder of the Jesuitics’ Christianization of the Rio de la Plata basin in the 17th and 18th centuries, with the accompanying social and economic initiatives. Continue to Ciudad Del Este for overnight stay.

Day 8 – Ciudad Del Este – Asunción: Breakfast and early departure for a full day visit to Monday Falls National Park with a wonderful panoramic view of the waterfalls, 45 meters tall and approximately 120 meters wide falls are truly breathtaking. The name “Monday” (pronounced “mon-da-ugh”) originates from Guarani language and means: “robbed river”. Entrance fee included, In the afternoon we’ll be visiting the Itaipu Power Dam (Paraguayan side), the Largest dam in South America, with more power than 10 nuclear power stations it has supplied the second largest city on the planet with zero-emission electricity since 1984. If there’s time we’ll stop for shopping at the largest shopping centers of the triple frontier, return to Asuncion. Overnight.

Day 9 – Asunción: Breakfast and at scheduled time, transfer to the airport to take the departure flight.