ROLLING PRAIRIES AND MISSIONARY MEMORIES

September 28 ⇾ October 06

In addition to our regular group departures to Paraguay, we also offer tour services for private travel parties and lone wolves alike. As a traveller-oriented boutique operator, tailored trips and bespoke adventures are our bread and butter. Get in touch for more info on our customised journeys to Paraguay! 

ITINERARY

day 1 — Bienvenido a Paraguay

  • Meet-and-greet at Silvio Pettirossi International Airport and transfer to our accommodation of choice in Asunción.

  • Welcome refreshment and introductory briefing about Paraguay and its fascinating history.

  • Slow-paced city walk around Asunción to get acclimatised to and acquainted with the atmosphere of this little-known South American capital.

  • Overnight in Asunción.

day 2 — Asunción

  • Full-day sightseeing in and around Asunción: Casa de la Independencia, Metropolitan Cathedral, Panteón Nacional de los Héroes, Pettirossi market, Palacio de López, Cerro Lambaré.

  • During our time in Asunción we will also have the unique chance to partake in a traditional Paraguayan fiesta and savour the most authentic side of the city.

  • Overnight in Asunción.

day 3 — CHACO

  • Early in the morning we will start our journey into the wild Chaco, a sparsely populated, hot and semiarid lowland region that is home to a compelling mixture of indigenous culture, Mennonite heritage, German traditions, war scars, and broken colonial dreams set amidst a unique landscape of otherworldly natural forms.

  • Travelling across the barren badlands of the Chaco, you’ll feel like a frontiersman from an American Western classic: rolling prairies, desolate outposts, crumbling churches and an elusive horizon to chase.

  • In the early evening we will eventually reach the Mennonite colony Filadelfia, the most suitable spot to conclude today’s Wild West adventure.

  • Overnight in Filadelfia.

day 4 — MENNONITES

  • Full day devoted to the Mennonite Colonies of the great Chaco, small traditional towns founded and still inhabited by conservative Christian Anabaptists of Flemish, Frisian and German ancestry.

  • Major stops of our grand Mennonite circuit will include Loma Plata, Neuland, Menno and, of course, Filadelfia itself, the administrative centre of the whole community.

  • Before heading back to Asunción for the night, we will also pay a visit to the ruins of Fortín Boquerón, somber testament to one of the countless battles of the bloody Chaco War fought between Paraguay and Bolivia from 1932 to 1935.

  • Overnight in Asunción.

Day 5 — Eastern Paraguay

  • Today will travel east towards bustling and slightly intimidating Ciudad del Este, a large city on the Paraná River built next to the so-called Triple Frontier with Brazil and Argentina and notoriously known for its smuggling activities.

  • Just a few miles east of Asunción, before taking the highway to Ciudad del Este, we will stop at Caacupe, the religious capital of the country and pilgrimage site for devout catholics from all over Latin America.

  • Once in Ciudad del Este, we will first enjoy a quick tour around downtown and then visit the largest hydroelectric power station in the world at Itaipú.

  • The trip goes eventually into Brazil: crossing the Friendship Bridge over the Rio Parana, will head for the Brazilian city of Foz do Iguaçu, the gateway to the Chororõ Yguasu, the largest waterfalls in the world.

  • Overnight in Foz do Iguaçu.

Day 6 — IGUAZU FALLS

  • The first half of the day will be entirely devoted to the Iguazu Falls, whose hydronym comes from the Guarani words y, meaning "water", and ûasú, meaning "big".

  • Legend has it that a deity planned to marry a beautiful woman named Naipí, who fled with her mortal lover Tarobá in a canoe: in a rage, the deity sliced the river, creating the waterfalls and condemning the lovers to an eternal fall.

  • In the afternoon we will drive back to Paraguay and transfer to the colonial towns of Santa Rita and Bella Vista, founded in the late 19th century by German immigrants. 

  • Overnight in Bella Vista.

Day 7 — Misiones

  • From the natural magnificence of Iguazu, back to the compelling history of Paraguay: today we will visit the Misiones, a southern administrative department that owes its name to the several Jesuit Reductions (misiones, indeed) scattered across the territory.

  • After a comprehensive tour around the Jesuit Misiones, including the UNESCO-listed ruins of Trinidad del Paraná, we will head for Villa Florida, a lovely southern city of unostentatious post-colonial flair.

  • Overnight in Villa Florida

Day 8 — Paraguarí

  • Today we will transfer back to Asunción via the Paraguarí Department with an en route stop in the historical town of Yaguarón, where we will visit the oldest church in the country, built by the Franciscans in the 18th century.

  • Yaguarón is also notable as the birthplace of José Gaspar Rodríguez de Francia, absolute dictator of Paraguay between 1814 and 1840, whose illuminated authoritarianism earned him the sobriquet “El Supremo”.

  • Once in Asunción, you will enjoy a final relaxing afternoon at your own leisure to be spent either sipping cocktails at the hotel pool or shopping for souvenirs at the mercado artesal (craft market) of La Recova.

  • Overnight in Asunción.

Day 9 — goodbye paraguay

  • After sharing a last Paraguayan meal together, we'll take care of your transfer to Silvio Pettirossi International Airport.

  • Do you wish to spend more time in South America and explore further offbeat destinations with us? Get in touch for more info on our private Soviet Tours around Latin America! 

  • End of the tour.

2490 €

INCLUSIONS
Double/twin room accommodation (breakfast included), private transport in Paraguay, entrance fees for the attractions listed in the itinerary, English-speaking guiding, tour designing, 24/7 in situ and remote assistance.

EXCLUSIONS
Single supplement, international flights, meals, drinks and tips, visas if required, entrance to attractions not listed in the itinerary, insurance.