Asuncion, the capital of Paraguay, must be one of the least visited and most misrepresented cities of South America. It’s capital Asuncion boasts a working port which is frequented by barges, small container boats and ferries. Destination guides for Asuncion are sometimes hard to get.  Even more difficult to find are destination guides for handicapped travel.

The location where Asuncion is situated today was most likely visited by the Spanish conqueror Juan de Ayolas n the 16th century. He disappeared without a trace and Juan de Salazar was sent to look for him. In August 1537 the latter stopped at a bay in the left bank of the Paraguay river and decided to establish fort there. He named it “Nuestra Senora de la Asuncion” (Our Lady of the Assumption).

It wasn’t long after the erection of the fort that word got out and it soon became an important base to explore from - both Bolivia’s Santa Cruz and Argentina’s Buenos Aires were founded by expeditions that left from Asuncion. Hence the name “the mother of cities”.

The old part of the city which contains the harbor is strategically perched on the bank of the Paraguay River. This is a natural harbor and from here numerous boats sail up the River Paraguay to outlying destinations - including Brazil.

The old city around the harbor, including the main street (Avenida Palma), is a decaying old place with lots of charm and character. As you stroll past the many quaint artisan’s shops you start to feel it’s heartbeat and very quickly you will be intoxicated by the smells and sounds of Asuncion. Soon you will be offered chipa bread - which is famous in this part of the world. You will want to stop and explore the beautiful lace articles on display, like Nanduti spiderweb lace for which Paraguay is well known.

If you stay at the characterful old Hotel Armele, you will be able to watch the sun go down over the Bay of Asuncion and the Chaco stretching far, far away into the distance.

At night the city comes alive. South Americans love music and there are a large number of locales where you can listen to live bands playing everything from traditional Paraguayan music to rock. The city has a wide variety of restaurants. While buffet restaurants are very popular, especially around lunchtime, there are a diversity of restaurants available to suit every culinary taste.

The eastern part of the city, especially Villa Morra, forms the new face of Asuncion. Here you will find numerous shopping malls with all the latest movies and international take-away restaurants. If it’s culinary delights you are after, then you need not look any further than Asuncion. The locals are excellent chefs and their food is prepared in such varieties that it’s truly a feast for the eye. You can also catch a movie at many of their multi-screen cinemas. If it’s orchestral music or a ballet you are after then the Paraguayan National Bank Theater offers concerts on a regular basis.

The city has a large number of hotels to suit all pockets. Budget hotels cluster around Plaza Uruguay, while near Plaza de los Heroes there are a number of four- and five star hotels.

Destination guides for Asuncion are difficult to find. We recommend that you print this page and keep it for reference purposes.

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