Is Paraguay Worth Visiting?
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Loading... - annabelle ibrahim
- 15 Sep 2022
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Paraguay continues to be one of the most mysterious and rarely visited countries in South America.
Along with Venezuela, Guyana, French Guinea and Suriname, Paraguay seems to be on the “it’s alright to skip” list, despite the land-locked nation being more or less along the classic backpacking route.
Is Paraguay Worth Visiting?
Below, I’m going to cover my experience backpacking Paraguay, what I learnt, some awesome destinations to see here, and ultimately whether I now think Paraguay is worth the visit or not.
First of all…
Why On Earth Did I Visit Paraguay?
When I was first doing research before my trip, there seemed to be very few guides or travelers heading to Paraguay.
This piqued my interest more, as off the beaten path travel tends to stir my beans more than anything else.
After having then traveled around 9 months through Latin America, I had already become accustomed to popular countries like Brazil and Peru.
Whilst they all are incredible places to visit, they’ve definitely become saturated with tourists, and even more so in hotspots like Rio and Cusco.
I was after something fresh and new, where I could see a culture that wasn’t yet adapted for tourists (and with less of those “all smiles” vendors whilst trying to grab as much cash off of you as possible).
As well as this, there were already a couple of big sites I wanted to see there, which included The Itaipu Dam and the Jesuit Mission Ruins.
And not to mention the Guaraní culture that has managed to stay alive despite hard times, which still flourishes in modern Paraguay today.
What’s The Paraguayan Culture Like?
My immediate thoughts having entered Paraguay (I crossed into Ciudad del Este from Brazil) were how friendly the people were.
Despite this particular city’s lack of charm and chaotic nature, the locals were very welcoming and attentive whenever I asked for help about something.
This was even more apparent in Encarnación, however don’t expect many to speak English though. The official languages here are Spanish and also the native Guaraní, so pick up a bit of español before and you’ll be fine.
Asunción shocked me the most.
Whilst most major capitals in this continent should be treaded with caution, I found the Paraguayan capital to be a breath of fresh air. Read More…
