Boutique hotels in Paraguay

Paraguay is the least visited country in South America and one of the most unhurried. Its Guaraní culture is alive in the language most people speak every day, its Jesuit missions are among the best preserved in the continent, and its hotels, though few, are often good value: restored mansions in the capital, lakeside houses and riverside hotels in the south.

Asunción and the lake country

Asunción, on the Paraguay River, is a low-key capital with a historic center, the Recoleta district and a growing dining scene. A short drive east, Lake Ypacaraí has San Bernardino, a weekend resort of German-founded villas, and Areguá, a hill town of ceramics and gardens where small boutique hotels open onto the lake views.

The south and the missions

Encarnación, on the Paraná River, is the main base for the Jesuit missions of Trinidad and Jesús de Tavarangüe, both UNESCO World Heritage Sites, whose red sandstone ruins and carved stone are an hour's drive away. Ciudad del Este, in the east, is a border trading town near the Iguazú falls and Itaipú dam.

The Chaco

West of the river lies the Gran Chaco, a hot, flat scrubland of cattle ranches and Mennonite colonies. Filadelfia is the capital of the Fernheim colony, and the national parks of the Chaco protect jaguars, giant armadillos and rheas. Facilities are simple and distances are long.

When to go

The cooler months from April to September are the most comfortable, as summers are hot and humid. Check current travel advice before visiting remote areas.