Visit Asuncion – Capital of Paraguay
Truly an unexplored gem of South America, Paragauy is known by it’s neighbors to be “as mysterious as the Mona Lisa”. For some reason the city has not been discovered by mainstream tourists yet and it might even be hard to find destination guides for Paraguay at your local bookstore. More targeted resources, such as a destination guide for disabled travelers are even more difficult to find.
It is said that a certain Senor Juan de Ayolas sailed the Paraguay river for many months searching for a way to get to the silver mines of Bolivia. Unfortunately he was killed by the Payagua on his return trip. Juan de Salazar was then dispatched to look for him (in vain). In August 1537 De Salazar visited the location of the present-day Asuncion and made the decision to found a fort there. He called it Nuestra Senora de la Asuncion.
A city soon began to take shape around the fort. From here many explorer in turn left to establish a number of other cities. These include Buenos Aires, the capital of Argentina and Santa Cruz de Sierra in Bolivia. Asuncion is thus one of the oldest cities in South America and one that can rightly claim to be the “mother of cities”.
The city is situated on the banks of the river Paraguay. The old city overlooks the Bay of Asuncion, a natural harbor from where many boats leave to destinations as far away as Brazil.
The old city around the harbor, including the main street (Avenida Palma), is a decaying old place with lots of charm and character. A short trip down Palma will introduce you to many of the delights of Asuncion: you will no doubt be approached by one or more vendors selling chipa – the delicious Paraguayan bread made from corn flour or manioc; you will also no doubt hear traditional Paraguayan harp music emerging from the doorways of various stores and everywhere you will be able to buy the Nanduti lace for which Paraguay is famous.
Staying at the atmospheric old Hotel Armele is an experience in itself. You will have a view across the harbor and the Bay of Asuncion from most rooms. The sun setting over the Chaco is a sight you will remember for a long time.
South Americans have a passion for music – and at night Asuncion comes alive with many music venues where you can listen to live music. Traditional Paraguayan music is very popular – as is modern English and Spanish rock. The city also has a large variety of restaurants to cater for every 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. You will also find the modern and sophisticated concert hall built by the National Bank of Paraguay where the Asuncion symphony orchestra and other artists regularly perform.
Asuncion has hotels in all price ranges. The cheaper ones tend to center around Plaza Uruguay. There are several five star hotels in the vicinity of Plaza de los Heroes.
Since destination guides for Paraguay are hard to find, the above information should be useful to visitors who plan to visit Asuncion – the Mother of Cities.