The Santisima Trinidad del Parana in southeast Paraguay is an area with the well-preserved ruins of one of the most impressive religious missions in the Americas. Declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1993, Trinidad was built in the early 17th century and once held more than 4,000 people. Jesuit architect Juan Bautista Primoliin designed the mission, which blended both Christian and local native elements. While the Jesuits built about 30 settlements in the region, Trinidad was their largest and most elaborate construction. A local war eventually drove the Jesuits out after about 60 years, but their work continues to attract tourists interested in history and architecture.
"Lonely Planet" makes a bold statement in its booked entitled "South America on a Shoestring" when it says Carnaval in Encarnacion is "much more fun" than the one in Rio, Brazil. Encarnacion's celebration is certainly less pricey, and since it takes place over four consecutive weekends, travelers can actually travel to both on the same South American trip. Sitting across the Parana River from Argentina, Encarnacion is called both the Pearl of the South and the Carnaval Capital of Paraguay. For its Brazilian-style celebration, Avenida Francia transforms into a Sambodromo-style procession with choreographed dancers, flamboyant floats and ornately adorned "garotas," or girls. Things also get very messy. Part of the local tradition is to blast each other with aerosol snow spray, while Saturday afternoons are known for water wars, where water balloons fly and buckets of water are poured from rooftops onto unsuspecting bypassers. Do they spare the tourists? Not a chance.
Ciudad del Este sits on a triple border with Brazil and Argentina, which are all linked by an international bridge. The city's tax-exempt commercial zone has cheap prices and contraband goods that attract daily waves of Brazilian and Argentine shoppers, which earned it the nickname "The Supermarket of South America." Shopping aside, many tourists have another reason to visit the city. The tri-border is also where the three countries share Iguazu Falls, a 1.7-mile-long series of waterfalls. Brazil has the panoramic views and Argentina has the proximity, but Paraguay has the dirt cheap lodging. Each vantage point is easily reached from Ciudad del Este, which makes it the budget option for food and lodging.
Asuncion, the capital of Paraguay, is a metropolitan city that more than 2 million people call home. The architecture runs the gambit from classic colonial to Beaux-Arts, while international restaurants, upscale shopping centers and affable locals make it a tourist-friendly destination. Though bordering Argentina, Asuncion has more Brazilian influence, with vendors commonly selling chicken "coxinhas," or croquettes, creamy Catupiry cheese pizzas, Brahma beer and other Brazilian favorites. International travelers coming by plane will arrive in Asuncion, which has direct connections with Miami, Panama City, Sao Paulo, Lima, Buenos Aires and other major hubs. A tourist visa is required of U.S. citizens.
