Asuncion, the capital of Paraguay, must be one of the least visited and most misrepresented cities of South America. There aren’t even many destination guides available for the city, it is sometimes hard to get your hands on one, and it’s even more difficult to find a destination guide for gay men or women.
The location where Asuncion is situated today was most likely visited by the Spanish conqueror Juan de Ayolas n the 16th century. He was searching for a way to get to the silver mines of Bolivia. He was eventually killed by the aborigines on one of his return trips. Later, a Senor Juan de Salazar was dispatched to search for his lost countrymen, but alas this was in vein. It was the year 1537 when Senor De Salazar visited the present day location and decided to build a fort. He called it Nuestra Senora de la Asuncion.
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”.
Asuncion is located next to the river Paraguay. The old part of the city, including the harbor, looks out over the Bay of Asuncion. 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.
Asuncion has many stately old hotels like The Grand Armele and the Asuncion Palace, both situated downtown near the harbor. 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.
Because of it’s heat in the summer months, the locals tend to frequent its many restaurants, bars, night clubs and open air festivals at night. Paraguayans love music and sing spontaneously in the streets. It’s not strange to hear a group of people walking and singing their favorite songs.
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.
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.
Tags: Asuncion, destination, disabled travel, gay guide, guide, guides, handicapped travel, holiday, Paraguay, tour, Travel, vacation
