Paraguay Travel Guide

Telephone:

E:

Area

With a total area of 406.752 km2 (157.048 sq mi) Paraguay occupies the 59th place in the world of outlying territories by total area. 

Buses

Despite the distances involved, it is possible to travel from Paraguay to another country by bus. The journey to Rio de Janeiro, for example, takes 23 hours and covers 1,100 miles (1,800 km). Domestically there is an internal bus service which connects most of the cities. It is the cheapest way to sightsee the country and go to others.

Car Rental

Most of the international car rental companies operate in the country; there are also some of them that are domestics and well known for their great services.

Climate

The local climate ranges from subtropical to temperate, with substantial rainfall in the eastern portions, though becoming semi-arid in the far west.

Cruise Ships

Although Paraguay is a Mediterranean country, we have a Cruise, the M.S. Paraguay, and its itinerary takes guests along the Paraguay River from the capital of Asunción to the sub-tropical plains of Puerto Bahia Negra, rich with a variety of flora and fauna. Visits in route include the city of Concepción with its colonial buildings and outdoor market and the nearby town of Belén situated on the Tropic of Cancer line.

Customs & Immigration

At the airport visitors will have their passport and visa (if required) checked. Paraguayan airports have separate lines on arrival for Paraguayan passport holders and foreign visitors.

Diving

N/A

Dress

Paraguayans usually dress casual, business and office do require collar and tie, some important private business clubs as well.

Drink

The legal age to purchase alcoholic beverages in Paraguay is 21. Paraguay makes its own brands of Beer, wine and liquor, which are preferred the most by the habitants.

Eating Out - Food & Drink

Paraguay offers a huge list of restaurants of every culture or cuisine such as French, Spanish, Japanese, Chinese, Korean, Indian, American, etc..

Electrical Current

The current is 220 volts in the whole country.

Guide Books

Some of the major guidebook series publish titles that cover Paraguay.

Health & Insurance

Paraguay has a good network of private hospitals in the metropolitan areas. Private medical care is expensive so we advise you to take out medical and travel insurance.

Language

Spanish and Guarani are the main languages of Paraguay. English and Portuguese are the most widely understood foreign languages.

Media

There are no locally published English language newspapers in Paraguay, but foreign newspapers and magazines are not difficult to find in Asunción. Hotels have satellite or cable television offering original language programming from the US, Europe, Arabian and Asia including the main news channels.

Money, Banks & Credit Cards

The Paraguayan monetary unit is the Guarani, (plural, Guaranies). The official exchange rate is published daily in the newspapers. The US dollar, Argentinean Peso, Brazilian Real and Euro are the most accepted foreign currencies. There is an extensive network of ATMs at which you can use your cash or credit cards to withdraw Guaranies and US dollars. Most major international credit cards are accepted, especially MasterCard and Visa and American Express.

Population

As of 2009 the population was estimated at 6.3 million. The capital and largest city is Asunción. Most of the population are mestizos.

Public Holidays

Jan 1st: New Year
March 1st: Heroes’ day
April: (Eastern variable date),
May 1st: Labor day
May 15th: Independence day
Jun 12th: Chaco peace
Aug 15th: Founding of Asuncion
Dec 8th: Virgen of Caacupe day
Dec 25th: Christmas

Railways

Not an option for travelling around the country. There are railways around the country but in this exact moment they are not working.

Taxis

Taxis in Paraguay are cheap compared to the UK and US, easy to find and available everywhere.

Telephone Services

Telephone network is available everywhere. Public Telephones are also all over the country with very low prices. The country has one of the largest mobile phone networks and mobile phone companies from other countries should work here if its tri or quad band. Check with your mobile company prior to travelling.

Time

We have two different hours that we switch between them (GMT-4) in Spring/Summer and (GMT-3) in Fall/Winter.

Vaccinations

International certificate of vaccination against yellow fever is compulsory for travellers who have visited or been in transit through certain infected countries. It is recommended to have a certifícate of vaccination against Tetanus-diphtheria, Hepatitis A.

Visas

UK and EU passport holders require a visa to enter Paraguay. Passports must be valid for at least six months and a return ticket and proof of sufficient funds may be requested on arrival. You will be admitted in to Paraguay for a stay of up to 90 days that can be extended, at the discretion of the National Police, for a further 90 days. If you are not travelling on a European passport, please check with us if you will need a visa.On July 19th, 2010, President Evo Morales promulgated the Law of Autonomy and Decentralization, (LAD) one of the five structural laws mandated by the Constitution and the most important, as it will outline the new structure of the now called “Plurinational State”, regulating the Autonomic regime and the State bases of the territorial organization of the autonomous territorial entities. It also regulates the coordination between central and decentralized and autonomous local authorities and the transfer and delegation of powers. The central national level has the three powers of the State and the four autonomous regional government levels are: Departmental, Municipal, Regional and Indigenous, with legislative and executive power. The LAD also sets out the competences of each level of autonomy.