Uruguay - Paraguay
You might wonder why on earth we decided to continue our journey in Uruguay and, more so, why we decided to continue to Paraguay. Most people who meet us ask us if we have been to Brazil, but Brazil was never part of this itinerary - we just need more time. However, I had time to explore the country when I backpacked in 2012. This time, we were due to collect our motorbike from Uruguay, where we had stored it with a kind German lady for almost eight months. (Click for motorbike storage details)
Our plan was to pick up the motorbike, cross into Argentina and make our way through the province of Entre Rios, to enter Paraguay at the city of Encarnacion. Paraguay was a country that had been on our radar for a while and was a place that we noticed many overlanders skipped - after all, it does not have world-famous attractions or an incredible landscape like its neighbors. But we were intrigued.
We spent time exploring the 'beach town' of Encarnacion, which had a bustling river beach lined with beach bars that served the best and cheapest cocktails - we noticed that everything was very cheap in Paraguay. Encarnacion is the city where we met lovely locals, ate copious 'lomito arabe' from Habibs, and drank delicious cocktails every night - what can we say, it was like a beach holiday of sorts! From here, we arrived at Ciudad del Este, but not before being stopped by a group of friends eager to get to know our travel story, which was a very nice experience.
Ciudad del Este was a shock to the system after Encarnacion, and our first glimpse of the city was hectic. It reminded us of the craziness of India - loud, dirty, and chaotic. However, we were staying at a fantastic place outside the city, with a pool, our own apartment, and a very nice and helpful host who gave us an insight into life in Paraguay. It was in this city that we sourced parts for the bike and finally got some new off-road tires to take us on the next adventure. Before moving on, we took a day trip with the motorbike to Iguassu Falls in Argentina, and from Tres Fronteras (Three Borders) we took the short ferry ride across. Despite the rain, we enjoyed our day and it was great to be back at the falls, even though many of the viewpoints had been closed.
Our plan was to pick up the motorbike, cross into Argentina and make our way through the province of Entre Rios, to enter Paraguay at the city of Encarnacion. Paraguay was a country that had been on our radar for a while and was a place that we noticed many overlanders skipped - after all, it does not have world-famous attractions or an incredible landscape like its neighbors. But we were intrigued.
We spent time exploring the 'beach town' of Encarnacion, which had a bustling river beach lined with beach bars that served the best and cheapest cocktails - we noticed that everything was very cheap in Paraguay. Encarnacion is the city where we met lovely locals, ate copious 'lomito arabe' from Habibs, and drank delicious cocktails every night - what can we say, it was like a beach holiday of sorts! From here, we arrived at Ciudad del Este, but not before being stopped by a group of friends eager to get to know our travel story, which was a very nice experience.
Ciudad del Este was a shock to the system after Encarnacion, and our first glimpse of the city was hectic. It reminded us of the craziness of India - loud, dirty, and chaotic. However, we were staying at a fantastic place outside the city, with a pool, our own apartment, and a very nice and helpful host who gave us an insight into life in Paraguay. It was in this city that we sourced parts for the bike and finally got some new off-road tires to take us on the next adventure. Before moving on, we took a day trip with the motorbike to Iguassu Falls in Argentina, and from Tres Fronteras (Three Borders) we took the short ferry ride across. Despite the rain, we enjoyed our day and it was great to be back at the falls, even though many of the viewpoints had been closed.
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From Ciudad del Este, we drove to Villarica and to Piribebuy, where we decided to explore the surrounding area. This was one of the central regions where many European ex-pats lived, and you could find plenty of clues - like German bakeries and German signs everywhere. We explored the area, including visiting the tallest waterfall in Paraguay - Salto Suiza and Salto Cristal, both beautiful. Still, if there is one thing you should know, everything worth seeing lies at the end of a long dirt road.
We visited the towns surrounding Lake Ypacarai, most notably San Bernardino, Itagua, Aregua, and Caacupe, which had artisan markets, waterside viewpoints, and charming streets. From Piribebuy, we continued to Asuncion, which would mark the end of our time in Paraguay, and continued towards San Pedro de Atacama, Chile, via Argentina. Our experience in Paraguay was enjoyable overall; we saw some beautiful sites, met some great people, and loved that the country was not flooded with tourists - this was certainly refreshing to experience.
We visited the towns surrounding Lake Ypacarai, most notably San Bernardino, Itagua, Aregua, and Caacupe, which had artisan markets, waterside viewpoints, and charming streets. From Piribebuy, we continued to Asuncion, which would mark the end of our time in Paraguay, and continued towards San Pedro de Atacama, Chile, via Argentina. Our experience in Paraguay was enjoyable overall; we saw some beautiful sites, met some great people, and loved that the country was not flooded with tourists - this was certainly refreshing to experience.
