What's on

Paraguay month by month

Patron-saint festivals, fairs, carnivals and the weather of every month. Pick when you travel and we will tell you what is on and where to go.

Summer

January

School vacation sends people flocking to the Paraná's beaches and to streams. Carnaval Encarnaceno kicks off, Pilar opens the year with its Hawaiian Party, Kamba Kua honors Saint Balthazar from the 6th, Piribebuy celebrates its poncho, and Caazapá closes the month with the Ykua Bolaños Festival. Tereré and iced cane syrup (mosto) flow all day; Asunción, meanwhile, quiets down.

Events 8

Jan→ Feb

Encarnación Carnival

Feathers, drum troupes and dance groups in the Sambadrome: Paraguay’s “summer capital” throws the country’s biggest carnival.

CarnivalEncarnación, ItapúaFeatured Jan

Ykua Bolaños Festival

Paraguayan and popular music in the town of Friar Luis de Bolaños’s legendary spring: one of the biggest festivals outside the capital.

MusicCaazapá, CaazapáFeatured Jan→ Feb

Misiones Tradition Festival

Rodeo riding, ranch skills, asado a la estaca and music nights in the old Jesuit town of Santiago.

TraditionSantiago, MisionesFeatured Jan

Feast of Saint Balthazar in Kamba Kua

Drums, candombe and dances from the Afro-Paraguayan community of Kamba Kua in honor of Saint Balthazar, its patron saint.

TraditionFernando de la Mora, CentralFeatured Jan

Valenzuela Pineapple Fair and Festival

The “pineapple capital” celebrates its star fruit with juices, sweets, a pineapple tunnel and music in the town square.

FoodValenzuela, Cordillera Jan

Batiburrillo, Siriki and San Juan Sausage Festival

Offal dishes and sausages from the Misiones tradition, with live music and free entry in the main square.

FoodSan Juan Bautista, Misiones Jan

National Festival of the 60-Stripe Poncho Para’i

Music, crafts and local pride centered on the sixty-stripe poncho, handwoven in Piribebuy.

FestivalPiribebuy, Cordillera Jan

Pilar Hawaiian Party

The country’s biggest beach party: thousands dance on the sand on the banks of the Paraguay River.

FestivalPilar, Ñeembucú

Patron-saint festivals 9

1Jan

Niño Jesús Salvador · Cerrito

Clay lanterns and candles glowing all around the church.

Patron saintCerrito, Ñeembucú 1Jan

Niño Salvador del Mundo · Mbocayaty del Yhaguy

Patron saintMbocayaty del Yhaguy, Cordillera 6Jan

San Baltasar · 25 de Diciembre

Festivities around the main plaza, with the town's little brass bands, which have won recognition at festivals all over the country.

Patron saint25 de Diciembre, San Pedro 6Jan

Santos Reyes Magos · Carayaó

A Three Kings festival that coincides with the district's anniversary (1770): procession, Paraguayan-style bullfighting and festivities on the plaza.

Patron saintCarayaó, CaaguazúFeatured 6Jan

Niño Salvador del Mundo · San Salvador

Patron saintSan Salvador, Guairá 14Jan

Divino Niño Jesús · Jesús

Festival of the town that watches over the Jesuit mission of Jesús de Tavarangüé, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Patron saintJesús, Itapúa 20Jan

San Sebastián · Abaí

Patron saintAbaí, Caazapá 24Jan

Nuestra Señora de la Paz · Belén

Festival of an old town founded as a Jesuit reducción (mission settlement) on the banks of the Ypané River.

Patron saintBelén, Concepción 25Jan

San Pablo (Conversión de San Pablo) · Caazapá

Evening Mass and a procession of the patron saint through the central streets of this former Franciscan mission town.

Patron saintCaazapá, Caazapá

Weather, nature and tips for January

Weather

Peak summer. Asunción: average highs of 34 °C and lows of 23 °C; Central Chaco: highs of 36 °C. Days above 38 °C are common.

Rain

Asunción: about 130 mm over 8 rainy days, in short, heavy storms. Chaco: about 120 mm.

Nature

The yvyra pytã tree paints roads and avenues yellow. Migratory shorebirds fill Asunción's bay. Rivers and streams are perfect for swimming (check which spots are open).

In season

Watermelon, melon, Valenzuela pineapple, mango, grapes from Independencia and La Colmena, and pakuri fruit.

Tips

Plan outdoor activities for early morning or evening. Book ahead in Encarnación for carnival Saturdays. In waters shared with Brazil (Alto Paraná and the north), the fishing ban is still in effect.

Best regions

Misiones Guairá Cordillera

See on map

Seasons

Dec · Jan · Feb

Summer

Asunción: average highs of 33–34 °C and lows of 22–23 °C; Central Chaco: highs of 35–36 °C. Heat waves can push past 40 °C.

Intense, humid heat in the eastern region, with heavy but short-lived afternoon storms and about 130 to 180 mm of rain a month in Asunción. The Chaco gets somewhat less rain, but the heat is extreme and dirt roads turn to mud. It’s the season of school holidays, carnivals, river beaches and swimming holes in the streams.

Best for

Paraná River beaches in Encarnación and Ayolas
The carnivals of Encarnación and Villarrica
Streams and swimming spots in Cordillera and Guairá
Summer festivals in the interior (Ykua Bolaños, Hawaiian Party, Misiones Tradition)

Keep in mind

The Chaco and the Pantanal (extreme heat, roads cut off by rain), and hiking or outdoor sightseeing between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. The fishing ban (veda) runs through November and December and, in waters shared with Brazil, until the end of January.

What to pack

Lightweight cotton or linen clothingA hat and high-SPF sunscreenMosquito repellentA reusable water bottleA light umbrella for the stormsSandals for rivers and streams

Mar · Apr · May

Autumn

Asunción: from highs of 32 °C and lows of 21 °C in March to highs of 25 °C and lows of 15 °C in May. Central Chaco: highs from 34 °C down to 27 °C.

The heat eases off gradually. March still feels like summer; April and May bring mild days, clear skies between rainy fronts (April is one of Asunción’s wettest months) and cool nights. In the Chaco, rainfall drops sharply from May and the ideal season for a visit begins.

Best for

Holy Week in Misiones and Cordillera
Cities and Jesuit reductions in pleasant temperatures
Hiking in Cordillera and the Ybytyruzú hills
Expos in the Chaco and the east (Neuland, Santa Rita, Pioneros)

Keep in mind

In March, the still-fierce midday heat. During Holy Week, highways and accommodation in the interior are overwhelmed: book weeks ahead.

What to pack

Light clothing plus a light jacket for the eveningComfortable walking shoesSunscreenInsect repellentAn umbrella or rain jacket

Jun · Jul · Aug

Winter

Asunción: average highs of 22–26 °C and lows of 13–15 °C, with cold fronts that can drop below 5 °C and occasional frost. Central Chaco: days of 26–30 °C and nights of 12–15 °C.

The dry season: Asunción gets less than 50 mm of rain in July and August, and the Chaco almost none. Sunny, mild days alternate with cold snaps, especially in June and July; homes usually have no central heating. It’s the best time for the Chaco, city sightseeing and hiking, and the season of San Juan, the Expo and the lapacho trees in bloom.

Best for

The Central Chaco, salt lagoons with flamingos, and the Pantanal
San Juan festivals and Kamba Ra’anga
The Mariano Roque Alonso Expo and Areguá’s Strawberry Fair
Pink lapachos in bloom from July
Walking Asunción and the historic towns

Keep in mind

Swimming in rivers and streams (the water is cold). In dry years, fires and smoke increase between August and October in the Chaco, the Pantanal and the north: check before you go.

What to pack

Real warm clothes for cold fronts (jacket, sweater, scarf)Layers: afternoons can be warmSunscreen and sunglassesMoisturizer and lip balm for the dry airA flashlight for nighttime festivals

Sep · Oct · Nov

Spring

Asunción: from highs of 28 °C and lows of 16–17 °C in September to highs of 31 °C and lows of 20 °C in November. Central Chaco: highs of 33 °C to 35 °C.

The heat returns and, with October, the rains: October and November are Asunción’s wettest months, with intense thunderstorms. September is usually dry, bright and full of flowers. It’s the season of the yellow lapachos, the arrival of migratory birds, the beer festivals of the German colonies and the big cultural festivals.

Best for

Lapachos and blossoms in cities and along highways
Migratory birdwatching
Oktoberfest and the colonies’ Choppfests
The Lake and Ñandutí festivals
The Transchaco Rally

Keep in mind

Dirt roads after storms (the Chaco, the north and rural areas). From November 2 the fishing ban (veda) is in force: this is not sport-fishing season.

What to pack

Light clothing and a thin jacket for September nightsAn umbrella or raincoatMosquito repellentBinoculars for birdingSunscreen

Public holidays

Paraguay has used UTC-3 year-round since October 2024 (Law 7354/2024, which repealed the daylight-saving system set out in Law 7115/2023): clocks no longer change. It's the same time as Buenos Aires, Montevideo and São Paulo, and one hour ahead of Bolivia (UTC-4).

1 Jan	New Year’s Day Fixed holiday. New Year’s Eve on the 31st is celebrated with family, with cider, clericó (a wine-and-fruit punch) and fireworks.
1 Mar	Heroes’ Day Commemorates the death of Marshal Francisco Solano López at Cerro Corá (1870). It can be moved by decree to the preceding or following Monday: in 2026 it was moved to Monday, March 2.
25 Mar	Holy Thursday Movable date (Holy Week). 2026: April 2; 2027: March 25. Cannot be moved.
26 Mar	Good Friday Movable date (Holy Week). 2026: April 3; 2027: March 26. A day for chipa and the Tañarandy procession. Cannot be moved.
1 May	Labor Day Fixed holiday.
14 May	National Independence Day Fixed holiday; the first day of the patriotic celebrations.
15 May	National Independence Day and Mother’s Day Fixed holiday. Restaurants are packed for Mother’s Day.
12 Jun	Chaco Peace Day End of the Chaco War (1935). Can be moved to the preceding or following Monday; in 2026 it fell on a Friday and stayed put.
20 Jun	Swearing-in of the National Constitution A new holiday since 2026 (Law 7544/2025). In 2026 it fell on a Saturday and the Executive moved it by decree to Monday, June 22. The same law allows the Executive to declare up to three additional holidays a year (in 2026, Tuesday, June 30, after the national team’s World Cup win over Germany).
15 Aug	Founding of Asunción Fixed holiday; also the feast of Our Lady of the Assumption, patron saint of the capital.
29 Sep	Victory of Boquerón Chaco War battle (1932). Movable: in 2026 it was moved by decree to Monday, September 28.
8 Dec	Our Lady of Caacupé (Immaculate Conception) Fixed holiday; the main day of the pilgrimage to Caacupé. Highways toward Cordillera are heavily congested.
25 Dec	Christmas Day Fixed holiday. Christmas Eve on the 24th is the big family dinner.

The fishing ban is set annually by the Ministry of the Environment (MADES) through a resolution. For the 2025–2026 cycle (Resolution 523/2025): from November 2 to December 20, 2025 on the Paraguay River south of the Apa, on the Pilcomayo, on the Paraná downstream of the Yguazú, and on the rest of the country's rivers, streams and lagoons; from November 2, 2025 to January 31, 2026 on the Paraguay River between the Negro and Apa rivers, on the Apa River, and on the Paraná between Saltos del Guairá and the Yguazú. During the ban, sport and commercial fishing are prohibited; only subsistence fishing by riverside anglers is allowed, from the shore, using a hook, handline or rod, up to 5 kg of mixed catch per person (excluding surubí catfish, manguruyú, dorado and pacú). Dates for the 2026–2027 cycle are published in a new resolution, usually in late October — check before you go.

Official 2026 calendar (Ministry of Education, Resolution 2065/2025): classes began on Monday, February 23, and winter break ran from Monday, July 13 to Friday, July 24. Classes end on November 30, and the school year officially closes on Friday, December 11 (teachers' last working day); December through February is summer vacation, the high season for beaches, streams and domestic tourism. Holy Week and long weekends also drive a lot of domestic travel.