Cmasi · CC BY-SA 4.0Areguá
Capital of pottery and strawberries, with historic mansions stepping down from the church to the lake.
What it is
Areguá is a town to explore on foot. From the Candelaria church, perched on a hill overlooking Lake Ypacaraí, the avenue that runs down to the water (a historic quarter declared national heritage in 1997) is lined with old mansions, art galleries and workshops. Pottery stalls are everywhere: flowerpots, nativity figures, statuettes and fired-clay tableware. In winter the sidewalks turn red with the Strawberry Expo. The old railway station, now a cultural center, and the Kõi and Chororĩ hills round out a day trip that feels deeply Paraguayan.
What to see and do
- Climb up to the Candelaria church (1862) and gaze over the lake from the hilltop
- Stroll the historic quarter among old mansions, galleries and pottery workshops
- Buy ceramics and nativity figures straight from the potters
- Visit the old railway station, now the Estación A cultural center (running since 1999), with its photography museum
- Taste fresh strawberries and all their by-products during the Strawberry Expo
- Walk the sandstone trail at Cerro Kõi, just minutes away
Did you know…?
It has been a UNESCO Creative City of Crafts and Folk Art since 2019; UNESCO credits it with more than 450 pottery workshops.
Gabriel Casaccia, regarded as one of Paraguay's greatest novelists, set 'La babosa' (Buenos Aires, Losada, 1952) in Areguá.
The writer Rafael Barrett lived in Areguá: his only son, Alejandro Rafael, was born here in 1907, and he settled here in 1909 after returning from exile.
History
According to tradition, Domingo Martínez de Irala founded Areguá in 1538; it became a district on November 13, 1862, under the government of Francisco Solano López. By the late 19th century, with the arrival of the railway, it had become a summer retreat for Asunción families, writers and artists. The Candelaria church was built in 1862 on the site of an old Mercedarian chapel and restored between 1912 and 1914. In 2019 UNESCO added Areguá to its Creative Cities Network.
Tips
- On Strawberry Expo weekends traffic crawls: arrive early or come on a weekday.
- The lake is not safe for swimming (MADES, 2025-2026 season): enjoy it from the lakeside promenade.
- Several workshops on the National Crafts Route (ruta.artesania.gov.py) welcome visitors by appointment.
- There are almost no hotels in town (though there are short-term rentals): to stay overnight, head to San Bernardino or Asunción.
Best time: July to September for the Strawberry Expo; year-round for the pottery. Morning or sunset from the church hilltop.
What to try
- Fresh strawberries, with cream or as ice cream, in season (July to September)
- Strawberry liqueurs, juices, chocolates and sweet empanadas
Activities
Festivals and events here
Areguá Strawberry Fair
Three months of basket-fresh strawberries, smoothies, cakes and liqueurs on the main avenue of Paraguay’s ceramics town.
FairAreguá, CentralFeatured2FebVirgen de la Candelaria · Areguá
A boat procession carries the Virgin across Lake Ypacaraí on the eve, and the pottery town hosts a fair of artisans and ceramics.
Patron saintAreguá, CentralNearby
Areguá · Central
Monumento Natural Cerros Kõi y Chororĩ
Five- and six-sided sandstone columns: a geological rarity with few equals anywhere in the world.
Areguá, San Bernardino e Ypacaraí · Central y Cordillera
Lago Ypacaraí
The lake behind Paraguay's most famous guarania: sunsets, sailboats and historic towns along its shores.
Capiatá · Central
Museo Mitológico Ramón Elías
The Pombero, the Kurupi and the Luisõ turned into sculpture: Guarani mythology as imagined by Ramón Elías.
Capiatá · Central
Capiatá
A colonial-era church dedicated to Our Lady of Candelaria and a museum of Guarani myths, right on Route PY02.
San Bernardino · Cordillera
San Bernardino
An 1881 German colony on the shores of Ypacaraí and Paraguay's summer capital: lakeside promenade, bars and long nights.
Itauguá · Central
Itauguá
The capital of ñandutí: handmade 'spiderweb' lace, sold right along Route PY02.
Researched and reviewed in September 2026 with 13 sources. A second reviewer checked dates, coordinates and lodging. Hours and prices may change.