Félix Pérez Cardozo (antigua Hyaty)

This small village next to Villarrica is named after its most famous son, the harpist who revolutionized the technique and repertoire of the Paraguayan harp. Here you can visit the mausoleum where his remains rest and the old railway station, now a museum with a harp school. Every September, for the town's founding anniversary and the feast of Our Lady of Sorrows, the Cradle of the Harp Festival draws thousands of people to an open-air stage. The Tebicuarymí River, good for sport fishing, and a popular lagoon round out the visit, along with the work of local embroiderers and the trapiches (sugarcane mills) that make cane syrup.

The village was once called Hyaty and was established in 1773 by Governor Agustín Fernando de Pinedo. Félix Pérez Cardozo was born here on November 20, 1908; he wrote 'Tren lechero' and 'El arriero' and created a celebrated version of 'Pájaro campana' (Guyra campana, 'The Bellbird'). He made his career in Buenos Aires, where he died on June 9, 1952. In 1957 the village officially took his name.