Limpio, Limpio: things to see in Paraguay

Judas Priest88 · Public domain

Greater Asunción and Lake Ypacaraí Limpio

Limpio

City

Karanda'y palm hats, a church with colonial roots and lagoons of giant water lilies beside the Paraguay River.

23 km≈ 20 min from Asunción

Half a dayDuration

₲₲₲Budget or free

DirectionsSee on map

What it is

Limpio, north of Asunción, is hat-making country: hats woven from the leaves of the karanda'y palm are its best-known craft. Downtown, the parish church of San José keeps an 1850 facade. Toward the Paraguay River, the landscape changes: the Piquete Cue lagoons, with irupé (Victoria cruziana), a water lily with enormous floating leaves; Castillo El Peñón, a 1932 lighthouse on a rock in the river; and the Salado River, which drains Lake Ypacaraí and is a spot for fishing and boat trips.

What to see and do

Handmade karanda'y palm hats
The parish church of San José (1850 facade)
Irupé water lilies in the Piquete Cue lagoons (December–January)
Fishing and boat trips on the Salado River

Did you know…?

The irupé blooms mainly in December and January in the Piquete Cue lagoons, an old river port.

The Salado River carries the waters of Lake Ypacaraí to the Paraguay River.

Castillo El Peñón was built by Captain Lázaro Aranda in 1932 as a lighthouse on the Paraguay River.

History

Irala reached the area in 1537 and Friar Luis de Bolaños traveled through it with the Ortiz de Zárate expedition; the name comes from the 'Campos Limpios de Tapu'a' (the open, clear fields of Tapu'a). Governor Pedro Melo de Portugal raised it to the rank of villa (town) on February 1, 1785. It is one of the oldest settlements in the country and today has more than 139,000 inhabitants.

Tips

Access to the lagoons and riverbanks is usually on dirt roads: check conditions after rain and, if you can, go with a local guide.
To see the irupé in bloom, plan your visit for December or January.

Best time: December and January for the irupé; March 19 for the feast of San José.