San Miguel, Capital de la Lana

Town

Hand-woven wool ponchos, blankets and sweaters, sold right on Route PY01.

178 km≈ 2 h 45 from Asunción

2-3 hoursDuration

₲₲₲Budget or free

DirectionsSee on map

What it is

San Miguel is the stop for warm clothes. All along Route PY01, houses and stalls hang out ponchos, blankets, vests and textiles made from sheep's wool spun and woven on family looms. It is an inherited craft that gives the town its identity, earning it the name Capital of Wool. In June, the Ovecha Ragué Festival ('sheep's wool' in Guaraní) celebrates this tradition with music, dancing and a craft fair, just as the cold weather arrives.

What to see and do

Wool textile stalls along Route PY01
Visits to family spinning and weaving workshops
The Ovecha Ragué Festival (June)
The patron saint's festival of San Miguel Arcángel (29 September)

Did you know…?

The festival's name, Ovecha Ragué, blends the loanword 'ovecha' (from the Spanish oveja, sheep) with the Guaraní rague: hair or wool.

Route PY01 works as a shop window several kilometers long: textiles hang in front of the houses.

History

A rural town in the Misiones department whose founding Wikipedia dates to 15 July 1902, with Saint Michael the Archangel as its patron. On the old road south, now Route PY01, sheep farming and hand weaving became its hallmark, eventually earning it the nickname Capital of Wool.

Tips

A good place to buy warm clothing if you're heading south in winter; polite bargaining is fine.
Ask whether an item is pure wool: blends are sold too.
Check the exact date of the June festival before you go.

Roadside stalls open during the day, every day.

Best time: June (festival and the start of the cold season) and throughout winter.