Ulises Icardi · CC BY-SA 4.0San Pedro del Ycuamandiyú
Colonial mansions, a Franciscan cathedral and beaches on the Jejuí River, with Puerto Antequera just next door.
What it is
The department capital is an unhurried city, proud of its nickname, the 'Capital of Cordiality'. Downtown preserves colonial mansions and the Franciscan-style cathedral of San Pedro Apóstol, with an altarpiece and statues of great historical value, declared a national historic landmark in 2006. About 4 km away runs the Jejuí River, with beaches for summer, and some 14 km away, on the Paraguay River, Puerto Antequera offers a lookout, camping, boat rentals and sport fishing.
What to see and do
- The cathedral of San Pedro Apóstol, a national historic landmark
- Colonial mansions downtown
- Beaches on the Jejuí River
- The lookout, boat trips and fishing at Puerto Antequera, on the Paraguay River
- The patron-saint feast of Saint Peter the Apostle on June 29
Did you know…?
Ycuamandiyú refers to a spring whose white bubbles looked like tufts of cotton.
The cathedral of San Pedro Apóstol was declared a national historic landmark in 2006.
Puerto Antequera, about 14 km away, hosts a sport-fishing contest every September that draws anglers from across the country and from neighboring nations.
History
It was founded on March 16, 1786, by José Ferreira and Pedro García Lacoizqueta, on the orders of Governor Pedro Melo de Portugal. Its name joins Saint Peter the Apostle with the Guarani words ykua ('spring') and mandyju ('cotton'), after a spring whose white bubbles looked like tufts of cotton. It has around 32,000 inhabitants (2022 census).
Tips
- The Jejuí beaches close when the river overflows, as happened in the 2025-2026 summer: ask before you go.
- Some stretches of highway and rural roads are in poor condition: drive carefully and by day.
- To fish you need a valid license and must respect the year-end closed season.
Best time: December to March for the river (unless it's in flood); June 29 for the patron-saint feast; September for the Antequera fishing contest. Holy Week is a popular time to visit.
What to try
- Fish from the Jejuí and the Paraguay River: surubí, pacú, dorado
- Chipa and sopa paraguaya on the plaza
Activities
Festivals and events here
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Researched and reviewed in September 2026 with 8 sources. A second reviewer checked dates, coordinates and lodging. Hours and prices may change.