Cordillera and Paraguarí: hills, waterfalls and villages

Two main highways shape the trip. The PY02 (Mcal. José Félix Estigarribia) climbs into the Cordillera de los Altos via Ypacaraí to Caacupé (54 km, about 1 h 15 min depending on traffic), Piribebuy and Eusebio Ayala; the PY03 leads to Emboscada and Arroyos y Esteros. The PY01 (Mcal. Francisco Solano López) heads south through Itá to Yaguarón (48 km), Paraguarí (66 km), Carapeguá, Quiindy and Caapucú. Linked by the Piribebuy–Paraguarí road, they form the Circuito de Oro, roughly 180 km round trip from Asunción depending on detours. Buses run from Asunción's main bus terminal to the larger towns (check schedules before you go); for waterfalls, parks and rural areas, a car or an organized tour works best.

It's a year-round destination, with a different feel each season. From April to September the weather is cool and drier, perfect for hills and hikes (and from July to September the lapacho trees burst into pink and yellow bloom). From October to March it's all about streams, waterfalls and swimming spots, with intense heat and storms that swell the rivers. Key dates: Holy Week (chipa apo and Stations of the Cross on the hills), patron-saint festivals from June to October, Atyrá's Expocuero leather fair (October), La Colmena's Expo Frutas fruit fair (December) and the pilgrimage to Caacupé (November 28 to December 8).