Routes · 4 days

Paraguay for Families

Four days designed for kids and grown-ups alike, with short drives between stops. In Asunción, the Botanical Garden and Zoo, the vintage locomotives at the old train station, and the Costanera riverfront. Then, the South American Football Museum, Capiatá's museum of Guaraní myths, the strawberries of Areguá, and the lake at San Bernardino. Next, hanging bridges and zip lines at Mbatoví, the trains of Sapucai, and a swim in the Chololó stream.

Families with kids age 6 and up (the minimum age for Mbatoví's zip lines) and school groups.April to October for walking without the heat; October to March if the plan includes swimming at the Chololó stream. Winter break (July) brings more activity and more crowds.Your own or a rental car; distances are short, never more than 2.5 hours of driving per day.

Zoo, locomotives, and the Costanera

≈ 20 km

Morning at the Botanical Garden and Zoo, with South American wildlife, forest, and the country house of Carlos Antonio López, now a museum. After lunch, the old Central Railway Station, one of the first built in South America, with vintage locomotives on display (Tuesday to Sunday). An afternoon of biking, ice cream, and sunset at the Costanera. About 20 km by car.

Antigua Estación Central del Ferrocarril (Estación San Francisco) y Plaza Uruguaya

Overnight: Asunción: Granados Park Hotel, Crowne Plaza, Hotel Westfalenhaus, or Hotel Cecilia.

The Football Museum, Guaraní myths, and the lake

≈ 68 km

The South American Football Museum, in Luque, is free with a reservation: trophies, championship jerseys, and interactive games. In Capiatá, the Ramón Elías Mythological Museum presents figures from Guaraní folklore — the Pombero, the Kurupí, and the Luisõ — in sculpture form. In the afternoon, Areguá: pottery and, from July to September, strawberries with cream. Overnight in San Bernardino, by the lake. About 70 km.

Overnight: San Bernardino: Hotel Los Alpes, Cabañas Los Árboles, or Hotel del Lago.

Hanging bridges and zip lines at Mbatoví

≈ 51 km

A free morning by the lake, then an hour's drive to Mbatoví, 10 km from Paraguarí. On the 2pm outing, instructors guide the circuit: a 2 km trail through forest with giant ferns, four hanging bridges, two zip lines about 40 meters above the forest floor, and rappelling. There's no restaurant on site: bring water and snacks. Overnight in domes or cabins in the valley. About 50 km.

Overnight: Paraguarí: Glamping Mbatoví, Mirador Las Colinas, or Tower Suites.

The trains of Sapucai and the Chololó stream

≈ 153 km

Visit Sapucai, a railway town nestled among hills, with British-built workshops from 1894 and steam locomotives (hours vary, check ahead). Lunch, then an afternoon at the Chololó stream, with small waterfalls and pools for splashing around in summer. Return to Asunción via Paraguarí and Route PY01, in about 2 hours. About 150 km for the day.

Overnight: Return to Asunción; or one night at the Chololó Hotel y Parque Natural (Piribebuy).

Tips

Mbatoví operates by reservation only, and on weekdays requires groups of at least 10 people: plan Day 3 for a Saturday or Sunday (start the trip on a Thursday).
The CONMEBOL Museum is free but requires advance booking; it's open Tuesday to Sunday (check before you go).
After heavy rain, the Chololó stream rises: wait for the water to go down before taking kids in.
In summer, pack insect repellent, sunscreen, and a water bottle for each child.