Routes · 2 days

The Yerba Mate Route

Two days in southern Itapúa following yerba mate from the plantation to the guampa (traditional mate gourd). From Encarnación, Route PY06 runs through immigrant colonies like Capitán Miranda and Hohenau to Bella Vista, Paraguay's National Yerba Mate Capital, with factories open for tours, a museum, and a mate bar. The trip closes in Trinidad, because it was the Jesuit reductions that first learned to cultivate the plant the Guaraní people had long used.

Anyone curious about mate and tereré culture, food-focused travelers, and those already in Encarnación looking for something different.Year-round on weekdays, when the factories are operating. The main harvest falls in the cooler months; the last Saturday of February is National Tereré Day.Your own car from Encarnación (about 50 km on Route PY06). There are also regular buses along Route PY06 and local tours.

Colonies along Route PY06 and arrival in Bella Vista

≈ 50 km

Leave Encarnación on Route PY06 with your thermos ready. Stop in Capitán Miranda, a melting pot of settlers, and in Hohenau, the first of the Colonias Unidas, with the Alfredo Sitzmann Ecological Park and the Edwin Krug Historical and Cultural Center. In the afternoon, Bella Vista: tour a mate producer's plant or reserve, depending on the shift schedule (book ahead), and finish at Selecta's Mate Bar. About 50 km.

Overnight: Bella Vista: Hotel y Restaurant Papillon or Hotel Encanto Rural. Alternative: Hohenau, Parque Hotel Manantial.

From the drying house to the mate cup, and the Trinidad mission

≈ 49 km

Start early: the factories show their full process in the morning (Pajarito receives visitors Monday to Saturday from 7am; check before you go). You'll see how the leaf goes from the field to drying and packaging. Then, on to Trinidad: the Jesuit reductions were pioneers in growing their own mate plantations. An afternoon among the ruins and, Wednesday through Sunday, the light-and-sound show before heading back to Encarnación. About 50 km.

Overnight: Encarnación: De la Trinidad Hotel, De La Costa Hotel, or La Casa de Pedro Hostel; or Trinidad, Posada María.

Tips

Factory visits happen on weekdays and by shift: book ahead and avoid Sundays.
If you're traveling in late February, Bella Vista celebrates National Tereré Day on the last Saturday of the month.
To keep exploring the mate route, Paso Yobái (Guairá) and Nueva Germania (San Pedro) are colonies with their own yerba mate history.
Buy yerba mate at the source: many factories have shops with varieties that never make it to Asunción.