For a time, Asunción was an important city to the Spanish colonial administration. It was an easier sail from Spain: across the Atlantic, up the Río de la Plata, hop over to the Río Paraguay and use the growing port as a staging area to the rest of the South American heartland.Asunción developed along the river bank.
To the east of the river, fertile land supported the growing population and the city thrived. Buildings from the colonial period attest to the prosperity of the city the Spanish enjoyed as almost a vacation resort.
Since then, the city has gone through a number or changes. Isolated and insulated for a time, Paraguay closed itself off to visitors. Wars, political upheavals and dictatorships made the country, and the capital city, a less desirable tourist destination.
In recent decades, however, Asunción is once again drawing visitors to the tropical climate, the friendliness of the Azuceños, and the gateway to the Gran Chaco.
Depending on the length of your stay in the city, you can limit yourself to the city’s sights or extend your visits to other areas of the country.