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Voykit pocket guide · Paraguay
Areguá
Go as a half-day or one-night trip from Asunción: crafts street, Cerro Koi and the lakefront in 4–6 h; skip swimming, the lake is polluted.
Areguá is a small lakeside town 31 km east of Asunción, known for ceramic workshops, colonial houses and Cerro Koi. The centre is compact and walkable, buses run from Asunción in about an hour, and most travellers see it in half a day. The lake is polluted: no swimming, no fish.
- Country
- Paraguay
- Best months
- Jul–Oct; the strawberry festival runs in Aug–Sep
- Avoid
- Dec–Feb (heat and rain); avoid the lakefront for swimming at any time
- Stay
- 0–1 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- PYG
- Money
- Currency is the Paraguayan guaraní (PYG, ₲). About ₲7,000–8,000 per US dollar in 2026 — check. Cash dominates outside hotels, malls and larger restaurants in Asunción.
- Daily spend
- Budget ₲120,000–200,000 excl. bed · Mid ₲200,000–350,000 excl. bed · High ₲350,000+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Tigo, Personal and Claro; prepaid SIMs with a passport at shops and malls, or an eSIM before you fly.
- Emergency
- Police 911 · Ambulance (Asunción) 141
- Plugs
- Types C, F · 220 V · 50 Hz · European two-pin plugs fit most sockets.
- Tipping
- Restaurant: About 10% if not included.; Taxi / app: Round up.; Guide: US$5–10 a day.
- Water
- Tap water is treated in Asunción but many drink bottled; bottled outside the city.
- Toilets
- Use malls, restaurants and bus terminals; carry tissues.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Bus ride within town or to Asunción | ₲2,200–5,000 (check) |
| Coffee or cold drink at the plaza | ₲8,000–15,000 |
| Burger or snack at the main plaza in the evening | ₲15,000–30,000 |
| Sit-down lunch | ₲40,000–90,000 |
| Ceramic figurine or pot | ₲20,000–150,000 |
| Taxi back to Asunción after the last bus | ₲80,000–150,000 (check) |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- ASU · Silvio Pettirossi International (Asunción)
- About 40 km (25 mi); bus or taxi into Asunción first, then a bus to AreguáAbout 25 mi (40 km); bus or taxi into Asunción first, then a bus to Areguá
Typical fares
- Bus Asunción → Areguá
- about ₲2,200, about 1 h (check)
- Taxi Areguá → Asunción
- ₲80,000–150,000 (check)
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
Walk. The centre is compact: church uphill at one end, beach and lake at the other, 15–20 min between them. Buses from Asunción stop in the centre near the ceramics shops; ask the driver for el centro, not las compañías.
See and do
Known for
- Ceramic workshops and garden gnome figurines
- Cerro Koi rock formations
- Colonial houses and La Candelaria church
- Strawberry festival in August and September
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Asunción | Bus from the centre to Shopping del Sol, then a city bus | About 1–1.5 h |
| Ypacaraí | Bus along the same lake road | About 30–40 min |
| San Bernardino | Bus or car via Ruta 2 | About 1 h |
Sleep
- Town centre (Estigarribia / Panchito López)
- Walk to the crafts street, market, train station and lake; the practical base for one night.
- Lakefront (Avda. del Lago)
- Hotels and the beach area; quieter, 10–15 min walk uphill to the centre.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Where is the bus to Areguá? | ¿Dónde pasa el bus a Areguá? |
| Does this bus go to the centre? | ¿Este bus va al centro? |
| How much is it? | ¿Cuánto cuesta? |
| Thank you | Gracias |
| Where is the toilet? | ¿Dónde está el baño? |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake, or a cheek kiss among women and friends; avoid: Skipping 'buenos días'
- Tereré circle: Say thank you when you want to stop; avoid: Wiping the straw
- Language: Try a Guaraní word (aguyje = thanks); avoid: Calling Guaraní a dialect
- Time: Expect relaxed punctuality (hora paraguaya); avoid: Getting visibly impatient
Scams and watch-outs
- The lake is polluted: swimming and eating fish are not possible.
- Motels on the road to Luque are often hourly hotels — check before booking.
- Buses to outlying rural areas also say Areguá: confirm the driver goes to el centro.
- Cash for buses, crafts and small eateries; card use is limited.
Areguá is a small town and feels calm in daylight; the real issues are the polluted lake, uneven pavements and limited late transport back to Asunción. Keep to the centre after dark and take a taxi if the last bus has gone.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Areguá yet. Suggested stay: 0–1 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Ceramic workshops and garden gnome figurines
- Cerro Koi rock formations
- Colonial houses and La Candelaria church
- Strawberry festival in August and September
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- OpenStreetMap — Areguá: www.openstreetmap.org/#map=14/-25.3125/-57.3841
- Wikivoyage: Areguá, revision 5231953 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5231953
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Printed from Voykit (/aregua). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.