Artisan Appreciation Tour

Locations: Itá, Itaguá, Aregua

This day tour will take you to places you won’t find in any guidebook - to the homes and workshops of local artisans who have maintained folk art traditions passed down to them by their mothers and grandmothers. You will learn about the historical context of the craft, as well as the simple (low tech), yet sophisticated techniques used to create these iconic Paraguayan crafts. Travelers find that being invited to a local Paraguayan's home and having personal interactions with the artisans and their family members is a highlight of their trip.

You will also visit cultural centers, shops and galleries that offer a perspective on the full breadth of styles that encompass Paraguayan art and popular crafts.

Itá
Itá means "stone" in Guarani and is known for its tradition of ceramic art. 

• The San Blas culture center displays a variety of hand-crafted ceramics from a variety of artists.
• Visit the home workshop and museum of Julia Isidrez who has developed a new style of attractive ceramics that has become extremely popular in recent years; she has won numerous national and international awards and commissions for her work.

Itaguá
Itaguá is called “City of the Ñandutí”. 

• Visit shops in Itaguá that offer an incredible display of the variety of colors, sizes, designs and uses for ñanduti, including table and wall decorations, apparel, hats, earrings and more.
• Visit the home of an artisan who hand-weaves ñanduti and will provide a demonstration of the technique and skill required to create this popular craft.

Areguá
Areguá, known for its manufactured pottery crafts, street market, and galleries, was once a town where wealthy families from Asunción had their summer homes near Lake Ypacarai. The town has preserved the charming old train station, historical colonial houses, wide boulevards and cobblestone roads.

• Impressive view of Lake Ypacarai from the Franciscan Church
• El Cantaro school, a unique dome-oven shaped classroom made of recycled materials that offers free community art workshops
• El Cantaro Art Store features carefully selected hand-crafted contemporary, indigenous and popular art from throughout Paraguay, proceeds from the shop benefit El Cantaro community school.
• The craft market features a street lines with thousands of figurines, home and garden decorations; while most of the items are not to the tastes of foreigners, the craft market offers an impressive display of colors
• The Centro Cultural del Lago gallery features high quality hand-crafted artwork which have been personally selected by the owner Ysanne Gayet, a well-known and respected artist and intellectual.
• The historical train station is a relic from times past when the train brought people from Asuncion to enjoy the shores of Lake Ypacarai
• The park on the shores of Lake Ypacarai is a gathering place for visitors and locals to enjoy the view and relax in the shade.