History and Folklore Tour

Locations: Capiatá, Itaguá, Caacupe, Altos, San Bernardino

Visit five towns to explore various aspects of Paraguayan history, traditions and folklore.

Capiatá
Ramón Elías was a curious person and had a researcher spirit; he traveled throughout the interior of Paraguay collecting antiquities and he met many elderly people and collected popular stories that were passed from generation to generation about tales of magical characters. As an artist, he began to sculpt and shape the fantastic characters of the peasant stories and through his fantastic sculptures is considered the father of the images of Paraguayan myths.

• Visit the Museo Mitológico Ramón Elías. The mythological museum has three big rooms: the first exhibits sculptures of creatures from Paraguayan mythology; the second includes objects and altarpieces from the first Franciscans and Jesuits who came to Paraguay; the third displays photographs and elements from the Paraguayan War and the Chaco War.

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.

Lunch in Caacupe

Caacupe
Caacupe is a center of worship for a large number of Paraguayan devotees. This city is well known for its important religious festival which is held on the eighth of December every year honoring the statue of Our Lady of the Miracles; each year more than 300,000 faithful gather here for the festival. 

• Walk up the stairs of the Cathedral to see the history of the statue, which was carved in the sixteenth century and withstood a huge flood, depicted in a series of murals along the tower corridors.
• From the rooftop viewing platform, observe the beautiful landscape that surrounds the Basilica.

Altos
Altos was one of the first villages founded by the Spanish conquerors and has been an important Franciscan town of converted Indians.

• Visit the home workshop of a local woodcarver who carves soft, light weight balsa wood (timbó) into sculptures of birds, flowers, mythological creatures, saints, and masks made for the San Pedro & San Pablo festivals.
• Optional (one week advance notice required): Paint your own bird sculpture

San Bernardino
San Bernardino, also called Sanber by locals, is a favorite summer vacation spot on the shores of Lake Ypacari. It was founded around 1880 by German immigrants after the War of the Triple Alliance. Today, Sanber is very popular and crowded during the summer vacation months December until March. (Optional: Boat Ride on Lake Ypacarai; $6 per person)