Plan your trip to Paraguay

Landlocked Paraguay, one of the smallest countries in South America, is bordered to the north by Bolivia and Brazil, to the south and west by Argentina and to the east by Brazil. The Paraguay River divides the country into two distinct regions, the eastern half of rolling hills and countryside and most of the towns and cities, and the western half, with only roughly 2 percent of the population amid a vast, dry plain of numerous ranches dedicated to livestock.

The majority (90 percent) of the population speak Guaraní, the first indigenous language to become an official state language in the Americas (Spanish is also an official language). To strike up a conversation, or perhaps an exchange of hand gestures and smiles, sit down for a social drink of the national beverage, maté or the cold version, terere, derived from the leaves of the yerba maté. From around the architectural sites such as the old Riviera Block of capital city Asunción to the south, such as the city of Villarrica (nicknamed La Andariega, or “keen on walking,” for changing locations over the years), the beverage serves as an entryway to exploring the country’s culture.