Paraguay divides into two territories separated by the Paraguay River. Región Oriental, the eastern half, contains 97 percent of the population and the capital Asunción. The Chaco, the western expanse, stretches across 246,925 square kilometers with fewer than 140,000 inhabitants. Most visitors spend their time in the east, where colonial Jesuit missions, a functioning presidential palace, and a river culture centered on tereré define the available activities.
Asunción sits on the left bank of the Paraguay River at 25°16′S 57°40′W. The Palacio de los López, the seat of government since 1867, remains an active workplace for the Paraguayan presidency and cannot be entered by the public, though its pink neoclassical facade is visible from the waterfront. The Panteón Nacional de los Héroes, completed in 1936 and modeled on Les Invalides in Paris, houses the remains of Carlos Antonio López, Francisco Solano López, and Mariscal José Félix Estigarribia. The Casa de la Independencia, a single-story colonial house on Calle 14 de Mayo, served as the meeting place for revolutionaries who declared independence from Spain on May 14, 1811. The interior has been restored as a museum displaying period furniture and independence-era documents.
The Jesuit missions built between 1609 and 1767 concentrated in southern Paraguay. The Ruinas Jesuíticas de Jesús de Tavarangue and the Ruinas Jesuíticas de Trinidad del Paraná received UNESCO World Heritage designation in 1993. Trinidad, located 28 kilometers from Encarnación, was founded in 1706 and reached a population of approximately 3,500 Guaraní before the Jesuit expulsion in 1767. The church structure remains partially intact with walls reaching 18 meters in height. Sandstone carvings depicting angels and saints survive on several friezes. Jesús de Tavarangue, founded in 1685, was never completed. The unfinished church and adjoining structures cover roughly four hectares. Both sites can be visited in one day from Encarnación.
The Itaipu Dam on the Paraná River has operated since 1984 as a binational project between Paraguay and Brazil. The structure measures 196 meters in height and 7,919 meters in length. Its 20 generating units produce 14,000 megawatts of capacity, making it the second-largest hydroelectric installation in the world by generation after China's Three Gorges Dam. Guided tours in Spanish, Portuguese, and English depart from the visitor center on the Paraguayan side, located 15 kilometers from Ciudad del Este. The panoramic tour takes approximately 90 minutes and includes views of the spillway and the central control room. Admission is free, but reservations must be made in advance through the official Itaipu website. The Yacyretá Dam, shared with Argentina and operational since 1994, lies on the Paraná River near Ayolas. It generates 3,100 megawatts from 20 turbines.
Parque Nacional Cerro Corá covers 5,538 hectares in the department of Amambay near the Brazilian border. The park's historical significance relates to the death of Francisco Solano López, who was killed there on March 1, 1870, ending the War of the Triple Alliance. A monument marks the location near the Aquidabán stream. The landscape consists of cerrado woodland, sandstone caves, and seasonal streams. Resident wildlife includes tapirs, peccaries, and over 200 bird species. The park headquarters at Colonia Dr. Pedro P. Peña provides trail maps. Access requires a four-wheel-drive vehicle during the rainy season from October to March.
Parque Nacional Defensores del Chaco, established in 1975, encompasses 720,000 hectares in the northwest Chaco. It stands as one of the largest protected areas in South America. The dry thorn forest hosts jaguars, pumas, giant anteaters, and the Chacoan peccary, a species unknown to science until 1975. Average annual rainfall measures 400 millimeters, falling primarily between November and March. Access from Asunción requires a drive of approximately 800 kilometers on unpaved roads. Independent travel is not recommended; organized tours departing from Filadelfia, the main Mennonite colony in the Chaco, provide the standard entry route. No permanent infrastructure exists within the park. Visitors require permits from the Secretaría del Ambiente in Asunción.