The best accommodations Paraguay

Budget & Tips

Accommodation is cheap in Paraguay, in all categories. Prices are indicated per room for hotels, and per person for dormitories in youth hostels (hostels or sometimes hostal), rooms in private homes (posadas). They usually include breakfast, and full or half board in the estancias. Credit cards are rarely accepted in non-luxury establishments, or their use is charged extra (usually 5%). Establishments called pensión, hospedaje, or residencial, are often the most economical, but also the lowest end of the range. Comfort as well as tranquility and service vary greatly, and some can be used as a transient hotel. Beware, motels in Paraguay (and in general in Latin America), do not mean roadside hotels, as we understand it in the United States, but places to spend a pleasant moment with his or her partner. Payment is made in hourly instalments. If in doubt, the "romantic" name of the establishment should tell you what it is all about!

To be booked

Booking well in advance is really only essential for busy periods: end of year festivities, Holy Week, village festivals or celebrations, Encarnación Carnival, Octoberfest in Independancia, Transchaco Rally... It is however recommended to book, especially for posadas turísticas who have few rooms and whose main activity is often not the same (no receptionist). Same thing for the isolated estancias, so as not to arrive at the end of a track in front of a closed gate and also so that we can plan your food on the spot. Outside of luxury hotels, it is preferable to book (or at least check your reservation), by phone, WhatsApp, or even Facebook, rather than by email. Outside the big cities, few hotels have functional web pages to make a reservation, and specialized international websites (Booking, Expedia...) are still little used in Paraguay. StayPY (www.staypy.com) is a Paraguayan reservation platform (accommodation and excursions), which was created in 2016. Recognized by the tourism authorities, it offers useful information and photos of establishments, many of which do not have up-to-date websites. Reservations are made at no additional cost to the customer.

What's very local

Rural tourism is one of Paraguay's great attractions. Staying in an estancia, these large estates dedicated to cattle breeding or agriculture, is to savour the passing time and to disconnect. Some estancieros have launched out in the tourist reception parallel to their activities. The APATUR association (turismorural.org.py) groups together estancias that meet the minimum conditions of comfort to welcome tourists, but other establishments, very correct and sometimes more authentic, have embarked on the adventure outside the network. Rural tourism makes it possible to live in contact with a del campo family, to be in contact with nature, on foot or on horseback, and to take part in activities such as milking cows or fishing. It can also be as simple as sitting in a hammock by a swimming pool and enjoying traditional dishes made with farm products. It is necessary to book several weeks in advance for summer weekends, but during the week you will often be alone with the family. You can expect to pay between 40 and 80 € per person for full board. The network of Posadas turísticas de Paraguay (posadasturisticas.gov.py) set up by the Senatur is also a good way to meet Paraguayans. In 2019, there were more than 250 typical guest houses in the tourist areas of the eastern region (San Cosme y Damián, Jesús, Trinidad, Carmen del Paraná, Piribebuy, Areguá...). In order to be approved, the accommodations must meet criteria of comfort, cleanliness and services. These posadas are supposed to offer a warm welcome and promote Paraguayan traditions. Breakfast is always included and sometimes dinner is an opportunity to discover homemade regional specialties. Rates range between 50 and 120,000 Gs per person.

A small but important clarification, as in all South America, in the toilets of hotels (but also in private homes, restaurants, etc.), you will have to get used to throwing your papers in the dustbin provided for this purpose, and not in the toilet bowl, at the risk of clogging the pipes.

For food lovers

Breakfast is usually included in the price of the night. In the cheapest category, you will be entitled to the continental desayuno, which is limited to a coffee, a tea bag or a cocido, sometimes fruit, rolls and guava (guayaba) or strawberry (frutilla) jam. In the comfort and luxury category, it will more often be a desayuno americano, sometimes in the form of a buffet, with a hot drink, fruit platter (papaya, banana...), natural fruit juice, cereals, yoghurt, ham, cheese, pastries..