Things to do in Central Department, Central Department: The Best Tours

December 23, 2021 Joeann Galban

Discover the best top things to do in Central Department, Paraguay including Crystal Fall - day tour in a reduced group, Birding and Nature Chaco Tour, Golden Triangle Tour, Private Tour: Golden Circuit from Asuncion, Asuncion Birding Tour, Discovering wildlife of the Chaco, Day tour “Circuito San Bernardino”.
Restaurants in Central Department

1. Crystal Fall - day tour in a reduced group

Adventure Paraguay
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5.0 based on 1 reviews

Paraguay is a beautiful country that han't yet been fully discovered. We are passionate on showing and telling you everything about it, so you can discover it with us. The best way to have.a lance of the authentic Paraguay in a day is taking you to the magnificent Crystal Fall, located in a virgin jungle area. The trip is an adventure by itself, you should be aware that to get to the fall it's necessary to descend a long wooden stairway through the jungle which leads to a shallow river. From there, we will walk from 10-15 minutes along the river until we reach the hidden fall, right in the middle of the wilderness.

Inclusions: Air-conditioned vehicle, Private transportation, Use of Snorkelling equipment, All Fees and Taxes, Snacks, Bottled water

Exclusions:

2. Birding and Nature Chaco Tour

Wildlife Paraguay
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4.6 based on 9 reviews

Chaco`i is a perfect tour when you are in Asunción, and would like to enjoy nature and birding in a brief morning. An early drive of about 30 to 40 minutes from your hotel, and you will be in humid chaco ecosystems and expecting to find  70 to over 100 bird species in a few hours of birdwatching.

Inclusions: All taxes, fees and handling charges, Bottled water, Breakfast, Local guide, Hotel pickup and drop-off (selected hotels only), Transport by private vehicle, Coffee and/or Tea

Exclusions: Lunch, Gratuities, beverages over those stated as included;, travel and medical insurance;

Reviewed By JackKirkleyinMontana

My wife and I had a very wonderful 3-day birding/touring experience, arranged by Alberto Esquivel of Wildlife Paraguay, as we had Pocho Cabral as our guide and "Leo" Leonardo Wolf as our driver. Both of these gentlemen reside in Argentina and both are excellent professionals, who gave us efficient, personable service. Pocho is really a top-notch birding guide, who knows the birds very well, identifying them by both sound and sight. He took us to some excellent bird-watching sites, and he clearly has a rich network of “connections”, as he warmly greeted, by name, many other guides and rangers at Iguazu Falls and at other regional parks/reserves. Both Pocho and Leo were well acquainted with the procedures of moving us efficiently through the border crossings and through the entries and exits at Iguazu Falls and the other Argentinian National Parks and nature reserves. Pocho's personal connections with park rangers and other officials seemed to provide us some special entry privileges, not usually available to the general public. Everything happened very smoothly! Thanks to Pocho’s expertise and patience, we managed to identify just over 100 bird species during our 3 days of touring with him. I would definitely like to have these two guys as my guides again, if I return here someday! I give them my highest recommendation as the kind of guides who really do treat you in a very personal and accommodating manner. By the end of our tour, we felt like close friends!

3. Golden Triangle Tour

Discover South America SRL
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3.3 based on 3 reviews

This approximately 7 hr full day trip takes you to the surrounding villages of Asunción. Admire the famous church of Yaguarón, discover Caacupé, the most important pilgrimage site in South America and enjoy the beautiful jewelry in Luque as well as the authentic ceramic arts and crafts in Aregua.

Inclusions: Private tour guide, Hotel pickup and drop-off, Round-trip private transfer, Transport by private vehicle with air condition

Exclusions: Food and drinks

Reviewed By Cathy H

Ask for Jose Acosta, a freelance guide who works for City Tour. Ended up with a private tour since I was the only one who signed up. We saw all the usual sights, monuments, Barro Museum, which is superb. AND, Jose showed me the realities of Asunción, how it developed, why cobblestone streets in the richest neighborhoods (slows down drivers), how riverside is being developed... what is happening with the tent city refugees from the floods earlier in the year. I felt like I understand Asunción. So much so, that when a friend from the same conference contacted me, we hired Jose Acosta for the afternoon and he repeated some of the tour and added other sights. Terrific.

4. Private Tour: Golden Circuit from Asuncion

Compralonuestro

One of the most comprehensive tours where you can appreciate the artesnania made of mud , history through the visit to the Franciscan church, nature is present through landscape of hills in Paraguari . The colonial houses that can be seen in the city of Aregua , besides the famous Ypacarai lake that was inspired musician Jose Asuncion Flores to write famous guaranias. Goldsmith at its best presented in gold and silver filigree beautiful works made with exclusive details. Elaboration of guitars and harps are worthy to appreciate in this city that are produced are exported and also internationally. The minimum capacity of the tour is 1 and the maximum is 6 people.

Inclusions: Local guide, Hotel pickup, Private tour, Servicio de refrigerio (agua) durante el viaje

Exclusions: Lunch, Tasa por proceso de reserva. Precio por persona USD 15,00, Gratuities, Soda/Pop

5. Asuncion Birding Tour

Wildlife Paraguay

Discover birds and enjoy nature without leaving Asunción The Botanical Gardens contain one of the few remaining tracts of  native forest in Asuncion. From its trails, you can see colourful birds such as Plush-crested Jay, Pale-crested Woodpecker, Hooded Tanager, Tropical Parula and three species of Warbler. It's also a good place to find troops of Brown Capuchin, which are quite confident in the presence of humans.

Inclusions: All taxes, fees and handling charges, Driver/guide, Hotel pickup and drop-off, Hotel pickup and drop-off (selected hotels only), Transport by private vehicle

Exclusions: Food and drinks, Gratuities, Binoculars are available for rent (please request before day tour)

Reviewed By 168davisk

We were lucky to get a whirlwind 3-day humid- and dry-Chaco environments tour with Nico and Rebecca at the end of January, 2020. What an extraordinary weekend! I came away with new respect for these amazing and rapidly disappearing ecosystems. It is important to understand that this is an area with extremely limited tourist facilities — limited camping, hotels, grocery stores, paved roads, public land and signage. But it has ample wildlife, heat, mosquitoes, dust and potholes. Our amazing guides made it easy to overlook the challenges and focus on the amazing wildlife. Rebecca and Nicole are passionate about this area and the animals in it, and seem to know the Latin, English and Spanish names for every one of them, as well as their behaviors. Unforgettable! On the practical side of things, Nico and Rebecca were very thoughtful about bio-breaks. They were attune to the desires of each of us. Their English was excellent, and, better yet, they were patient with my efforts at Spanish.

6. Discovering wildlife of the Chaco

Wildlife Paraguay

The Great Chaco offers impressive wildlife, with good chance of seeing some of South America’s charismatic big mammals like jaguars, pumas and tapirs. It also hosts reptiles and birds in abundance, many of which are restricted to this ecoregion. You will enjoy a unique landscape with salt lakes that hold great concentrations of water birds and the dunes of Médanos del Chaco National Park (7 days tour) with its arid vegetation and the palm savannahs of the Humid Chaco. This tour will give you a chance to see Chaco endemic birds like Quebracho Crested-Tinamou, Black-legged Seriema, and Black-bodied Woodpecker. Lowland Tapir, Puma, Giant Anteater and Chacoan Peccary are amongst the mammals we may encounter: the last of these was presumed extinct when it was described from fossils in 1930. It came as a surprise when it was rediscovered in 1972, to become the (then) third and largest peccary species known! Today, the Paraguayan Chaco holds the main population of this species.

Inclusions: 2 nights accomodation, Beverages with meals, Bottled water, Meals as per itinerary (B = breakfast, L=lunch, D=dinner), Snacks, Driver/guide fees, Hotel pickup and drop-off, Transport by private vehicle (4WD), Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, Alcoholic Beverages

Exclusions: travel and medical insurance;, visa, passport and vaccination costs;, beverages over those stated as included;, optional excursions as defined by the itinerary or excursions not included in the itinerary;, Telephone calls, laundry and other items of a personal nature;, Gratuities to Tour leader and local guides;, Gratuities for hotel/restaurant staff, porters, drivers.

Reviewed By 168davisk

We were lucky to get a whirlwind 3-day humid- and dry-Chaco environments tour with Nico and Rebecca at the end of January, 2020. What an extraordinary weekend! I came away with new respect for these amazing and rapidly disappearing ecosystems. It is important to understand that this is an area with extremely limited tourist facilities — limited camping, hotels, grocery stores, paved roads, public land and signage. But it has ample wildlife, heat, mosquitoes, dust and potholes. Our amazing guides made it easy to overlook the challenges and focus on the amazing wildlife. Rebecca and Nicole are passionate about this area and the animals in it, and seem to know the Latin, English and Spanish names for every one of them, as well as their behaviors. Unforgettable! On the practical side of things, Nico and Rebecca were very thoughtful about bio-breaks. They were attune to the desires of each of us. Their English was excellent, and, better yet, they were patient with my efforts at Spanish.

7. Day tour “Circuito San Bernardino”

Quesada 5050c, Asunción, Paraguay Discover South America SRL

This circuit allows us to visit many “capitals” in a single day: Luque “Capital of the filigree”, Areguá “Capital of the strawberry”, Caacupé “Spiritual Capital of Paraguay”, Atyrá “Ecological Capital of Paraguay” and San Bernardino “Capital of the summer”. In 1881, San Bernardino was founded by German and Swiss immigrants at the invitation of the Paraguayan Government. Here is the so traditional Hotel del Lago where so many personalities of the world stayed, such as the Argentine President Julio A. Roca, the President of the USA. Franklin D. Roosevelt, French President Charles de Gaulle, and Elizabeth Nietzsche, the sister of the German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche.

Inclusions: Air-conditioned vehicle, All Fees and Taxes

Exclusions: Lunch

Reviewed By Cathy H

Ask for Jose Acosta, a freelance guide who works for City Tour. Ended up with a private tour since I was the only one who signed up. We saw all the usual sights, monuments, Barro Museum, which is superb. AND, Jose showed me the realities of Asunción, how it developed, why cobblestone streets in the richest neighborhoods (slows down drivers), how riverside is being developed... what is happening with the tent city refugees from the floods earlier in the year. I felt like I understand Asunción. So much so, that when a friend from the same conference contacted me, we hired Jose Acosta for the afternoon and he repeated some of the tour and added other sights. Terrific.

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