How to Get Around Paraneña

Getting in: Asuncion’s Silvio Pettirossi airport has connections through Sao Paulo, Buenos Aires, Lima and Panama City. Ciudad del Este has an airport and a land crossing to Brazil at the Friendship Bridge.

Long-distance buses are the way to travel: frequent, cheap and surprisingly comfortable, with air-conditioned coche cama services. Asuncion to Encarnacion takes about five hours, to Ciudad del Este about four and a half.

A hire car makes the mission circuit and the craft towns much easier; main roads are paved and reasonable, secondary roads are red clay and become impassable when wet.

In Asuncion: city buses are cheap and confusing, taxis are metered, and ride-hailing apps work well.

The missions are a day from Encarnacion by local bus or a couple of hours by car.