Paraguay - Tourism, travel, and recreation

The monuments, museums, and parks of Asunción are the main tourist attractions. Also of interest are the Amerindian markets in and around the capital; at the famous market of Itauguá, about 30 km (18 mi) from Asunción, the makers of ñandutí lace sell their wares. Other popular tourist attractions include the world famous Iguazu Falls at Paraguay's borders with Brazil and Argentina, the San Bernardino resort, on Lake Ypacarai, and the modern boom town of Puerto Presidente Stroessner, the headquarters for construction of the Itaipú power project. Football (soccer) is Paraguay's national sport, with some 30 clubs in Asunción alone. Tennis, horse racing, boxing, basketball, and rugby football are also popular.

Foreign tourists entering Paraguay are required to present a valid passport; visas are not normally required for stays of less than 90 days. Visitors are urged to take precautions against tetanus, typhoid-paratyphoid, and malaria.

In 2000 there were 323,041 tourist arrivals Paraguay and tourist receipts totaled $101 million. That year there were 4,894 rooms in hotels and other facilities with 10,748 bed-places and a 45% occupancy rate.

In 2001 the US Department of State estimated the cost of staying in Asunción is $139 per day. Elsewhere in the country, travel expenses could average about $88 per day.