(P/B) Paraguay - MARGARET HEBBLETHWAITE

Bradt’s Paraguay was the first standalone guidebook to the country published internationally, and this new fourth edition remains the most detailed guide available. Covering the whole of this little-explored South American nation, it complements the best-known sights with off-the-beaten-track attractions well beyond the tourist trail, and throws in a cross-border excursion to adjacent Iguazu/Iguacu Falls (one of the ‘New 7 Wonders of Nature’). Sitting in the heart of South America, Paraguay takes the shape of a lopsided butterfly, its wings divided by the River Paraguay. Its western part is the Chaco - a wildlife-rich area of wetlands and arid woodland that reaches north to enter the famous Pantanal region. The eastern region is characterised by craft, music and campesino country life, with landscapes including savannahs and vestiges of Atlantic Forest. The country is perfect for the adventurous traveller who likes to be immersed in local culture and natural landscapes. Nature and ecclesiastical tourism are both rewarding, travelling is inexpensive, music and dance are widely enjoyed (including during Encarnacion’s month-long carnival), and history centres on old Jesuit mission settlements. Then there are elements of intrigue: football is believed to have been invented in Paraguay’s Jesuit missions during 1793; the Paraguayan harp is a world-renowned beautiful instrument; drinking terere (an ice-cold infusion of yerba mate leaves and medicinal herbs) is a communal event; and Chaco salt lakes were actually open sea 60 million years ago. Written by a long-term resident who leads an educational charity and founded a small hotel run for community profit, and thoroughly updated by two seasoned travel writers who have worked on scores of guidebooks, this new edition reflects recent changes in Paraguay. There is greater coverage of ecotourism destinations such as Yacyreta, Yabebyry, Mbaracayu and Atinguy, while the capital Asuncion features new sights including the Centro Cultural de Espana Juan de Salazar. With everything from phone numbers of local keyholders to museums and churches to a map of how to reach remote waterfalls and advice on etiquette, Bradt’s Paraguay offers all the background information required for a successful trip to this gem of a South American country. (From the publisher)