Visiting Aregua in Paraguay: The Home of the Strawberry Expo

Visiting Aregua should be high on any Paraguay itinerary. It is a quaint location on the western edge of Lake Ypacarai which draws tourists towards it each year for its famous ceramics and annual strawberry expo. It’s also famous for its scenic white church, horse riding and activities on the lake itself.

Most visitors to Paraguay will only go to the capital city, Asuncion. Sure, there are a lot of cool things to do in Asuncion, but this underrated gem deserves some of your time too. Aregua is an easy 70-minute bus journey from Asuncion.

It’s one of my fave spots in Paraguay due to its relaxing atmosphere, and the delicious strawberries found during expo season.

Read on to find out everything you need to know about exploring Aregua, a destination where few foreign tourists get to visit. Not that Paraguay has a ton of foreign visitors to begin with…

2 Check out the Church of Aregua

Iglesia Virgen de la Candelaria, known in English as the Church of Aregua, is one of the small city’s main attractions.

It’s a Spanish-style church best known for its imposing appearance.

Unfortunately you will most likely have to enjoy the church only from the outside. It is locked most of the time. I’m yet to visit on a day where it’s open, but my local sources tell me you can go in sometimes.

Your best chance of getting in comes during Sunday services. Paraguay is a catholic country with many people taking religion very seriously. Therefore services are very popular with locals.

3 Take a Boat Ride Across Lake Ypacarai

Part of Aregua’s attraction as a tourist destination comes in the form of Lake Ypacarai. It will cost you a meagre 1,000 guaranies (£0.10/US$0.13) to access the lake.

Once you’ve entered the lake area, you will find a series of small stands selling a limited range of food and drinks. But the real attraction is the lake itself which you can see from the pier here.

If having a look isn’t enough for you, there are some locals hanging out just left of the pier.

If your Spanish is up to scratch, you can arrange a trip to the lake for 25,000 guaranies (£2.60/US$3.30). If not, you may fall victim to “gringo pricing”. In other words, paying a heavy markup as a foreigner.

Boats can take you around the lake and back to Aregua, or to other destinations such as the popular tourist town of San Bernardino.

Even in the winter, it’s often sunny at Lake Ypacarai, therefore a boat ride is a great way to spend a morning or so.

4 See Aregua’s Famous Ceramics

Paraguayans travel to Aregua for two main reasons: the strawberry expo, and ceramics.

Whilst the city is best known outside of Paraguay for strawberries, locals see it as equally popular for pottery.

Just like the strawberries, Aregua has many stalls along its streets selling various items made of clay.

Some of those are practical, such as pots which Paraguayans still drink out of today. Not so much in big cities such as Asuncion, but more in the remote villages across the country.

Others are more for fun. If you want Spiderman, Pikachu or Baby Shark in your living room, you can find clay figures of all of the above here.

Mind you, they probably aren’t the easiest items to stick in your checked baggage. Either way, it’s cool to see what you can find.

Sticking to Paraguay’s religious traditions, there are also numerous statues of Jesus and other figures heavily represented in Christianity.

If you want to learn more about the religious side of Paraguay, I’d recommend visiting the UNESCO-recognised Jesuit missions.

5 Go Horse Riding by the Beach

If you’re a fan of horse riding, the best experiences I can recommend from experience come from staying with a nomad family in Mongolia and riding through the plains of Venezuela. If you’re looking for a small taster session however, Aregua is the place to be.

When you pay the tiny 1,000 guarani fee to enter the lake, you will also be able to find locals offering a brief introduction to horse riding.

For 20,000 guaranies (£2/US$3), you will be able to spend around 5 minutes trotting around a short course in the sun.

If you’re looking for cheap activities to enjoy, this is worth experiencing! If however you want an epic horse adventure across the wilderness, I’m afraid you won’t find that here.

When is the Best Time to Visit Aregua?

The best time for visiting Aregua is July-September. That’s because this is the time of the strawberry expo, whilst also having reasonable weather.

This time of year is winter in Paraguay. However Paraguayan winters are still fairly sunny and whilst they can be a little chilly at night and early in the morning, you are highly unlikely to experience freezing temperatures comparable to Europe, Canada and northern parts of the USA.

Summer in Paraguay can be uncomfortably hot. Even more so if there’s a power cut (trust me, this isn’t uncommon), and the air con stops working. Yeah, that’s not a pleasant experience…

How to get to Aregua

Aregua is easy to reach by bus from Asuncion. It costs 3,400 guaranies (£0.35/US$0.50) for a one-way journey which takes just over an hour. There are frequent buses going between Aregua and Asuncion, so you won’t have any problems finding one.

It costs around 80,000 guaranies (£8/US$11) for a one-way ride using Uber, which is still very cheap especially with several people to share the cost.

Bolt is the other popular rideshare app in Paraguay. It is worth checking them out as well. Prices are similar to Uber but they also vary throughout the day, which can make one more affordable than the other, and vice versa.

Is Aregua Safe to Visit?

Aregua is safe even compared to the rest of Paraguay. It’s a laid-back city with a chilled vibe. I like the atmosphere here, as it’s much more relaxing than Asuncion, which is a place where you should watch your back in some spots.

I’d even go as far as calling this spot one of South America’s safest cities.

If you’ve been to Uruguay’s Colonia del Sacramento, Aregua gives off a mini colonial resort town vibe, similar to that, although it has a little more to do.

You should always follow basic safety tips whilst travelling in Latin America, and that includes in safer towns and cities. But as long as you do this, don’t walk around with your phone out and avoid patrolling the streets after dark, you will be fine here.

My Opinions on Visiting Aregua as a Tourist

It’s worth it! You only really need a day trip from Asuncion here. There’s no need to stay overnight in Aregua unless you plan to visit San Bernardino as well. But I did both as half-day trips from Asuncion which is pretty straightforward, and Asuncion is the best spot to base yourself in. Therefore I’d recommend staying in the capital.

It is worth visiting Paraguay and making this your first stop after the capital.

Whilst possible to combine Aregua and San Bernardino into a day trip, it will be a rushed day and you may not have the opportunity to see everything you would like, especially not at a relaxing pace.

But if you’re already in the country, this small city is well worth a visit, particularly during strawberry season!

Aregua was a fun addition to my South America journey, and can be to yours if you wish to spend a little longer in Paraguay, and get to know more than just the capital.