An unmissable combination of nature, culture, indigenous Hispanic art with the «Jesuit Route» (the traces of the immense work of the Jesuits in the 16th and 17th centuries). All framed by the exuberant Iguazu Falls, an impressive natural setting for the action of Jesuit and Franciscan missionaries in Latin America.
Important: You can also consider traveling to other countries nearby, such the Córdoba area in Argentina and in other countries such as Bolivia, Brazil, whose programs are in the Italian or Spanish version on this site or available upon request.
Validity: All year
Day by day
| ➤Day 1: Asunción |
| Arrival at the airport of Asunción, Paraguay «heart» of South America. Transfer to the hotel. Accommodation in reserved rooms. Time to rest from the trip. Meeting with the local guide and beginning of the guided tour of the city that rises on the hills overlooking the Paraguay River and preserves colonial vestiges. The beautiful and lush green parks such as Piazza Italia, the lapacho trees that sprout covered with flowers in every corner of the city, the colonial constructions in contrast to the modern neighborhoods make this city an exotic and new destination. Visit to the «Pantheon of Heroes», House «of the López» current Government House and to the Metropolitan Cathedral. Time to contemplate the beautiful sunset from the «waterfront». Back to the hotel. |
| ➤Day 2: Art and Faith – Yaguarón – Itauguá – San Bernardino – Areguá – Luque |
| Breakfast at the hotel. Departure for a full day tour visiting these emblematic cities that represent the local culture and tradition. Brief stop to get to know a traditional market on Tuesdays in a modern neighborhood of the capital: fruits of the most varied, vegetables, nuts, famous medicinal herbs that are used in the typical terere (cold) and mate (hot) merge in details of smells and flavors. Continuation to Yaguarón, visit its beautiful Franciscan church founded in 1641. Visit the city of Itauguá to learn about its artistic embroidery and perhaps buy a beautiful «Paraguayan hammock». Lunch during the excursion to San Bernardino. Continuation of the trip to Luque to learn about the work of artisans, true artists of silver filigree jewelry. Return to Asunción with a brief stop in Areguá. Arrival at the hotel. Dinner and overnight stay. |
| ➤Day 3: Hispano-Guarani Museums (San Ignacio Guazú – Santa Rosa – Santa María) – San Cosme e Damián – Encarnación |
| Breakfast at the hotel. Beginning of a journey in the footsteps of the Franciscans and Jesuits in Paraguay: visit to the museums of San Ignacio Guazú, Santa María, Santa Rosa, living witnesses of the inculturation of the missionaries, sculptures and paintings speak to today’s world of strength. This revolutionary meeting for the Guaraní people occurred already in the distant seventeenth century. Lunch during the excursion. Continuation to Encarnación. Panoramic visit of its beautiful coasts. Free time. |
| ➤Day 4: Missions of Jesus of Tavarangue – Yerba Mate (Bella Vista) |
| Breakfast. Visit to the unfinished church of the «Reduction of Jesús de Tavarangue» with evidence of the Arab influence on Jesuit art in 1759. The architect Antonio Forcada was the builder of the church designed by Brother José Grimau. Visit to a factory of «Yerba mate», the herb that the Guaranis exchanged with Peru to obtain weapons for the defense of some of the «reductions». Lunch. In the late afternoon visit to the most complete of the «Reductions», the work of the Italian Giovanni Battista Primoli: Trinidad. Continuation of the trip to Posadas in Argentina. |
| ➤Day 5: Missions in Argentina (San Ignacio Mini) – Puerto Iguazú (Argentina) |
| Breakfast at the hotel. Visit to the most important ruins of the Missions in Argentina: San Ignacio Mini – «small» – founded by the Jesuit priest San Roque González de Santa Cruz at the beginning of the 17th century. Visit to Santa Ana, Loreto and Santa María la Mayor, all declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. Lunch during the excursion. Continuation of the trip to Puerto Iguazú. Overnight at the hotel. Free time. |
| ➤Day 6: Iguazu Falls – Argentine side |
| Breakfast. Day dedicated to the Falls, scene of the mythical encounter between the Jesuits and the Guaraní people: located on the border between Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay and immersed in the subtropical jungle, the imposing Iguazu Falls are one of the most spectacular areas of South America: the contrast between the colors of the sky, the vegetation and the red earth, are the appropriate background to the local multiethnic cultures. Full day visit to the Argentine side. Entrance to the Falls starting the visit in the lower circuit, possibility of a nautical safari; later the upper circuit, from where it is possible to observe the mighty waters of the Paraná River even before the incredible waterfalls are formed. Free lunch the largest in the Iguazú National Park: the Devil’s Throat (it is 70 meters high, 20 meters higher than Niagara) |
| ➤Day 7: Brazilian Iguazu Falls – Extension to Rio de Janeiro |
| Breakfast. Entrance to the Brazilian territory with a stop to visit the falls on this side. Although only 30% of the falls are in Brazil, from here you can enjoy a better panoramic view of all the falls. An easy trail of 1,200 meters through the forest until you reach the other «Garganta del Diablo» that, although it is a lower drop than the Argentine side, it is possible to get close enough to one side of the sides of the waterfall. .. a beautiful experience. Optional time to fly over the immense falls by helicopter. Transfer to Foz de Iguazu airport to continue on the flight to Rio de Janeiro. On the way, panoramic tour of the wonderful city until arrival at the hotel. Accommodation at the hotel. Free time. Overnight stay. |
| ➤Day 8: Rio de Janeiro |
| Breakfast. Guided visit to the «Cidade maravilhosa», with a stop at places of historical and cultural interest such as the Sao Bento Monastery, the Imperial Palace, the Metropolitan Cathedral, the Santa Teresa Convent, the escadería of Jorge Selaron, a Chilean painter and ceramist who managed to create a world of emotions and colors in a staircase 125 meters long, 4 meters wide and 215 colored steps thanks to kilometers of tiles and an incredible garden on the sides of the staircase. Visit to the Christ of Corcovado, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, unique in the world in Art Deco style on the most famous hill in the city that also offers one of the most spectacular panoramic views of Rio and the world. Return submerged in the Tijuca forest, an incredible walk in a green world a few steps from the city. Lunch during visits. Free time. Overnight stay. |
| ➤Day 9: Rio de Janeiro |
| Breakfast at the hotel. Free day to enjoy the beaches of Copacabana, Leblón or Tijuica. |
| ➤Day 10: Start of the return trip to the country of origin |
| Breakfast. Free morning. Depending on the flight schedule, transfer to the airport to start the return trip to the country of origin or other destinations in Latin America. |
