Colourful houses
Balconies and ornament.
Josep M. Gracia — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Josep M. Gracia — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Josep M. Gracia — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Josep M. Gracia — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Ulises Icardi — CC BY-SA 4.0
Concepción is a city on the Paraguay River in the north of the country, capital of Concepción Department and seat of its diocese. It lies about 208 km in a straight line north of Asunción Cathedral, very close to the Tropic of Capricorn. Governor Agustín Fernando de Pinedo founded it in 1773, and it prospered in the early 20th century as a river port and hub of the north, the gateway for the trade of the Gran Chaco. National Route 5 links it to Pedro Juan Caballero and Asunción. The centre keeps colourful Italianate buildings from its boom years, with balconies and raised ornament, and streets lined with red, yellow and blue houses. A yellow cathedral with a tower stands on the square, and a large statue of the Virgin Mary greets you at the edge of town. At the old port, cranes and warehouses look over the broad river, and sunset over the water is the city's finest sight. Summers are very hot and humid with frequent thunderstorms, while winter is much drier and cooler, the better time to visit. Walk the centre in the morning or at sunset.
Balconies and ornament.
Cranes by the river.
The sun over the river.
Concepción, northern Paraguay
In the drier, cooler winter.
On National Route 5 from Asunción.