The Paraguay River has bee, historically of vital importance for the transportation in South America, because it communicates Paraguay, Argentina, Brazil and Bolivia, as well as other countries throughout the Cuenca del Río de la Plata (River Plate Cuenca). In absence of roads and routes, the Paraguay River was the faster and more efficient mean of transportation and communication, which made possible that Paraguay, as a land-lock country, had some way of access to the Atlantic.
Today, it is not the main transit artery for traveling in the area, but is still used with different purposes, especially for the transportation of cargo and riverside people.
The Paraguay River
The Paraguay River was discovered by Alejo García in 1524. It has an extension of 2,620 kilometers, an average wide of 500 meters and the velocity of the water is of 3 km per hour. It flows from the plateau of Matto Grosso in Brazil to the fast-flowing Paraná River. It divides Paraguay (the country) in two well defined regions, the oriental and the occidental. The low water level is during March to October; it allows the transit of boats of medium depth.
Crossing Paraguay, it has numerous tributaries, such as the rivers: Tebicuary, Ypané, Manduviré, Aquidabán, Apa, Confuso, Verde and Montelindo.
Commerce
The Paraguay River is used to transport the crops (like soy), minerals (lime from Concepción) and other shipments as an option of lower cost to places that have roads and as the only option to others, like cement (from Vallemí). Using the river it is transported the provision for the country, of fuel oil and others that are imported. In total, 30,000 tons of merchandise a month is exported by this mean.
Tourism
There are many options to become to know Paraguay by water. People can rent private boats; take a boat in the Port of Asunción o a cruise that would take them to the marshland.
Cruise of the Paraguay River
Getting to know the country by river offers a wonderful and different perspective from getting to know it by land. It allows observing closely the local natural environment, without polluting or altering it. The activities available are fishing, exploration of aquatic and land animal, as well as the flora of the region.
Boat Cuñatai
This boat travels short distances in the limits of Asunción. It was declared National Touristic Patrimony.
Boat trips
The people that live near and the fishermen always offer their boats and canoes to the visitants.
The Coast Cities
Port Horse
Located 872 kilometers from Asunción, is in the confluence of the Paraguay River and the Negro (Black) River. This place shares borders with three countries: Brazil, Bolivia and Paraguay. Today it is not the same as it was before, when in the place was production of tannin.
Black Bay
It is located 859 kilometers from Asunción. Certain time of the year, the place can only be accessed by the river or in small planes, because it doesn’t have any routes to communicate it with other places. Near, it’s the establishment of the Chamacoco natives.
40 kilometers from Bahia Negra, by the Negro River, there is the biologic station “Los Tres Gigantes” which is the first center of investigation in Paraguay of the marshland that comprehends 15,000 hectares, administrated by Guyra Paraguay, an NGO that cared for the defense and protection of the biological diversity.
Fort Olimpo
It is located 697 kilometers from the capital, in Alto Paraguay. It is an attractive and small city with a fort established on a hill.
Margarita Island
This is picturesque island inhabited mostly by fisherman. Across the island, is the Brazilian city of Port Murtinho. Near, there are many Native establishments. It is located 545 kilometers from Asunción.
Vallemi (Small Valley)
It is located 449 kilometers from the capital. It is where the factory Cement of Paraguay is installed. This city is also by the Apa River.
Concepción (Paraguay)
It is the capital of the department with the same name, 310 kilometers from Asunción.
Alberdi
This city is across from the Argentine city of Formosa, 133 kilometers from Asunción.
Pilar
This city is the capital of the Ñeembucú Department, located 301 kilometers away from Asunción. This city has old buildings of colonial style.