Asuncion is the capital of Paraguay and the country's only real city, spread along the east bank of the Paraguay River. It is not a conventionally beautiful capital — decades of unfinished development projects have left an uneven skyline — but it has a scruffy charm, colonial remnants, and a pace of life that is distinctly its own.
The historic centre has a handful of colonial buildings worth seeing. Casa Viola, one of the oldest houses in the city, is now a museum. The Palacio de los López, the presidential palace, overlooks the river with unexpected grandeur. The Pantheon of the Heroes, modelled on Les Invalides in Paris, houses the remains of Paraguay's most revered historical figures. The Botanical Garden and the former estate of the Lopez family are a good escape from the heat.
Asuncion is the travel hub for the rest of Paraguay. Tours to the Jesuit missions, the Chaco wilderness, and the Iguazu Falls can all be arranged from here. The Mercado Cuatro is the city's main market — chaotic, sprawling, and the best place to get a feel for everyday Paraguayan life.