Paraguay - The Rough Guide to South America on a Budget - page 704

Nearby is the stately yellow and white
Palacio Municipal dating from 1898 (pop
in to see two enormous murals in the
main hall), and one block south of here,
on Mcal. López between Cerro Corá and
Gral. Garay, is the Teatro Municipal ,
which currently houses not only the
theatre, but the tourist information office
and, temporarily, the collection of the
Museo Municipal , a fascinating haul of
paintings, fossils, musical instruments,
items of clothing and furniture.
ARRIVAL AND INFORMATION
By boat The Aquidabán ( T 033 124 2435) goes upriver
to Bahía Negra in the Paraguayan Pantanal once a week.
In theory it leaves Concepción every Tues around 11am,
arriving at dawn on Fri. It costs Gs100,000, or Gs180,000
with a bed (you'll need to take a hammock if not). Boats
are uncomfortable, and while they should have basic
food available to buy, it's best to take your own food and
water with you. The Cacique II leaves on Sun nights for
Asunción (see p.696).
By bus Buses arrive at the terminal on Asunción, between
Gral. Garay and Andrés Miancoff, eight blocks north of the
town centre.
Destinations Asunción (7 daily; 7hr); Campo Grande, Brazil
(4 daily; 7-10hr); Coronel Oviedo (daily; 6-7hr); Filadelfia
(daily; 8hr); Pedro Juan Caballero (11 daily; 4-5hr); Vallemí
(2 daily; 5hr); Sao Paulo, Brazil (daily; 24hr).
Tourist information Tourism is currently run by Elva Ruíz
on behalf of the municipality, at the Teatro Municipal
(Mon-Fri 8am-1pm), though there are plans to start a
dedicated tourist o ce. She speaks good English and Italian,
and can offer the best service if you email or call her in
advance ( T 097 124 7648, T 098 399 4372, E eruizmendez
@yahoo.com). She is able to help with booking accommo-
dation, and provides information on the Pantanal.

ESTANCIAS NEAR CONCEPCIÓN
Estancia Primavera T 0331 242 045. Run by the parents
of Elva Ruíz who runs the tourist of ce (see above), 40km
from town on the banks of the River Aquidabán, you can
stay in the family home on this private ranch with its own
white-sand beaches as well as horseriding and fishing
facilities. Pick-up fr om town c an be arrange d. Room, full
board and activities Gs70,000 , camping only Gs20,000
Granja El Roble Km16 towards Belén T 098 589 8446,
W paraguay.ch. This farm offers treehouses, camping
space or cabins, and is very well set up for tourism. The
owner offers all kinds of excursions - including the Chaco
- as well as rafting and fishing. The website is in English
and gives excelle nt details o n how to get there. Camping
Gs45,000 , cabins Gs90,000

EATING AND DRINKING
For snacks, there are numerous copetíns (snack bars) in town
which serve juices, empanadas , croquettes and sandwiches
for next to nothing. There is a market two blocks east of
Pinedo on Don Bosco (extension of Franco) and there's a
supermarket at the corners of Pinedo and Estigarribia.
Hotel Victoria & La Quincha de Victoria Franco and
Pedro Caballero. The lunchtime restaurant is in the hotel
itself and is a pleasant place for a Gs15,000 set lunch.
The evening restaurant is right across the street, and is a
popular outdoor spot to have a grill, steak, burger or beer,
and listen to Paraguayan music. Mains Gs15,000-45,000.
Palo Santo restaurant and chopería Franco, at
Pedro Caballero, next to the Hotel Victoria . Brazilian-run
place serving the best caipirihnas in town, but with erratic
opening hours.
Ì Toninho y Jandira Mcal Estigarribia between Iturbe
and Cerro Corá, in front of the Municipalidad. An excellent
Brazilian restaurant where a set price of Gs50,000 gives
you a simple choice of beef or fish accompanied with a
personal feast of rice, beans and five types of salads and
vegetables. One portion is more than enough for two
people. Closed Sun.

8

ACCOMMODATION
There is a good range of accommodation in town, as well
as two great country escapes to estancias . All hotels listed
below include breakfast, TV, wi-fi and a/c unless specified.

DIRECTORY
Banks and exchange Avenidas Franco and Pinedo are
lined with casas de cambio and banks, most of which have
24hr ATMs that accept international cards.
Hospital State-run hospital at Guillermo Cabral, cnr
Doctor Macial Roig.
Internet Cyberplanet on Gral. Garay between Brasil and
Mayor Julio Otaño. Gs4000/hr.
Laundry On Gral. Garay between Mayor Julio Otaño and
Tte. 1 Eugenio Aguero.
Phone Copaco o ce on Franco between Pinedo and
Yegros. Daily 7am-8.45pm.
Post o ce Correo Paraguayo, 485 Mcal. J.F. Estigarribia,
at Gral. Garay.

IN TOWN
Francés Franco, cnr C.A. López T 0331 242 383, W hotel
francesconcepcion.com. The best bet in town, in a
charming old building with a swimmin g po ol and a goo d
restaurant. Rooms with fan Gs120,000 , a/c Gs150,000
Victoria Franco and Pedro Caballero T 0331 242 256.
While sparklingly refurbished on the outside, the rooms
may have seen better days, but it's great value, with a
patio with orchi ds and fer ns and t wo decent re staurants.
Rooms with fan Gs90,000 , with a/c Gs140,000