The Koi and Chorori Hills : PARAGUAY
The Koi and Chorori Hills are maded up of horizontal blocks of igneous sandstones. The Koi hill is known for its formations of hexagonal sandstones, similar to a bee's honeycomb. The hills are located close to the city of Areguá. Combined, the two hills have an area of 26 ha. Areguá is a city in Paraguay; only 28 km away from the country's capital of Asunción. It is the capital of the department of Central. Probably the best feature of this Paraguayan town is its geographical location; it lays between a group of rolling hills with a distinctive rock formation (found only in 3 places in the world) and a beautiful blue lake, Ypacaraí lake. The topography of the surroundings gives this town a unique natural charm. The colonial architecture, largely preserved, along with its original cobble stone streets makes this small town a very quaint destination. Here, one can find magnificent mansions, which are laid out as surrounding corridors enclosing a central plaza (usually a beautiful flowered garden). It is also known as the "city of strawberries" because of the large production of strawberries, the best in Paraguay. The city of Areguá is also home to skilled artisans who showcase their works in expos held throughout the year. The History Museum of Crafts is located in this city. There's also many art galleries with a wide variety of antiques and works of art from the last century.
Briefly, I will try to give you some info about what you can do in Paraguay.
Asuncion: walk the city centre, more info on. Visit the Museo del Barro for indigenous art and objects, the Zoo and Botanical Gardens for the Natural History Museum with mommies and pickled strange animals and green spaces, the Villa Morra district for shopping centres and nightlife, try typical Paraguayan food in the Lido Bar or any other place: bori bori, chipa guazu, sopa paraguaya, pira caldo, payagua mascada, pastel mandi'o. Visit Aregua for historic houses, the Ypacarai Lake, perfect hexagonal formations in Koi and Chorori Hills and ride the Train del Lago. More info on and check the Yaguaron town for a great church with Spanish Guarani baroco art, the museum of the Dr. Francia and the Yaguaron hill. Caves in Vallemi, Tagatija River for snorkelling and swimming with colourful fishes, Fort San Carlos 1806, all in the Concepcion department area. Get a boat trip upriver from Asuncion. Visit Concepcion, Bahia Negra (Paraguayan Pantanal) and Fuerte Olimpo. Jesuit remains in Trinidad and Jesus, both UNESCO World Heritage. Visit less known jesuit towns such as San Cosme, Santa Maria de la Fe with museumVisit the Guaira region for the Ybytyrusu National Park with waterfalls, runic inscriptions in Ita Letra, german colonies and low range hills for mountainbiking, trekking, and adventure sports. Visit the Chaco for wilderness, wildlife, menno colonies, historic battlefields. There are bus conexions between Asuncion and Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia through this region.
Apart from being an important income resource, this fruit has its own history. In fact, the production of this fruit is a particular characteristic of Areguá. According to local people, back to 1920, in The Estanzuela Settling, a farmer put all his strength in the strawberry growing.
He traveled to the town of Areguá to sell his crop in small baskets. Due to the great success, the strawberry plantation extended to all over the nearby farms, becoming, nowadays, the most important product of the zone. In the harvest months the traditional annual “Strawberry Festival” is celebrated. At the festival, you can taste delicious marmalades, jellies, juices and pies. Areguá is a lovely town which preserves pretty colonial houses with wide corridors and a particular style. These buildings date from the time when Areguá was mainly a summer town where families from Asunción had their residences to spend the summer. This particular feature makes Areguá an ideal peaceful and warm city to receive visitors.
Undoubtedly, the “Avenida del Lago” (Lake Avenue) is a nice excursion to senses. It is extended from the highest place where the main church is located descending to the bank of the Lake where the Municipal Beach is. This route is considered the historical area of the town and was declared a National Patrimony by the Paraguayan Parliament in 1997. The Ypacarai Lake, without a doubt, is the main tourist attraction. It offers a privileged landscape.
In this town there is an ecological club called “Isla Valle” where besides enjoying a beautiful nature you can also go fishing using the practice “pesque y pague” (fish and pay).
Another attraction is the variety of pottery handcraft made by the people in town. The Centro Artesanal de la Cuenca (Handcraft Centre of the basing) is a site of exhibition and selling where craftmen from all over the region are gathered. The Cultural Centre “Estacion A” is an establishment which provides tourist information to visitors; it has also a museum of photography in the antique train station opened to public every two weeks and a guide service to visit the historical sites is available.
