In this guide
Atyrá is just over 60 km from Asunción in the Cordillera de los Altos hills, and it fits comfortably into a day: about an hour and a half each way by car (Infonegocios (opens in a new tab)). The plan: San Francisco church and its carved altarpiece in the morning, the leather-craft street and the Marianela complex before lunch, and the afternoon at the Karumbe'y waterfall or the Monte Alto lookout.
How do you get to Atyrá?
- Via the PY02: head towards Caacupé; the Atyrá–Caacupé junction is at km 52. In 2023 the highway widening left that junction awkward, with concrete blocks (ABC Color (opens in a new tab)), so check the route on your phone map before leaving.
- Via San Bernardino: Atyrá is also linked to San Bernardino; the highway police used that road as a detour during the 2021 Caacupé pilgrimage (Última Hora (opens in a new tab)). It makes a nice return past the lake.
- On a tour: organised trips pick up from Asunción hotels and last about 7 hours, 9:00 to 16:00, with roughly an hour and a half by minibus each way (Civitatis (opens in a new tab)).
Morning: the church and the centre
- San Francisco de Asís church. Right in the centre. It doubles as a sacred art museum, with Hispanic-Guaraní baroque woodcarvings and an 18th-century high altar (Wikipedia (opens in a new tab)). The altarpiece was carved by Franciscan missionaries together with Guaraní craftsmen (ABC Color, 2025, via Prensa Mercosur (opens in a new tab)). Go early: it is the town's most visited site (ABC Color, 2023 (opens in a new tab)).
- Museo San Francisco de Atyrá. Historic photos, objects and crafts on permanent display (Wikipedia (opens in a new tab)).
- Bamboo sculpture. The tacuara figure on one of the main plazas is the classic photo (ABC Color, 2025 (opens in a new tab)).
Before lunch: leather and Marianela
- Paseo Peatonal Indio José. This pedestrian street starts by the church, at Avenida Feliciano Martínez and San Francisco (ABC Color, 2023 (opens in a new tab); Infonegocios (opens in a new tab)). It is a permanent leather fair open every day: shoes, belts, leather-covered flasks, keyrings and bags (Infonegocios (opens in a new tab)), plus wood carvings and plants (ABC Color, 2025 (opens in a new tab)). Atyrá calls itself the "Capital del Cuero", the leather capital (ABC Color, 2023 (opens in a new tab)). Bring cash.
- Complejo Marianela. A Redemptorist complex opened in 2007, with a courtyard, chapel and tower (Wikipedia (opens in a new tab)), designed after medieval European monasteries (Infonegocios (opens in a new tab)). It hosts events and retreats, so some areas may be closed.
The town has restaurants and lomito sandwich bars (Infonegocios (opens in a new tab)); ask on the pedestrian street which ones are open that day.
Afternoon: water and viewpoints in Monte Alto
- Chorro Karumbe'y. A small waterfall in the Monte Alto community, a few minutes from the centre, on the stream that separates Atyrá from Tobatí (ABC Color, 2025 (opens in a new tab)). It is the place to cool off on hot days (Infonegocios (opens in a new tab)). Wear shoes that can get wet and watch the rocks.
- Divino Niño Jesús chapel and lookout. Also in Monte Alto, with a 12-metre statue of the Child Jesus, according to Infonegocios (2020) (opens in a new tab). Pair it with the waterfall.
Time to spare? Add just one more stop
- Cerro Kavaju, on the border with Atyrá and Tobatí: a loop of about 3 km and two and a half hours with terraces and the Moñái cave. La Nación (2024) (opens in a new tab) advises going with a local guide and sturdy shoes; guided walks ran on Saturdays and Sundays from 7:00. If you want it, start the day there and do Atyrá afterwards.
- Return via San Bernardino for the lake at sunset.
Do not squeeze Caacupé, Tobatí and Altos into the same day: with summer heat (up to 39 °C, per Wikipedia (opens in a new tab)) and hill roads, two stops fill the day.
When should you go?
- Good Friday: a living Way of the Cross by the "Pasión de Cristo" group in the Zanja Hũ community; in 2025 it began at 8:00 and ended with a 2 km walk up to Kurusu Cerro (ABC Color (opens in a new tab)).
- Any weekend: the pedestrian street is a family meeting point on weekends and holidays (ABC Color, 2025 (opens in a new tab)). For a quieter visit, go on a weekday.
- Staying over: in 2020 the town had 12 places to stay (Infonegocios (opens in a new tab)).
FAQ
How far is Atyrá from Asunción?
Just over 60 km, around an hour and a half by car, via the PY02 towards Caacupé or from the San Bernardino side.
What can you see in Atyrá in one day?
San Francisco de Asís church and its altarpiece, the Paseo Peatonal Indio José, the Marianela complex, the Karumbe'y waterfall and the Divino Niño lookout in Monte Alto.
Where is the Karumbe'y waterfall?
In the Monte Alto community, a few minutes from Atyrá's centre, on the stream that separates Atyrá from Tobatí.
Can you combine Atyrá with Cerro Kavaju?
Yes, the hill lies on the border with Tobatí. The loop takes about two and a half hours and is best done early with a local guide.
