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Day trip to Limpio: river route and best stops

River in the morning, town centre at midday, Emboscada in the afternoon: how to reach Piquete Cué and plan a day in Limpio.

By Published Updated 4 min read

Leafy trees shade a paved plaza where people walk toward a white church with a tiled roof and bell tower.
In this guide
  1. Getting to Piquete Cué
  2. Morning on the river: El Peñón and the lagoons
  3. Midday in central Limpio
  4. Optional afternoon: Emboscada
  5. When to go
  6. The day, hour by hour

Limpio is about 20 km from Asunción on Route PY03, so a day trip here is built around the river: the morning at the port of Piquete Cué with a canoe out to El Peñón castle, midday in the town centre with San José church and palm-leaf hats, and in the afternoon, if you still have energy, the colonial church of Emboscada further north.

Getting to Piquete Cué

Morning on the river: El Peñón and the lagoons

  1. El Peñón castle. A small white castle on a rock rising about 20 m out of the Paraguay River between Limpio and Villa Hayes, declared cultural heritage by the National Culture Secretariat in 2018 (ABC Color, 2019⁠⁠ (opens in a new tab)⁠). Boatmen at Piquete Cué make the roughly 890 m crossing; in 2019 it cost G. 10,000 (ABC Color, 2019⁠⁠ (opens in a new tab)⁠). Tip: when the river runs very low the rock base is exposed (La Nación, 2020⁠⁠ (opens in a new tab)⁠); ask the boatmen about water levels before you get in.
  2. Yacaré Yrupé garden. Lagoons at Hernandarias and Calle 18 in Piquete Cué, with paid entry, kayak or boat hire and parking; the boatmen work 06:30 to 19:00 (Bienvenido a Paraguay⁠⁠ (opens in a new tab)⁠). The giant water-lily leaves usually appear between December and January (Wikipedia⁠⁠ (opens in a new tab)⁠). The plant is protected: picking leaves or flowers is illegal (MADES⁠⁠ (opens in a new tab)⁠).
  3. For a full day on the water. Lobo Pe runs boat trips from Piquete Cué's municipal beach up the Paraguay, Piribebuy and Manduvirá rivers, spotting birds, monkeys, giant otters and caimans (InfoNegocios, 2022⁠⁠ (opens in a new tab)⁠; Lobo Pe⁠⁠ (opens in a new tab)⁠). In 2022 the full-day trip cost G. 350,000 per person including food, with five seats per boat (InfoNegocios, 2022⁠⁠ (opens in a new tab)⁠); book through their Facebook page.

Midday in central Limpio

Optional afternoon: Emboscada

With time to spare, continue north to Emboscada, 39 km from Asunción (Wikipedia⁠⁠ (opens in a new tab)⁠). Check the route on your phone map before leaving Limpio.

When to go

In summer bring water, a hat, sunscreen and insect repellent: there's little shade on the river and lagoons.

The day, hour by hour

Time · Stop

06:30–07:00 · Leave Asunción on PY03

07:30–11:00 · Piquete Cué: canoe to El Peñón and the water-lily lagoons

11:30–14:00 · Central Limpio: church, plaza, karanday crafts and lunch

14:30–17:00 · Emboscada (optional)

17:30 · Back to Asunción

FAQ

How do you get to El Peñón castle in Limpio?

From central Limpio take avenida San José about 7 km to Piquete Cué and hire a boatman for the roughly 890 m crossing (G. 10,000 in 2019, per ABC Color).

What can you do in Limpio in one day?

Morning on the river (El Peñón and the water-lily lagoons at Piquete Cué), midday in the centre with San José church and palm crafts, and Emboscada in the afternoon if time allows.

Are there longer boat trips from Limpio?

Yes. Lobo Pe leaves from Piquete Cué's municipal beach towards the Manduvirá River; in 2022 a full day cost G. 350,000 per person with food.

When can you see the giant water lilies in Limpio?

Usually between December and January, in the Piquete Cué lagoons. They don't appear every year.

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