Things to do in Nueva Colombia: square, streams and festivals

Nueva Colombia is a place to slow down: walk the Plaza Central 29 de Setiembre and the San Miguel Arcángel parish church, cool off in a stream in summer and, if you like it, stay a night in a guesthouse. The town is about 48 km from Asunción in Cordillera, surrounded by low hills (La Nación, 2025⁠⁠ (opens in a new tab)⁠).

What to see in the town centre

• Plaza Central 29 de Setiembre: the town's meeting point (La Nación, 2022⁠⁠ (opens in a new tab)⁠).
• San Miguel Arcángel parish church: on the square, and the focus of the town's religious calendar.
• Old houses: Wikipedia highlights the old, picturesque houses of the town centre (Wikipedia⁠⁠ (opens in a new tab)⁠). Walk the blocks around the square early or at sunset.
• Two countries' flags: on special dates the streets are often decked with Paraguayan and Colombian flags, a nod to the origin of the town's name (Wikipedia EN⁠⁠ (opens in a new tab)⁠).

Where to swim and get into nature

The real draw is the countryside: many streams and springs make the district popular in summer (Wikipedia⁠⁠ (opens in a new tab)⁠).

• Piribebuy stream: forms the northern border with Arroyos y Esteros.
• Santa Rosa and Arasa streams: run through the district.
• Rural settlements: Quirayty, Ciraty, Isla Alta, Inglés Cué and Boquerón are the district's farming areas, with the hill scenery.

Many streams cross private land: get in through a guesthouse or ask at the Municipalidad where there is public access. Wear shoes that grip on wet rock and stay out after heavy rain.

Where to stay

There are five Senatur-licensed establishments and a hotel, with others being formalised (La Nación, 2025⁠⁠ (opens in a new tab)⁠). The guesthouses licensed in 2022 offered pools, barbecue shelters, trails, clay ovens and camping space (La Nación, 2022⁠⁠ (opens in a new tab)⁠). Before booking:

• Ask them to confirm in writing that they are Senatur-licensed.
• Check the price per person and whether breakfast is included.
• Book early for summer and long weekends, when they fill up.

When are the festivals?

• 16 July: Virgen del Carmen (Wikipedia⁠⁠ (opens in a new tab)⁠).
• 29 September: San Miguel Arcángel (Wikipedia⁠⁠ (opens in a new tab)⁠).
• Patron saint and founding festivals: they bring together farmers, craftspeople and traders, with support from a local cooperative (La Nación, 2025⁠⁠ (opens in a new tab)⁠). A good time to buy local produce.
• Holy Week: on Good Friday 2025 the programme included a living Way of the Cross at the parish church at 13:15 and a procession to the cemetery at 17:00 (ABC Color, 2025⁠⁠ (opens in a new tab)⁠). Times change every year; ask at the parish.

What the area produces

• Vegetables and fruit: the district grows much of the vegetables sold in the capital's markets, plus grapes, cassava, sugar cane and citrus (Wikipedia⁠⁠ (opens in a new tab)⁠).
• Piedra loza: local quarries produce a flagstone widely used in building (Wikipedia⁠⁠ (opens in a new tab)⁠).
• Hats: local women weave hats, though they are often sold unfinished to other districts (La Nación, 2025⁠⁠ (opens in a new tab)⁠). Ask at the Municipalidad if you want to find the weavers.

What to add nearby

Nueva Colombia is part of the "Circuito de Cordillerita" and the "Camino de las ciudades franciscanas", and each municipality has its own tourist guide under an agreement with Senatur (La Nación, 2025⁠⁠ (opens in a new tab)⁠).

• Emboscada (west): the Franciscan San Agustín church from around 1774, with 18th-century carvings (Wikipedia⁠⁠ (opens in a new tab)⁠).
• Altos (east): the Plaza de los Héroes with old lapacho trees and the Arroyo Saldívar reserve, 800 m from the centre (Wikipedia⁠⁠ (opens in a new tab)⁠).

For a full timed itinerary, see our day trip to Nueva Colombia.

Getting there

Take Ruta PY03 towards Emboscada; at km 39 a paved road enters the town and continues to Loma Grande (Wikipedia⁠⁠ (opens in a new tab)⁠). By car, allow an hour or a bit more from Asunción.