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Asuncion, the capital of Paraguay, must be one of the least visited and most misrepresented cities of South America. There aren’t even many destination guides available for the city, it is sometimes hard to get your hands on one, and it’s even more difficult to find a destination guide for gay men or women.

It is said that a certain Senor Juan de Ayolas sailed the Paraguay river for many months searching for a way to get to the silver mines of Bolivia. Unfortunately he was killed by the Payagua on his return trip. Juan de Salazar was then dispatched to look for him (in vain). In August 1537 De Salazar visited the location of the present-day Asuncion and made the decision to found a fort there. He called it Nuestra Senora de la Asuncion.

A city soon developed around the fort from where explorers went on to found other cities in the region, including Buenos Aires, Santa Cruz (in Bolivia) and Santa Fe. Asuncion is therefore one of the oldest cities in Latin America and is also the area in the river Plate Basin that has been continually inhabited for a longer period than any other.

The old part of the city which contains the harbor is strategically perched on the bank of the Paraguay River. This is a natural harbor and from here numerous boats sail up the River Paraguay to outlying destinations – including Brazil.

It is a crumbling, atmospheric old city. When you walk down the main street (called Palma) you will meet pavement vendors selling the famous Nanduti embroidered lace, you will hear the sounds of harp music coming from various music stores and you will be approached by hawkers selling chipa – a delightful and very typical Paraguayan bread made with manioc or corn flour.

If you stay at the characterful old Hotel Armele, you will be able to watch the sun go down over the Bay of Asuncion and the Chaco stretching far, far away into the distance.

Because of it’s heat in the summer months, the locals tend to frequent its many restaurants, bars, night clubs and open air festivals at night. Paraguayans love music and sing spontaneously in the streets. It’s not strange to hear a group of people walking and singing their favorite songs.

Make your way to the east of the town and you will be totally astounded at it’s modern buildings and opulent Villas. All the malls have food courts with a variety of local and international food available. Multi-screen cinemas are the order of the day. This is also where you will find the modern concert hall established by the Paraguayan National Bank with regular classical music concerts.

The city is also dotted with many parks and plazas, all boasting huge trees that offer a reprieve from the sun. Strategically placed Asuncion has a large number of hotels which will suit all pockets. You can find budget accommodation around Plaza Uruguay, where the Lapache trees are transformed with spectacular purple blossoms at the beginning of Spring. The Plaza de los Heroes offers a few four and five star hotels.

Next time you are looking for a place to explore and be intrigued by, look for Destination guides: Asuncion. If she doesn’t do it for you, then nothing will.