A lone rower on the Paraguay River at dawn, with the Asunción skyline behind

Asunción · Paraguay River · Paraguay

Paraguay River

The river, lived from within: sailing, listening, fishing if you wish, and understanding.

Request this experience How it is lived
3 to 4 hoursAt dawn, with a private pick-up from your hotel
2 to 4 travellersPrivate boat and professional skipper
Catch and releaseFishing is optional, never an obligation
Within AsunciónWithout adding a night to your stay

We do not sell a fishing excursion. We sell the Paraguay River, lived from within.

The protagonist is the river, not only the catch. The traveller sails, observes, listens, fishes if they wish and understands Paraguay's relationship with this great waterway.

The ideal format is two to four travellers, with a private boat, a professional skipper and a guide or fisherman who truly knows the river and can tell its story.

The river

A great corridor of water

Before setting out, four ideas for looking at it differently.

The scale

2,695 km

Among the 40 longest rivers

It rises in Mato Grosso, in Brazil, and flows down to join the Paraná, near Corrientes. Its basin covers more than a million square kilometres.

The route

No dams

The country's main waterway

Almost entirely navigable, it links the Atlantic with Paraguay and Bolivia, landlocked countries. It is Paraguay's river axis.

The source

The Pantanal

A natural regulator

Its upper course forms a large part of the Pantanal, which regulates its flow and that of the Paraná. The water you see in Asunción comes from there.

The pulse

Floods and low water

A river that breathes

Its seasonal floods shape life on the banks. We talk about it on board: history, trade and the lives of the fishermen.

The outing, step by step

How the experience is lived

A morning designed around the river. The luxury is the place, the calm, the service and the conversation.

  1. 01

    Departure at dawn

    Private pick-up at your hotel, around 5:30 or 6:00, adjusted to the season, the temperature, the river level and the conditions of the day.

  2. 02

    Sailing before fishing

    Asunción waking up, the bay, the river landscape, the birds and the boats, with a conversation about history, trade, floods and the lives of the fishermen.

  3. 03

    Sport fishing

    Quality equipment, a specialist guide and a fishing spot chosen according to the season and conditions. It can focus on emblematic species such as the dorado and the surubí, when appropriate and legal.

  4. 04

    SAPC breakfast on the river

    Coffee, fruit, juices, chipá, mbejú and other local products, served on board.

  5. 05

    Nature and photography

    Binoculars on board. Those who do not fish enjoy the birds, the scenery, photography, the sailing and the table just as much.

  6. 06

    Close and keepsake

    A carefully taken photograph of the outing and a small card with the river, the date, the area and the species, where applicable. A discreet and personal keepsake.

The bay of Asunción at sunset, with the city lights reflected in the water
The bay of Asunción
A boatman standing in his boat, with the Paraguayan flag
A boatman and his boat
The green and red bow of a boat on the blue water of the river
Bow over the water
Boats moored on the riverbank, beside a tree-lined street
Boats on the shore
A ship moored in the port as evening falls, with the river behind
The port at the blue hour
Two fishermen on the bank with their rods, against the light
Fishing at sunset
The sun setting over the river, with its reflection on the water
The last sun

Our fishing philosophy

Catch and release, whenever possible

A quick photograph, correct handling and returning the fish to the river, whenever regulations and conditions allow. It is the most consistent approach with a vision of nature and conservation.

Fishing is one part of the experience, not an obligation. It works just as well for couples or groups in which only one person wants to fish: nobody waits with nothing to do.

The protagonist is the river, not only the catch.

A fisherman holding a dorado beside the water
The dorado, an emblematic species (illustrative photograph)
Chipá, mbejú and coffee, a Paraguayan breakfast
Chipá, mbejú and coffee

On board

A breakfast with Paraguayan identity

Coffee, fruit, juices, chipá, mbejú and other local products, served with the river as a backdrop. The luxury lies not in ostentation, but in the place, the calm, the service and the conversation.

In the fishing version, breakfast is accompanied by a light lunch and adjusted to whatever the day asks for.

Formats

Two versions of the same river

Starting points, not packages. Pace, table, language and companions are adjusted to you.

For most travellersSAPC Paraguay River

Sailing and nature

3 to 4 hours

Private sailing, an introduction to fishing, nature, and a breakfast or aperitif on board. The version designed for the general circuit.

For enthusiastsSAPC Paraguay River

Fishing Experience

6 to 8 hours

A specialist guide, complete equipment, the best areas available, breakfast, a light lunch and sport fishing.

A two-day expedition, under study

We are evaluating a 2-day, 1-night fishing expedition, but we will only offer it when we have a truly extraordinary guide, area and accommodation.

Fishing depends on the regulations of MADES: licences, closed seasons, sizes and quotas are checked for each date. Every year there is a fishing closed season (in 2024 it began on 4 November); during those periods the outing focuses on sailing and nature. If the weather does not allow us to go out, there is a Plan B.

Within your stay

Without adding one more night

The experience fits into the two nights planned in Asunción: the river takes up the dawn of the third day and leaves the afternoon free to continue the circuit.

  1. Day 1Arrival and first experience of Asunción
  2. Day 2Private Asunción: history, gastronomy, special access and sunset
  3. Day 3Paraguay River at dawn, return around midday and continuation of the circuit

Safety and comfort

What we sort out before setting out

An operating standard you need never see.

A licensed boat

In perfect condition and inspected by SAPC, with the supplier's insurance and paperwork up to date.

Professional skipper

With real knowledge of the area and of the river in every season.

Approved life jackets

For every passenger, without exception.

First-aid kit, water and shade

Communications, water, shade and sun protection on board.

Licences and regulations

Licences handled before departure, and MADES closed seasons, sizes and quotas checked for each date.

Always a plan B

A clear protocol for wind, storms or unsafe conditions, and an alternative if fishing cannot take place.

Our standard

What you will never find on board

Our standard is also defined by what we give up.

  • A party boat, loud music or the atmosphere of a mass excursion.
  • A boat full of fishermen, with no privacy.
  • Worn-out or improvised equipment.
  • Long days under the sun, with no shade, water or breaks.
  • Catches piled up for the photo or practices contrary to conservation.
  • A guide who only drives the boat and cannot tell the story of the river.
May you remember the silence, the dawn, the conversation and the life of the river.

Let us begin

Request your private experience

Every journey is designed from a conversation. Tell us who is travelling, when, and what you would like to feel; an adviser will contact you personally to shape your proposal.

No packages. No fixed itineraries.