Comments on: Panorama of the Week: The World’s Loneliest UNESCO Site

By: Audrey Scott

Audrey Scott — Mon, 09 Jun 2014 13:18:35 +0000

In reply to Louise. Louise, that is crazy. Can't even fathom how a company could charge that much to see these sites. It's not like Paraguay is huge and you have to travel overnight to get here. Enjoy yourself at the botanical gardens and don't worry about missing this site :)

By: Louise

Louise — Thu, 05 Jun 2014 00:59:17 +0000

I’m not surprised so few people go there. I’m currently on assignment in Asunción for two weeks, had hoped to visit the ruins at the weekend. Not enough time to do it by local bus so looked for an organised tour – cheapest I could find, using local contacts, costs >$400! I’ll just have to satisfy myself with the botanical gardens in Asunción instead…

By: Daniel Noll

Daniel Noll — Sun, 03 Apr 2011 03:02:57 +0000

@GCG: Thanks for the thoughtful comment. I think Paraguay is really at the very beginning stages of tourism promotion. As a result, Trinidad and Jesus (and their Jesuit history) go relatively untouched and not well understood. To me, the history underlying those ruins is fascinating and indicative of colonial development in Paraguay and in general South America.

If you’d like to go a bit off the beaten path, then Paraguay is definitely a place to do it.

By: GCG

GCG — Tue, 29 Mar 2011 22:36:01 +0000

Was not familiar with this site in Paraguay so appreciate your excellent panoramic photograph and the post. A shame that Paraguay does not market this Unesco recognized destination more as it looks beautiful and probably surrounded by lovely nature, farmland and interesting communities where Guarani quite likely is still a common language. Seems to have much to offer to the traveler who makes it there! Thank you for sharing.

By: Jenny

Jenny — Tue, 28 Sep 2010 15:28:51 +0000

Nice. I missed out on this place when I went to South America. Didn’t have time for everything.

By: Audrey Scott

Audrey Scott — Tue, 28 Sep 2010 13:21:21 +0000

@Mark: Good eye – the brickwork was impressive. What you can’t see in this panorama is the layout of the community – it was strategically and logically planned for agriculture and community involvement. Quite impressive.

@Jenny: It is impossible to hit everywhere, especially in such a huge continent as South America. Much better to choose a few things than to go crazy running around. Not many people make it to Paraguay, so you won’t find many other travelers at any sight there.

By: Mark Tisdale

Mark Tisdale — Tue, 28 Sep 2010 05:33:30 +0000

Great pano! I love the details in the brickwork. What a shame it’s so unvisited.. The emptiness reminds me of my visit to Tantallon Castle in Scotland in the winter. I literally had it to myself. Tantallon was definitely on the minor end of Scottish ruins, though.

By: Jennifer Barry

Jennifer Barry — Mon, 27 Sep 2010 20:55:15 +0000

Thanks Dan and Audrey, my friend is still deciding on vaccinations. I was surprised yellow fever isn’t a problem as I know that in some tropical countries the mosquitos carry it.

By: Audrey Scott

Audrey Scott — Mon, 27 Sep 2010 17:08:47 +0000

@Jennifer: Good question about yellow fever. The vaccination is required for Bolivia and when we were in Argentina there were reports of outbreaks in the northern areas. To be on the safe side, your friend should get the vaccination. But, if she’s going to be in more urban areas she’ll likely be fine without it. We didn’t have any medical problems during our visit to Paraguay.

By: Jennifer Barry

Jennifer Barry — Mon, 27 Sep 2010 05:59:26 +0000

What a stark and lonely picture! I have a lot of empathy for the Jesuits – their hearts were in the right place.

As a side note, what kind of vaccinations did you need to visit Paraguay? I have a friend who is taking a trip there this fall.