Paraguay Weather, climate and geography

Weather and climate

Best time to visit

Subtropical with rapid changes in temperature throughout the year. Summer (December to March) can be very hot. Winter (June to September) is mild with few cold days. Rainfall is heaviest from December to March.

Required clothing

Lightweight cottons and linens are worn in warmer months, with some
warm clothes for spring and autumn. Mediumweights are best for winter.
Rainwear is advisable throughout the year.

Geography

Paraguay is a landlocked country surrounded by Argentina, Bolivia and Brazil, lying some 1,440km (900 miles) up the River Paraná from the Atlantic. The River Paraguay, a tributary of the Paraná, divides the country into two sharply contrasting regions. The Oriental zone, which covers 159,800 sq km (61,700 sq miles), consists of undulating country intersected by chains of hills rising to about 600m (2,000ft), merging into the Mato Grosso Plateau in the north; the Paraná crosses the area in the east and south.

East and southeast of Asunción lie the oldest centres of settlement inhabited by the greater part of the population. This area is bordered to the west by rolling pastures, and to the south by thick primeval forests. The Occidental zone, or Paraguayan Chaco, covers 246,827 sq km (95,300 sq miles). It is a flat alluvial plain, composed mainly of grey clay, which is marked by large areas of permanent swamp in the southern and eastern regions. Apart from a few small settlements, it is sparsely populated.