Areguá

Toponymy

Areguá takes its name from its original inhabitants, the Mbyá Guaraní, indigenous people who lived in this area before Spanish colonisation. This group was called "Ariguá," which means "those from above," referring to the region's high altitude.

Climate

The climate in this town is warm. In the summer temperatures reach 40 °C while in the winter months the temperatures average 0 °C. The rainiest months are between January and April. The pleasant climate makes Areguá popular with tourists, especially because of its ideal location on [Ypacarai Lake].

Demography

Areguá has 67.847 inhabitants in total, of which 33.977 are males and 33.870 females, according to the projections made by The General Direction of Statistics, Surveys and Census. (Projection 2008)

History

Originally, this town was named "Tapaichuá", founded by Domingo Martínez de Irala in 1538 in the territory of an Indian people who lived in that land, on the banks of the Ypacarai Lake. Its inhabitants lived in the area surrounding the present church of Areguá.

At the beginning of the Spanish colonisation, the town was a cattle-raising farm of Mercedarian origin. At the end of the 19th century, it was developed as a summer city where most of the writers, artists and intellectuals lived in the hot months.

Strawberry

Apart from being an important source of income in the region, this fruit has its own history. In fact, the production of this fruit is a particular characteristic of Areguá. According to local people, back to 1920, in The Estanzuela Settling, a farmer put all his strength in strawberry growing.

He travelled to the town of Areguá to sell his crop in small baskets. Due to the great success, the strawberry plantation extended to all over the nearby farms, becoming, nowadays, the most important product of the area. In the harvest months, the traditional annual "Strawberry Festival" known as "Expo Frutilla" is celebrated. At the festival, you can taste delicious marmalades, jellies, juices, and pies.

Economy

Strawberry growing is one of the main activities of the inhabitants. Every August the "Strawberry Festival" is held where producers exhibit their crop or by-products elaborated from the fruit. This town is also known for its pottery crafts, an activity which involves a very large part of the people. Its industrial index is emergent.

Tourism

Areguá host a satellite office of the National Tourism Secretary (SENATUR, for its Spanish name) located at 515 Candelaria in the main business central of town. Areguá is a lovely town which preserves pretty colonial houses with wide corridors and a particular style. These buildings date from the time when Areguá was mainly a summer town where families from Asunción had their residences to spend the summer. This particular feature makes Areguá an ideal peaceful and warm city to receive visitors.

Undoubtedly, the "Avenida del Lago" (Lake Avenue) is a nice excursion to senses. It is extended from the highest place where the main church is located descending to the bank of the Lake where the Municipal Beach is. This route is considered the historical area of the town and was declared a National Patrimony by the Paraguayan Parliament in 1997. The Ypacarai Lake, without a doubt, is the main tourist attraction. It offers a privileged landscape.

In this town, there is an ecological club called "Isla Valle" where besides enjoying a beautiful nature you can also go fishing using the practice "pesque y pague" (fish and pay).

Another attraction is the variety of pottery handcraft made by the people in town. The Centro Artesanal de la Cuenca (Handcraft Centre of the basing) is a site of exhibition and selling where craftsmen from all over the region are gathered.

The Cultural Centre "Estacion A" is an establishment which provides tourist information to visitors; it has also a museum of photography in the antique train station opened to the public every two weeks and a guide service to visit the historical sites is available.

There are many art galleries such as: "Guggiari Arte", "Luis Cogliolo Galería de Arte", "Paseo La Candelaria", "Areguá pesebres" and "El Cántaro" in the town. An interesting place to visit is the "Museo las Margaritas" located on one side of the "La Candelaria" church.

As it is a very antique town it is interesting to investigate the large number of ghost apparitions among the local people, which give a particular charm to the people culture of the town.

The Koi and Chorori hills are of great tourist attraction. The Koi hill is known for its formations of hexagonal sandstones, similar to a bee honeycomb, unique in Latin America. Only Canada and South Africa have this geological phenomenon and they are protected as a Human Patrimony in both countries.

This hill was declared a Natural Monument in 1993. One can see that they are built by horizontal blocks of igneous sandstones, and that is the reason why the hill is a rarity.

Both Hills (Koi and Chorori) amount 26 ha. They have many owners in spite of a decree stated by the Executive Power which declared them a National Monument.

This is due to the Paraguayan government hasn’t paid the owners for the expropriation yet. The lack of interest and awareness by the authorities are remarkable in the environmental area in Paraguay.

As of 2014, Aregua celebrates a traditional "Gastronomic Festival of Mango" every year, where professionals and locals gather to showcase different foods and drinks which incorporate the use of mango as the main ingredient.

Famous people

The Paraguayan writer Gabriel Casaccia was born on April 20, 1907, in Areguá. Descriptions of the nearby landscape can be found in many of his writings. He is buried in the town, in spite of having lived his last years in Buenos Aires. On his grave the sculptor Herman Guggiari built a sculpture in his memory.