A Visit to the Sand Dunes in San Cosme, Paraguay

Paraguay is a mystery to travelers. Many people skip right over it in their South American adventures (here is why you shouldn't) and if they do manage to make it here they usually stick to the big cities like Asuncion or Ciudad del Este. But, trust me there are so many unique and interesting things to see in Paraguay if you take a step outside of the metropolitan areas and go exploring. One of those places is the Sand Dune islands off the coast of San Cosme in the middle of the Parana River.

This past weekend the boyfriend and I, joined a group of Peace Corps volunteers for a trip out to the islands. The week leading up to the trip I was nervous about the weather, it had been rainy and cold for days. But, we lucked out, it turned out to be a beautiful, sunny, warm day. The boat ride to the islands takes about an hour and there is not much scenery to look at on the journey, expect the water. You typically stay on the island for 1-2 hours and then its another hour back to San Cosme. There is literally nothing on the island. So make sure you bring anything you might need, including water and snacks. The dunes are quite beautiful, you feel like you are on a deserted island (well, maybe because you are) or a desert in the middle of no where. We spent the afternoon wandering around the island, taking photos and simply relaxing. They say that each year the dune islands are getting smaller and smaller and eventually, within the next several years they will disappear completely.

In San Cosme there is also a small astronomy center that you can visit at night and take a look at the stars. They also have some smaller Jesuit Ruins that are worth a visit. The best way to get to San Cosme is take a 10mil guaranies (roughly $2) bus ride from the city of Coronel Bogado on Route 1 or you can take a direct bus from Encarnacion for 20mil guaranies (roughly $5).