For those who visit nearby nations, though, Paraguay's subtropical forests, broad rivers and unusual history can make it an intriguing detour.
Surrounded by Brazil, Argentina and Bolivia, this landlocked nation is larger than a glance at the map suggests. It's roughly the size of California but has only about 6.7 million residents, at least 3 million fewer than Los Angeles County.
The Rio Paraguay divides the country into roughly equal halves. Most of the population lives in the eastern half, about a third of them in the riverside capital city of Asuncion. To the west, the Gran Chaco area is a mostly grassy plain, brutally hot in summer, punctuated with marshes, savannas and thorn forests. Thinly populated with ranchers and Amerindians, the west is also home to German-speaking Mennonite colonies near the Bolivian border.
In the absence of mass tourism, it's a place where closer contact and the lack of preconceptions can lead to memorable, even intimate, experiences at underrated sites. Arrivals from North America or Europe are a relative novelty, to be treated with courtesy and respect.
An evolving capital
Paraguay's sprawling riverside capital, Asuncion, is the hub of its political, commercial and cultural life. Unlike most of South America's capitals, it's a relatively low-rise city where shade is at a premium, except on some lushly landscaped plazas.
It was founded in 1537, and its grid pattern is typical of the earliest Spanish settlements, but there are few remaining colonial buildings. The most notable structures, such as the government palace and the shrine to those who perished in battle, date from the 19th century.
The government's house
Asuncion's counterpart to the White House is the Palacio de los Lopez, a neoclassical building intended for the dynasty that ruled the country for decades in the mid-19th century.
The Lopez family didn't survive the War of the Triple Alliance, when they foolishly took on Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay in a bid to dominate the region. Still, their political successors have occupied the palace ever since.
Shrine to warriors
In downtown Asuncion, protected by an honor guard, the Panteon de los Heroes is a domed neoclassical shrine housing the remains of the figures who led their country into disastrous conflict with neighboring countries.
Started in the 1860s, before the War of the Triple Alliance, it wasn't finished until 1936, after the Chaco War with Bolivia. A couple of unknown soldiers are a token presence.
Avant art
In its isolation, Paraguay may give the impression of provincialism, but Asuncion has a lively contemporary art scene showcased at many galleries and the Museo del Barro, which displays avant-garde works by Paraguayan, Spanish and other Latin American artists under optimum conditions (no easy feat in this hot, humid climate).
The museum also features folk art collections from the 17th century to the present and more strictly indigenous artifacts from Paraguay's native peoples.
Foundry in the forest
Southeast of Asuncion, recovering subtropical forest blankets the compact and relatively small but verdant Parque Nacional Ybycui.
Ybycui offers creekside trails, waterfalls and droves of metallic blue butterflies. Howler monkeys are harder to spot but easier to hear. The park is also a historical site for the iron foundry destroyed by Brazilian forces in the War of the Triple Alliance, a severe blow to Paraguay's war effort.
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